Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 13, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press local May 1997 John Douglas 6977292 features Jim Carr email a3 employers get million rebate by Murray Mcneil business reporter the workers compensation Board of Manitoba has announced the first employer rebate in its 80year history an million payout to approximately Board chairman and chief executive officer Wally Fox decent predicted it could be the beginning of a trend for Many Manitoba he said the Board expects to Post another surplus this and if there is no policy then it is entirely Likely this annual rebates to employ ers will be a recurring event foreseeable this years rebate was made possible after the web posted a million web chairman expects another surplus this year surplus for the web said the other million will be used As the first of four annual allocations for a new million Rainy Day fund the Board is establishing to protect against expected financial set backs in the the Board has still not determined How much Money each employer will be rebated but the formula for calculating individual rebates will be tied to premiums cheques wont be issued until the Fox decent said although a portion of last years surplus was due to fewer claims from injured the bulk of it More than million came from earnings from the boards portfolio of invest ments in such things As Bonds and Mutual another major Factor was the elimination last year of the boards accumulated which by 1988 had reached that was the the chairman we had to get rid of that accumulated he said the web was Able to retire its debt through a combination of higher employer premiums in some reduced operating and increased returns from its investment Fox decent said Manitoba web int the first workers compensation Board in the country to announce a rebate to Albertas Board has done it several times Over the last three the Manitoba federation of labour says one of the main reasons the Board was Able to retire its debt was because of legislative changes passed by the province in 1992 that reduced benefits paid to injured now that the Board is operating at a its time for the provincial government to look at restoring some of those lost said Harry Mes the mfrs health and safety rep we Hope the government will see that As the decent thing to Mes Man Farewell to Canadian forces first of four special flood events Well wave goodbye with parties by Kevin Rollason City Hall reporter if youre looking to say Farewell to the flood of the Century with a City Hall has a myriad of celebrations for officially there will be four Public events honouring the efforts of volunteers and the military who battled the rising red River for nearly a in that Many events will be used to raise Money for flood Relief to help those whose Homes and businesses succumbed to the who want to Salute some of the nearly soldiers from All Corners of Canada who came to help get a Chance today to wave goodbye and thank Large numbers of military person Nel and equipment leave the City Early this afternoon in a Convoy of about 135 Convoy the Convoy begins at Dunkirk drive and Kingston drives North on Osborne Street to memorial turns right on Portage left on main North in the southbound lanes past City to turn left onto Logan Avenue and proceeds West to the up the military is scheduled to drive by Portage Avenue and main Street at this Convoy provides an excellent Opportunity for All of Winnipeg to come put and thank the military for their invaluable assistance to our Community during this flood Thompson this is get your signs and cheers and get out she by Only 150 out town members of the military will be left in members from Alberta and Quebec have returned already to their bases to prepare to leave for missions in Bosnia and on the City plans a Mas Sive flood Relief concert with per formers Susan Burton George Fred pen Ner and a pre taped performance by Celine the open air Benefit takes place at the Forks at 7 and will be broadcast live on the military will be on hand for the putting on a display for Winni Eggers and doing a flyby Dur ing the five Days May Thompson Wayne free press a Little help from our friends Jim who took a week off work to Zolty to do yesterday after 22 palettes of donated Untener at cps Weston shops the salvation goods arrived from Oklahoma the goods army operation we care Lenwill be distributed through flood Relief Hopes to ring every air Siren and Church Bell in the City As the City celebrates the red River officially falling below flood the City plans an event at Portage and the final event is set for june that will be proclaimed red River flood Buster Day at the red River councillors from every Ward will be asked to organize neighbourhood parades that will meet in one big party at the exhibition Well have Norbert flood Scotia Street flood busters and More than a few Kingston Row Thompson said yes it will be a Chance for communities to come together and celebrate their golfers win City discount at 60 councillors consider other services by Aldo Santin City Hall reporter a i group of feisty golfers took a swing at City Hall yesterday and walked away with a Hole the golfers were demanding the City recognize people As Young As 60 years to be eligible for a discount on City Golf not Only did the golfers get what they the City will now consider extending the policy to All of the ser vices its offers to the int that just said Joan one of three people who appealed to the Parks and culture committee yesterday to keep the age eligibility at when i was talking to the commit i thought of telling them that the discount age should be lowered to All City services but that want Why i was Fonger in glad there going to take a look at the City had lowered its discount age from 65 to 60 two years ago on a trial basis to see if it would encourage younger people to pick up a City officials admitted they were too embarrassed to ask seniors during the past two years just exactly How old they without the data to support keeping the age at recreation department staff were willing to bump the age Back up to but not before Fonger and golfers from across the City got wind of the Golf courses make a prof it off of seniors Richard Rudd told the committee people dont retire at 65 any it just Doest they cant make it that the politicians said they were Sid ing with the Harry Lazarenko Mynarski said that even without a the departments numbers reveal that revenues and participation jumped 20 per cent when the age was Low we dont need a report or a said Council will never support putting the discount age Back up to forget committee chairman Mike Oshaughnessy old Kildonan said the Board of commissioners should be asked to review its discount policy for All it Doest make any sense to have it at 60 years for Golf and 65 for every thing said Mary president of the Manitoba society of said she was pleased with the accomplishments made by Rudd and the i feel they really accomplished Pankiw who gives a break City of Winnipeg int on its own when it comes to offering seniors discounts before the age i Here Are some examples of Mients that offer seniors and the age eligibility City Golf a pm pity Parks and s Winnipeg Academy Uptown Bowling s Winnipeg Art gallery via airlines not West airlines players movie Manitoba labour minister Harold Gilleshammer said yesterday no such legislation is planned for this he noted that Manitoba benefits already compare favourably with those in other spokesman for two business groups the Manitoba chamber of com Merce and the Manitoba division of the Canadian federation of Independent business praised the web for get Ting its financial House in order and for agreeing to return at least a por Tion of its surpluses to the crib spokesman Dan Kelly said he expects some companies will use their rebates to hire an extra but while he approves of the Kelly questioned Why the Board needs another rain Day fund when it already has a stabilization officer gets paid Jack wrongly accused by Aldo Santin City Hall reporter a City police officer who was wrongly implicated in a theft ring trial cashed in on his ordeal last Daryl Evans received from the City in the bulk of which came in the form of a Settle ment he received when he returned to work after being suspended without pay for four the information was contained in the City of Winnipeg compensation disclosure which lists the salaries of All employees that were equal to or greater than a police service official said Evans 1996 compensation would have included his base salary of about to As Well As his Backway Settle Evans was suspended without pay in september 1991 following his arrest on 28 including conspiracy to commit break and obstruction of theft and three other officers charged and tried in 1994 were acquitted of All Evans was convicted on the one count of swearing a false statement under oath but it was overturned by the court of Appeal in september he was reinstated in his Job the officer is one of individuals identified in the the first time the City has released such info the report will become an annual event under Bill the Public sector compensation Evans is one of 17 people who received More than from the City last six of whom resigned or retired and were entitled to vacation pay and sic leave individuals who received or More from the City last year and were not mentioned in yesterdays free press include Evans and mar Garet chief medical Dave assistant District planner Bob battalion fire department Dave fire department Jim assistant Deputy fire depart Terry Deputy police ser High Rise residents forced out by fire afire in a downtown High Rise forced about 100 residents out of the building yesterday after fire department battalion chief Ken Crosbie said a Blaze of undetermined origin that broke out in the bedroom of an 18th floor suite at 33 Hargrave damaged the suite and caused some smoke damage in the there was also some water damage to the floor damage was estimated at Crosbie said at the scene the Only occupant of the suite at the time was a which want seriously injured and was taken away by the Winnipeg humane i heard someone knocking on other apartment opened mine and smelled i put on my jeans and got said Walter a 52 year old via rail worker who lives on the 18th ;