Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 27, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free frees saturday 8 Indian affairs minister John Munro tells reporters the Aims of a Winnipeg Indian group Are admirable and deserve funding. Indian Council suspends protest Munro s Promise to seek funds for Winnipeg native group cools conflict by Greg Bannister a protest March to Ottawa was suspended yesterday after Indian affairs minister John Munro promised to so licit funds for the financially troubled greater Winnipeg Indian Council. Munro refused to provide department funds for the Council but promised to solicit funding from the Secretary of state s department. Following a Between flights Airport meeting with Munro yesterday John James head of the Council said he would suspend his walk planned to draw attention to the group s request for funds. July 14 deadline he told reporters he was encouraged by Munro s attitude on funding despite the minister s refusal to provide funds from the Indian affairs budget. I would have to say it was a Good meeting. We will suspend our walk and give the minister until july 14 to see if he comes through with the funds from Secretary of earlier Munro told reporters the Gwisc was deserving of funds. They Wilson Case conspirators sent to jail for Short terms juggling the columbian Marisue s the North Dakota Border i into by Pamela a Yerran two men who were involved in the marijuana smuggling Trade which led to the imprisonment of la Bob Wil son were sentenced to Short jail terms in provincial judges court yesterday. Ronald Brent Bjarnason 24, of glad Stone and Marlin Guy Dorash 20, of Selkirk each pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to traffic in marijuana be tween May 1 and May 31, 1979. Agree ing with the recommendation of the Crown and defence counsel judge John Enns sentenced Bjarnason to four months in jail in addition to a Fine. Dorash was sentenced to 90 Days in jail and ordered to pay a Fine. Crown prosecutor Bruce Macfarlane said both accused s roles were minimal in the Over All conspiracy. He described their involvement As tasks to assist ins Muf across Manitoba. Fee arranged he said Bjarnason a Pilot was hired to do the which meant flying a shipment of marijuana from Cava Lier n.d., to Manitoba. He said a fee for his flying services was arranged with William Gordon Wright a former Selkirk schoolteacher who had drug charges against him stayed in return for testimony As the chief Crown wit Ness in the Wilson Case. The arrangement was that Bjarnason would be paid for the task but the plan was aborted when Bjarnason became nervous about a Rumor that the police were tipped off. Bjarnason s lawyer Jeff Gindin said the temptation to make was hard to resist. To say that he has Learned a lesson is an understatement. He has lost far More than he would Ever have been Gindin said Bjarnason s role never included the distribution aspect. He was Only hired to be a courier and even though he changed his mind and never Conklin worker faces cheating at play charge a sideshow attendant at the red River exhibition has been charged with cheating at play for allegedly fixing a game to make it More difficult for players to win a prize. A Winnipeg police vice department spokesman said yesterday the Atten Dant 26, who ran a sideshow game which involved trying to Knock Over milk bottles with a baseball is alleged to have weighed Down some of the bottles to make it More difficult for them to be knocked Over. The attendant who is an employee of Conklin shows was charged thursday following an investigation by undercover detectives. The Man who lives in the Toronto area appeared in court yesterday and pleaded not guilty to the charge. A trial Date was set for oct. 31 in provincial judges court in Winnipeg. The charge of cheating at play an offence under the criminal code of Cortada carries a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment. Went through with it he is still consid ered a conspirator. He has already suffered a great Deal because of the two years that have passed since he was originally Dorash s involvement was even less significant in the Over All drug scheme Macfarlane said. As a Friend of lawyer faces breach of Trust theft charges City lawyer Ronald Garth Carbert has been charged with one count each of criminal breach of Trust and theft involving a mortgage. Carbert along with Alliance two investments ltd., was charged by the commercial crime Section of the ramp on june 15. They were remanded for a week yesterday on a first appearance in provincial judges court. The criminal breach of Trust charge alleges Carbert and the company being trustees of a mortgage converted All or part of it to their own use and the use of another person which was not authorized by the the theft charge alleges the two accused stole the offences Are alleged to have occurred Between March 20, 1979, and aug. Under the criminal code of Canada criminal breach of Trust is punishable by a maximum of 14 years in prison while theft carries a maximum 10-year term. John free press Wright s son Bob Dorash was approached to assist in the Ontario Deal Ings which involved the use of his truck. In Exchange for that Dorash received half a Pound of marijuana. Judge Enns agreed with a proposal by lawyer Sandy Mckenzie to allow Dorash to serve his sentence on 45 consecutive weekends so he will not lose his Job. But the judge warned that jail is not to be arranged like dental appointments or to suit the accused s Job shift schedule. Tragic result judge Enns said it is a tragedy when people such As the accused be come so meshed in greed that for a few Bucks for a Little More you say i will commit a crime he said it is a tragic result of a materialistic society which promotes the buy this buy that attitude that is so prevalent in modern society. He added that Success is defined in terms of Richness and people Are too often overlooking the fact that True Content ment can come from smaller things which May also be free. He also speculated on the possibility that if the police investigation was not successful would you have done it would Wright Cut you in Why say no a second time if the scheme was completed the first time fortunately for you it was t completed. And i sincerely Hope for both of your Sakes that you will decide in your minds that offers of or Aren t Worth it and that you have the strength of character to say no because you value your really do need financial support. I acknowledge he called the goals and the objectives of the Council but said his department had no mandate to fund off Reserve Indian organizations. The Council a member organization of the four nations confederacy at tempts to serve the status indians James estimates Are living in Winnipeg. I have undertaken to talk to my Cabinet colleague or. Francis Fox the Secretary of state to see if we can secure funding for the Munro said. He said Fox s department provided in funds for the Council in 1980 and Indian affairs officials Are optimistic Fox s department will Grant the the Council is requesting for its current fiscal year. The minister said he could do nothing however to provide some Assurance of ongoing funding beyond the current one year proposal. Munro said the Council was request ing a Large increase in funds because of a highly stepped up program which included several planned projects in connection with Winnipeg s recently announced Core area initiative. Munro said he would speak to Fox this week about funding and would attempt to have an answer for James by the end of next week. Yesterday s meeting was also the scene of a minor split in the ranks of the Urban Indian movement. Len Fairchuk a former Indian affairs employee in Winnipeg who was fired for publicly supporting the coun cil s funding objectives angrily denounced the group. Fairchuk a non status Indian told reporters he had been asked by James to leave the meeting with Munro be cause his fight to regain his Job was not As important As the Council s attempt to gain funds. I gave up my Job to support these said an angry Fairchuk and now that they think they Are getting some where they have bigger and better things to do than support Fairchuk said he planned to disassociate himself from die Council. James later denied he asked fair Chuk to leave the closed meeting. He admitted he asked Fairchuk to hold his comments on his Job situation until the end of the meeting. Share of tax termed Low by Mary Ann Fitzgerald the City of Winnipeg will receive million As ils share of provincial personal and corporate income taxes this year Low in the City s estimation. The tax sharing Money is part of million which will be distributed to the province s cities towns villages and municipalities under Manitoba s provincial municipal tax sharing plan finance minister Brian Ransom and municipal affairs minister Doug Gour Lay announced yesterday. The tax sharing Money to Winnipeg is in addition to the annual Block funding Grant from the province to the City which this year amounts to last year s Block funding Grant was million when the City also received slightly More than million in tax sharing funds. Civic finance committee chairman Abe Yanofsky ice Jefferson said he is disappointed at the relatively Small increase although i understand the reason is the province s relatively poor economic the total million going to municipalities represents 2.2 Points of per Sonal income tax and one Point of corporate income tax earmarked for local governments under the Provin Cial municipal tax sharing act. Yanofsky renewed his Call for a re View of the formula arguing that the City s Economy can t afford to fluctuate based on the Economy because we Don t have a broader tax base. It Points out the need for the province to give us Access to other forms of Revenue either sharing or letting us raise our Yanofsky is an advocate of a one per cent increase in Manitoba s five per cent sales tax be distributed for the Benefit of cities and towns on a per capita basis. Manitoba would still have among the lowest sales tax except for Alberta. Which has he said. He noted the sales tax in Quebec City is seven per cent two per cent of which goes to the City. Other communities this year Brandon will receive 151 under Manitoba s municipal tax sharing plan and Portage la Prairie will receive in Northern Manitoba Thompson will receive while the local government District of Churchill s share is using 1976 census population figures excluding military population the Money is distributed on a formula of a Basic per capita payment to All organized municipalities. The per capita amount is More than last year. An Urban services supplement also is provided to cities towns villages and Urban local government districts. The supplement remains unchanged from 1980 at per capita for eligible communities up to population and per capita for communities with populations of More than decision reserved on City prosecution provincial court judge Charles Rubin reserved decision yesterday on whether the City of Winnipeg has the right to prosecute the Freshwater fish marketing corporation Over a mishap last february in which fish sludge backed up into the basements of about 40 Transcona Homes. The Femc has challenged the City s right to prosecute it under the Winnipeg sewer bylaw arguing that be cause it is a Crown corporation it is immune from criminal or quasi Crimi Nal prosecution by the City. After hearing arguments from fed eral prosecutor David prayer and provincial Crown attorney Corrine Dee Gan who is prosecuting the Case on behalf of the City judge Rubin re served his decision until next Fri Day. Criminal prosecution prayer argued at yesterday s hear ing that although the corporation con cedes it can be subject to civil proceed Ings it cannot be the subject of criminal or quasi criminal prosecution unless the bylaw it is alleged to have violated specifically states it can. The Winnipeg sewer bylaw contains no such clause prayer said. Deegan argued however that the Femc waived its right to immunity in 1971 when it agreed to pay the annual licence fee required under the bylaw Winnipeg International Airport becomes a busier place than usual at this time of year As Holiday travellers descend on the summer Rush at Airport City. The summer Rush also makes for crowded featuring a mixture of different types of aircraft. Runways for companies which use the City sew age system. Deegan also noted that in the past the City has assessed a surcharge against the corporation for discharging excess Ive amounts of sludge into the City sewage system and the corporation has never challenged the City s right to Levy such a surcharge under the sewer bylaw. Even if the corporation is successful in having the bylaw Case thrown out of court it still faces a joint civil suit by 26 homeowners whose basements were flooded by fish sludge. The 26 homeowners who live on Plessis Road and Robson Road filed their statement of court of Queen s Bench earlier this month. In their claim they accuse the Femc of being negligent for failing to have a proper filtering system to prevent oversize fish remains from entering the City s sewage system. They claim the oversized pieces of fish Scales Heads and other remains resulted in the sewers becoming clogged and backing up. The residents Are seeking specific damages for lost clothing and Furni Ture As Well As an unspecified amount of special and general damages. Even if the City is successful bylaw prosecution the Femc faces Only a Fine of under the bylaw. Judge adjourns inquest an inquest which was to resume today into the death of a teenager who died after a homemade rocket exploded and Cut his jugular vein has been adjourned for about two weeks. Timothy Sarna 16, died april 16 after a Coz Shell filled with Gunpowder and match Heads exploded in the backyard of his Cousin s Home at 595 Bannerman Avenue. During the inquest which began ear Lier this week court was told that a period of 20 minutes elapsed Between the first Call for an ambulance and the time Timothy arrived at seven Oaks Hospital. The delay was apparently due to difficulties in locating an ambulance. Provincial court judge Arnold con nor has raised concerns Over the ambulance dispatching. He has asked Crown counsel Greg Lawlor to arrange for More witnesses to testify regarding the ambulance service. As Well he has indicated that he May also listen to the master tape of the 911 emergency Call recordings in an attempt to Trace the time lag. Doctors testified earlier that Timo thy who lost As much As 50 per cent of his blood May have stood a better Chance for survival if he had been taken to Hospital sooner ;