Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 3, 1989, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press october Page 3 Patrick City editor doctor shortage called racism called key in Osome local libraries need retiring councillors say by Radha Krishnan Thampi two retiring senior councillors have taken a parting shot at their Council colleagues for starving the cites Library system of Harold Macdonald Cory Don and Bill Neville Tuxedo called for an infusion of about million into the Library system Over the next three years to buy and to build or renovate existing we scarcely need to remind the Reader that libraries without books Are like Lions without fish without fins or Freedom of speech without ideas to speak the pair said in a 17page report to the bloody system is choking to Macdonald said Macdonald and Neville tabled their and hoc committee which will be subject to Public hear Ings and debate by the new Council after the 25 the committee appointed the councillors in March to look into the Library system and suggest ways to improve its an action Macdonald adding the current Council didst have a consistent plan for regular Book purchases or Library what we have now is impulsive and intermittent the whole Book funding is one step Short of Macdonald and both River Heights area re commended the closing of the Mcphillips and Brooklands branches next year and the William Avenue Branch in the committee also recommended for next year d upgrading of the Windsor Park d adding technical services staff and replacing the for the committee also re commended d adding a literacy unit at Johns d upgrading the Munroe d moving the River Heights Branch to a larger facility on Corydon ave nue and upgrading it to a District d downsizing the fort Garry the committee said the Transcona and the Charleswood branches should be moved to larger facilities by the recommended changes will require about a Good portion of it is new Macdonald adding he Doest have a breakdown because of the savings involved in closing and downsizing certain the committee recommended the City increase its per capita Book budget to from the current irrespective of the level of provincial this per capita Standard should be increased by the amount of the goods and services should that tax be charged against Library materials the councillors 1986 study partly rejected cab safety review set the committee recommended the City libraries should have a More service oriented approach rather than worrying about the Bottom the committees if fully will add 24 new staff to the Library its a positive replacing the present piecemeal Macdonald adding the Winni Peg Library system was virtually being starved to death since 1987 because of councils Lack of Leader i dont want to name any he Dave free Fless by Patrick Mckinley and David Roberts the province has ordered another review of taxicab safety in Light of the shooting death of cab Driver Paramjit Singh last but Liberal la Gulzar Cheema said yesterday that Singh death might have been averted if the province had adopted a key recommendation of an earlier review of the the earlier sparked by the 1986 slaying of cab Driver Gurnam Singh Dha recommended that cabs be equipped with mandatory protective but the former nip government dropped civic leadership on old buildings called deficient about 130 historic buildings in downtown Winnipeg Are in jeopardy because of a Lack of civic heritage Winnipeg officials told a civic committee yester the City must plan for the future and formulate a strategy for the continued health of our George Diamandis told civic planning and Community services com Mittee Diamandis said the cites plan to close its downtown steam Plant by next year will put immense pressure on about 130 he said a program must be developed to help building owners convert to newer sys tem to heat their buildings or risk eventually losing their architectural Diamandis said 10 months ago his group came up with an action plan that suggested the City provide Grants and property tax incentives to building owners for three to 10 years to substantially renovate their build Ernie Gilroy Sargent chair Man of the planning and Community services rejected Diamandis charge of a Lack of civic said theres a Strong lobby opposed to the City listing buildings As historic prop while an equally powerful group wants the City to do More in that we try to keep a balance Between these two Gilroy adding Diamandis request for tax incentives will be considered by the new planning committee after the 25 the requirement after some cab owners and Drivers Cheema Kildonan said instead of order ing another the government should act on the 1986 he vowed that the liberals will not drop the Issue until action is taken to reduce the risks Drivers highways minister Albert Driedger said he met yesterday morning with Manitoba taxi cab Board chairman Don Norquay and asked him to establish an advisory commit tee to review safety in the Driedger said the committee will include representation from cab Drivers to ensure their views Are taken into he expressed doubt that mandatory Shields would be a workable Way of ensuring greater Protection for Driedger said Many of Winnipeg cabs Are Small and medium sized and equip Ping them with Shields could expose Passen Gers to the risk of head in the Shields do not fit All can require Seatbelt modifications that Are difficult to carry out and Are not he he rejected Chermas Call to provide loan guarantees to help cab owners Purchase saying he will wait for the review before deciding whether Shields Are the Way to Driedger also noted that while the recommendation for mandatory Shields was the province did enact other changes aimed at improving Drivers safety they included posting phone numbers in cabs where passengers can direct their com plaints a move aimed at defusing disputes Between passengers and in cabs were equipped with mandatory warning lights that Flash to Alert passersby when a Driver is in and cab companies were required to beef up training for Drivers and Cheema said in the legislature yesterday that Singh death is the third such killing in recent years and Many of the cites cab Drivers Are afraid for their Jane a workplace safety and health employee who assisted during the 198687 review of taxicab said the 1987 recommendation that All cabs be fitted with mandatory Shields was never Riewe said the advisory Council on work place safety and headed by Wally wanted All City taxis fitted with mandatory safety Shields after the killing of but there were a couple of she noting the committee also wanted to ensure that All from compact to could be fitted with Shields and be Safe for when bureaucrats from at least three provincial departments help police warning Light on cab is legacy of 1986 murder of taxi Driver Gurnam Singh found no design would guarantee passenger the idea of mandatory Shields was Wayne a local window and door said yesterday he installed Shields in 276 of Winnipeg approximately 375 taxi cabs after Dhaliwal Taylor said they were made mandatory in november but about two weeks 1 Ter they were again made voluntary after some cab Drivers he said they Cost about including Norquay said the taxicab Board plans to work closely with taxi owners and Drivers during the new safety Norquay said Only the City of has mandatory Shields for where taxis must be of uniform size and Shields Are installed to standardized specific he noted a number of other safety recommendations from the Fox decent review have been these include a mandatory four hour safety training pro Gram for All Drivers and the installation of emergency trouble Norquay said in 1987 the majority of cab owners didst want Shields but the majority of Drivers i think its an inherently dangerous Norquay we should do whatever we can within reason to make it Community policing plan praised program faces derision within report says Bozen Olijnyk Community policing in Winnipeg has been successful so but offi cers who Arent in the program need to support it says a report prepared by a University of Manitoba Richard speaking to the cites Parks and culture committee said the pro Gram has been tremendously successful with the in the major controversy surrounding Community policing has been the fight Over which neighbor Hood will get it Linden the Type of work done by Community police officers has been criticized by officers and supervisors As not being real police he there was one Case where an officer was dealing with his super i who made some deriding com ments about him being a social not a police said adding the supervisor in question has since been Transfer police chief Herb Stephen agreed there Are officers who dont look upon the Community policing pro Gram As True there Are still Many officers who believe in the More traditional form of policing which is to be reacting to crime rather than proc he Linden suggested that Community police officers be integrated with District personnel by educating patrol officers about the program and ensuring the Community officers receive the Active support of their recommendations another problem with the pro Linden is the hours worked by Community he said Community officers shifts Are often Cut because of the need to return cars to the station so they can be used by the evening As it would be desirable if Community police officers could extend their hours to cover some eve As that is when Many Resi dents Are Home and when most crimes Stephen said he but that the 10hour work Day under the cur rent Union contract Doest fit into the Community policing which be said works better based on an eight hour work the Community based police pro initiated in May opened centres in four areas of the City manned by officers among other conducted area foot Linden made several recommendations to improve the including reducing the size of the areas that officers would have to cover and making Money available for renting office space if free accommodation is not frequent moves by Community officers have been disruptive and work against building Strong ties with the he Sug Gesting that officers be on Street have convenient parking and be located As centrally As Linden also suggested that Volun Teers be encouraged to help the Community officer and to work in the Centre when he or she is Stephen said he supports the use of although they would need Security clearance because they would have Access to some police the civic committee approved several recommendations based on Lindens they include negotiating with the police on making hours More flex reducing areas 2 and 3 into six and offering training workshops on Community starting with senior Terry Wachniak Minarski told the committee yesterday he would like to see the resurrection of the cites police which was disbanded three years it would be important in helping City Council make better and make the police department More responsible to Wach Niak said in an he added the previous police com Mission was considered a toothless but that there is no reason Why it be resurrected with More Powers and Stephen said he didst think it would make a other than in the people he and other police officials would have to report Day seeks extradition extradition proceedings Are under Way for a 19yearold Man sought in connection with the death of a three Earold grand Forks grand Forks police said a police spokesman said a Man was picked up by Winni Peg police late Friday after noon and remains in custody a warrant for his arrest by grand Forks police was issued sunday after the body of Kas Siejo Mckay was discovered in her parents trailer Park by a family grand Forks police said the girl appeared to have been the results of an autopsy conducted yesterday were not available last police said the infant was reported missing when the parents returned to the trailer Park saturday and found the girl the a family Friend of no fixed had been babysitting the girl Over the Winnipeg police were unable to provide any details of the Case or confirm whether the Man was being ;