Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 18, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba Sunday free press May 18, 1997 a4 editor. John Douglas / 697-7230 email sunday free press local feds make poor Farmers prison program loses Money for i of years the farm operation at Stony Mountain institutions minimum Security Annex is losing taxpayers Money at a startling rate. Two years ago losses at Rockwood institution topped $380,000. I St year another $180,000 went Down the tubes a bringing the total loss to taxpayers to Well Over one half million dollars in the past two years. And it makes no sense. Because most of the labour being used at the prison farm is free. Although seven full time staffers at Rockwood receive salaries totalling about $300,000 a year everyone else who works on the mixed farming operation is an inmate. And in an arrangement any Independent Farmer would envy the wages of those 60 to 80 inmates Arentt passed on to administrators. They Are instead absorbed by the prison and a ultimately a the taxpayer. Bottom line you May recall from my last column that Stony Mountain inmates received almost three quarters of a million dollars in wages and overtime last year from the Federal government. Well Rockwood a biggest customer is also the Federal government. The farm raises cows pigs chickens and operates a Dairy farm. But if the Bottom line is any indication they re sure not doing it very Well. So when exactly was the last time the farm at Rockwood actually turned a profit a ooh i done to think its Ever turned a profit a said Tom Crozier the Man in charge of Agri business for corrections Canada. And How Long has the Rockwood farm been around a for a Hundred years. Its become a sentimental sentimental or not you would think that after too years without Ever turning a profit someone somewhere in the Federal government at sometime would have taken notice. A it never used to matter a Crozier said in an interview from his Calgary office. In fact the fiscal situation at the farm is so bad that last year was actually considered a Good year despite the $180,000 loss. A it was our Best year yet there a said Crozier. A Good year is there anywhere other than the Federal government where a $180,000 bloodletting could be considered a Good year officially the mandate of the Rockwood farm a and other industries the Canadian prison system operates under the umbrella corporate name Corcan a is to provide inmates with a Way to earn at least part of their keep while acquiring a Job skill. The reality however is that Corcan has been bleeding taxpayer dollars for years without anyone batting an Eye. And Rockwood has been right there at the top of the pack. The Rockwood farm is among the biggest Money losers Corcan runs accounting for More than one third of the $1.1-million Dollar loss racked up in 1995-96 by Corcan Sio farming operations across Canada. To its credit the Federal government has reorganized Corcan in the past couple of years and administrators now have the mandate to operate at least on a break even basis. And while few operations Are there yet losses have been dropping Over the past three years. In line with that Crozier said the �?o1950s-style�?� mixed farming operation at Rockwood is being streamlined with the Money losing Chicken operation closed last week and plans afoot to expand the lucrative feedlot operation. Too bad it took a Hundred years. And millions of our dollars. Got a Story for our watchdog Call Paul Wiecek at 697-7411, fax at 697-7412 or write to 1355mountain ave., r2x3b6. Aid stations set to open salvation army to distribute goods to towns on the red by Bruce Owen staff reporter the salvation army is taking its flood Relief Effort on the Road tuesday setting up a satellite Centre in Morris and perhaps in two More red River Valley towns during the week a spokesman says. A a we re looking at having equal distribution along the red Quot maj. Charles Eyre said yesterday As he unloaded goods for flood evacuees at the Century Arena. A if we do that Well have Between Here and the Border to ensure people get the help they need a Many have yet to return to destroyed Homes a the salvation army desperately needs trucks to transport food clothing and cleaning supplies to where they Are needed most. Four Semi trailer loads of donated goods came to Winnipeg yesterday from Points in Canada but the salvation army needs help to get items to flood hit areas Eyre said. A Safeway has been really Good helping us a Eyre said. A but they have their own products to move and we have More trucks coming evacuees at the distribution Centre yesterday said they have had no problem getting what they needed. Many have been out of their Homes for a month. A a it a just been great a St. Adolphe evacuee Richard Hancox said. Quot its just Nice to know people Are there to help us Quot his wife Heather added. Individuals and businesses across the country have donated a wealth of goods from diapers to butter tarts to support Manitoban displaced by the flood of the Century both to the salvation army and the red Cross. Some evacuees fear they will return to Homes that can no longer be lived in. Red River Road resident Rose ten Cha said she and her husband Philip will Likely buy a Mobile Home rather than rebuild. Their House was protected by a ring Dike but water flowed right Over it. A at our age i done to think its Worth it Quot she said. A a it a a very stressful time for yesterday residents of St. Jean Baptiste St. Adolphe and Morris began returning Home after authorities said water Levels had receded sufficiently. Residents living outside these ring Dike communities Are asked to Contact local officials for re entry information. Residents of Rosenorn within the towns ring Dike will be Able to return Home tuesday beginning at noon. Access to the town will have to be via Lowe farm. People must also report to the towns fireball. In All communities those unable to care for themselves Are asked not to return until a later Date when All essential services Are up and running. As Well officials warn that All communities must maintain an emergency from Ontario with love by Kim Guttormson staff reporter Tihe last time Janice Marshall was in Winnipeg a for a Holstein convention in the Middle of april a she saw How High the Rivers were rising. This time she a Here to do something about it. The Dairy Farmer from Woodstock ont. Pulled into town this week with a tractor trailer full of donated goods for Manitoba evacuees a i stayed awake at night thinking How people will be in All that water a she said. A at 4 ., i woke my husband up and said i had to do Marshall a solution was to Send notes to the 639 Dairy farms in her county and she believe the response. Within Days she had a Kitchen full of sheets and clothing much of it new the rest washed and pressed and folded. There was a Hudson a Bay Blanket that had never been out of its plastic. A newlywed couple with Little Money bought three children a sleeping bags. A Neighbour whose wife had just died gave her a Cheque for $500. Marshall with the help of Jonathon Kleinsasser from the Crystal Spring Hutt Erite Colony is looking for a family to buy something for. The hauling was taken care of by j and r Hall trucking which also put her in touch with Kleinsasser. Much of the Load was left in Altona where she feels volunteers helping to clean flooded Homes can Best determine who needs what the most. The rest is waiting in Kleinsasser a warehouse to be distributed. Marshall has asked anyone who can help decide who to give the clothing to to Call the Colony. Phil Hossack Winnipeg free press Marshall with Kleinsasser trucked in flood Aid from Ontario. Brandon attitude a worrisome to education minister by Treena Khan education reporter Manitoba education minister Linda Mcintosh said she a still not satisfied with the Brandon school divisions attitude toward the provincial math exams. A to get a letter that says a dear mrs. Mcintosh there is no problem a is really worrisome a Mcintosh said yesterday. A clearly there is a Mcintosh wrote to Brandon school division chairman Doug Paterson this week asking How the Board plans to improve students Marks this june. She was responding to an april report by assistant superintendent Mary Lynne Campbell which concluded neither the teachers nor students Are to blame for the boards poor showing in the january exams. In March the Brandon school Board trustees voted to throw out the provincial exam results which showed a mean score of 49.9 per cent among the 173 Grade 12 students in the division who wrote the exam. The trustees later rescinded the motion and Mcintosh assigned them to write a report on How the division plans to improve students problem solving skills. A they did no to indicate exactly what they plan to do. Mcintosh said. Other divisions that scored lower than the provincial average have contacted the province to discuss How to improve the Marks she said. Brandon has not. Rodgers wife heard the blast inside their Home next to workshop. But succumbed to the smoke. Herman said Rodgers had retired recently from Rocc As a business teacher. He fixed Lawn mowers and delivered newspapers to supplement his income. A the was a very hard working Man a Herman said about the father of three. A we done to know what exactly happened. We re having a very hard time dealing with your help still needed volunteers Are still required to remove sandbag dikes to prevent Riverbank erosion. People Are needed at More than two dozen locations in the City. Please Call 986-8000 to find where you Are needed most today. Response capability until floodwaters have sufficiently withdrawn from town dikes. Flooding in some areas is still As High As 1979 flood Levels. Citizens Are asked to stay Clear of heavy equipment working near the dikes and to keep off the dikes until All work is completed. The pm of Ritchot advises that the school in St. Adolphe will not reopen until May 21 at the earliest. Concordia a Model for future Dingwall minister salutes City Hospital by Bruce Owen staff reporter Concordia Hospital represents the future of Canadas health care system Federal health minister David Dingwall said during a Campaign Stop in Winnipeg yesterday. Dingwall said fund raising efforts by the mennonite Hospital which have tapped into both the private and Public sectors to buy machinery and provide services is proof that Quality health care can be delivered efficiently to All canadians without resorting to private health facilities. A Issue one for All canadians across the country is Access to Quality health care a Dingwall said after a Brief tour of the Hospital. Dingwall raised the ire of Alberta Premier Ralph Klein Friday after he threatened to Block development of a private health facility in Calgary because if approved it would in effect create a two tier health system. Dingwall said yesterday he believes such a facility would allow wealthier albertan a to jump the queue and buy medical services. A that would create a Defato two tier health care system and i done to think that a what canadians want a he said. A i done to think we want to move in that Klein said Dingwall a comments that he would Block the facility because it contravenes the Canada health act Are nothing More than an attempt to score election Points. Klein has also written a letter to prime minister Jean Chretien protesting Dingwall a comments. In Winnipeg Dingwall met with Concordia a Board of directors and outlined several government programs that hospitals can apply to for funding both for machinery and to continue or improve services. For example he told the Board Money could be made available through an anti smoking fund to continue operating its asthma clinic. He also outlined Ottawa a new Pha Macare program designed to buy drugs in bulk to allow for More Cost efficient distribution to healthcare facilities and patients. Dingwall is the first Federal health minister to Ever tour Concordia Hospital executive director Bill Patmore said. A the was very encouraging in applying for dollars a Patmore said. A it was a Good Dingwall was also in Winnipeg yesterday to bolster the i Iberal election campaigns of Winnipeg North St. Paul candidate or. Rey Pagtakhan and Winnipeg Transcona candidate Rosemary Broadbent. Earlier in the Day he campaigned in Selkirk with Jon Gerrard candidate for Selkirk Interlake. Dingwall is the first Federal Cabinet minister outside of foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy to Campaign in the province since Chretien a controversial visit during the height of sandbagging preparations against the led River flood. F Paul Wiecek Retiree Dies following garage explosion former teacher 55, fixed Lawn mowers by Bruce Owen staff reporter a 55-year-old former teacher at red River Community College died Early yesterday after an explosion ripped through his Small St. James garage. Winnipeg police duty Insp. Dennis Sheardown said Kenneth Rodgers was apparently fixing a Lawn Mower at about 3 45 In a Small work shop next to his Home at 76 Makinak Bay when the explosion occurred. He was up Early preparing to deliver the Winnipeg free press family spokeswoman Joan Herman said. Sheardown said Rodgers wife Lois heard the noise and went outside to Check on her husband. A she looked inside the garage but see Over the smoke a Shear Down said. He said its believed Rodgers tried to fight the resulting fire Himsey Joe Bryksa Winnipeg free press ;