Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 25, 1998, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press local Friday. Septiem Ber 25. 1998 editor Doug Speirs / 697-7292 features de tor. Buzz Curriee mail City desk free press mib Ca a3picture looks Good for provinces film Industry by John Lyons staff reporter insiders say Manito bags m,0 vie business could double in size to $100 million within a year and Premier Gary Filmon says a Hollywood of the Prairies Quot Isnit an unrealistic image for Winnipeg. Manitoba a film Industry is growing faster than anywhere else in Canada film on said yesterday y. A obviously there is a lot of Competition in Canada. Certainly none of the venues has grown As fast As we have Over the last five years Quot Fil Raon said yesterday a after the announcement of $127,000 in funding for the Industry. O or film Industry is the fourth largest with a Bullet Filmon said. A no one is suggesting we will suddenly beat out Toronto Montreal or Vancouver Quot he said. Filmon used the tag a Holly Wood of the Prairies in a speech announcing funding to train 60 new film technicians. More technicians Are needed. He said to prevent work being lost to other centres. The Industry has grown from less than $1 million in 1987 to a projected tally of More than $50 million this year Filmon said. Richard Horne executive director of the Manitoba motion picture industries association said the local film Industry will do a minimum of $45 million in business this year up from $20 million last year. He said business is Likely to reach $100 million by next year. A i think that is absolutely within Range Quot Horne said a the film Industry has been growing the Only Factor that could slow growth of the film Industry in 1999 would be the presence of the pan am games Horne said. At least one film studio should be operating in Winnipeg by next summer he noted. The abandoned Amy Street steam Plant is currently being studied As a possible site for a $49.5-million studio Home said the $127,000 in funding w in go a Long Wray to expanding the already Bur Geon in a a Dusty. Them Oney comes from the Winnipeg development agreement and the department of education and training. A it is a vote of Confidence for the Industry a Horne said. Marilyn Hay director general of human resources Canada was Only slightly less optimistic than Horne and said the Industry can Likely Gro w to $100 million by 2�00. A there will be More lights camera and action in our province a she quipped. Joe free Pires dancing up a Stone Mathew a rail of o f st. Paul a High schoo l does a break dance for a crowd of st Uden to from st. Paul a and st. Mary a a Cade my at their ,21st annual walk a Thon at Assiniboine Park Heads Back to court chief medical examiners office blasted lacks accountability Cost controls review by David Kuxhaus legislature fee Porter b y Leah Jar zen Law courts reporter the landmark Case against a Winnipeg youth who allegedly sent a m a in death threats to a local Gay activist is heading Back to court alter twice being tossed out because of Legal foul ups. But Mark Zoldy the Raan targeted by the threats said he has lost Faith in the Justice system and added he is frustrated by the problems surrounding his Cora Pia Iet. A this has taken three years a he said yesterday. A this is a joke,.�?� Zoldy said he believes the delays and foul ups can be attributed to a Justice system that does not take seriously complaints from homosexuals who have been victims of crime. Last week the Manitoba court of Appeal ruled the Case against the a youth w houses the internet alias a inbred Jed a can go ahead a again. A trial again st the youth had been set for May 23, 1997, b it when the prosecutor did no to have w witnesses available due to a scheduling mix up the charges were dismissed by provincial court judge Robert Kopstein of r Lack of a prosecution Case. When the Crown tried a second time to take the Case to court another judge Marvin Garfinkel ruled that to try the Case w Ould constitute a double jeopardy situation. In Canada according to the double jeopardy Rule accused people cannot be tried t w ice for the same crime. But the Cro win appealed and the provinces highest court ruled that because inbred Jed never entered a plea to the charges against him the double jeopardy Rule does no to apply and the Crown can proceed with a trial. Inbred Jed is the pseudonym used by a then-16-year-old youth who is charged with sending an email threat to Zoldy in a a Rich 1,996. Them message read a death to Homo sexual its prescribed in the Bibie better w atch out next a y Pride week a and it was signed inbred Jed and a a Winnipeg one w by formed Gay bashing at the time it w As the first Case of charges being Laid for a hate related crime committed on the internet in North am Erica. A spokeswoman for the Cro Wnm a office said the court of Appeal ruling allows the Cro w n to reinstate the charges against the youth and proceed to trial. The office of the chief medical examiner is a loosely run ship with be w Cost controls and a management system accountable to no one an Independent Revie w has found. In 1997, the office performed 1,454 autopsies yet the report states the True Cost of such a procedure Isnit kno w n. Moreover delays in receiving toxicology reports can be As Long As 18 months due to a Lack of resources. The Revie w says stress Levels and workloads Are High and training programs for staff Are virtually non existent. A we believe that the office is approaching a level of risk at which its Abi Lity to operate in an accurate and to Mel a manner could be easily co rap promised a the report said. Am Ong other things the chief med ical examiners office is responsible for providing reports that Are used by prosecutors in court cases and by insurance companies to Settle claims. The study made Public yesterday says the office needs to in prove its accounting p practices adding that there is now Little incentive to become More efficient. The p rejected budget for the office in l 999-2 000 is just Over $1.5 million. About $44 0,000 will go Tow Ard salaries. Currently the office has a staff of 1,2, including six medical examiner investigate is. The study said a Board of directors is needed to keep the office in Check. A a it appears in practice not to be accountable to any authority for its management and p professional conduct a said the reports nip Justice critic Gord Mackintosh said its another example of How the conservative government has failed Manitoban. A this is part of a pattern of damning reports about the Justice department a Mackintosh said. A it just goes on and he noted that Independent reports have also been critical of victims services and corrections. He accused the tories of trying to Bury the report which w As completed in february. A they wanted to keep this from coming up while the session at the legislature was on a Mackin Tosh said. The provi nce requested an Independent review due to a grow ing number of grievances within the office. The 17-Page review Sheds Little Light on the conduct of or. Peter Markesteyn the former chief medical examiner allegedly the focal Point of much of the friction. Markesteyn 66, retired in firings during his tenure he fired several people including to o who went to arbitration and got their jobs Back. Marke Ste in said yesterday staffing problems at the office were no different than those at any workplace. The report said some of the unrest May have been caused by the heavy workload. Markesteyn said he agreed with the review is recommendations and blamed much of the trouble in the office on a Lack of funding. A a o or office had the Sam a budget in 1982 As it did in 1996.�?� he said that when he co Rapla ined the govern ment told him he must make do with what he had. Jim Hull director of the chief medical examiners office said part of the p to Blem in dealing w Ith costs in particular autopsies is that a couple of Gover no pm ent departments a health and Justice a Are involved. He Esti Raa ted the average Cost of an autopsy including toxicology tests at $1,0 00. He said workloads Are an Issue adding that in 1997, the office investigated 3,197 deaths. The report Reco my ends Stream pm Lin ing w Ork flows improving hiring and counselling procedures for staff and improving relations with outside pathologists. It also suggests centrals zing operations at st. B Boniface general Hospital close to the toxicology lab. Deputy minister o f Justice by uce Macfarlane said the government is in the process of i a ple menting most of the Reco my end a Tion a. He denied there w As any a attempt to Bury the report. A a we w anted to understand the i Mali cation first before w e went Forward a Macfarlane said. Markets complaint of Rotten fish a irresponsible a Femc claims Brandon profs Call for strike vote by Nick Martin education reporter staff two weeks after a Winnipeg fish Market complained about a ship ment of White fish it said was Rotten fed eral tests show it was of a acceptable the results of the Canadian f Ood inspection Agency tests w Ere made Public yesterday by the fresh Tara ter fish marketing corp., the monopoly co operative that sold the catch to the Gimli fish a a re it. A a we consider these in founded accusations and generalizations about our product Quality and safety to be in Respo Snible and potentially a cause for in necessary alarm am Ong our custom ers and Consumers a corporation vice president Gerry Malone said in a statement. Karen Olson owner of the Gimli fish Market could not be reached yesterday y. Brandon University professors have Given their faculty association an overwhelming show of support to Call a strike vote if talks on a new contract stall. Joe Dolecki president of the faculty association said yesterday that 12 0 pro lessors who attended a strategy session wednesday unania Ousby agreed in an o pen vote to empower the faculty association to Call a strike vote. The schools 185 professors have been w without a contract since their previous three year Deal expired last March. Dolecki said Bufa has not set a Date for taking a strike vote. Dolecki said he w As Uncertain about the earliest Date on w hich professors could go on strike. E a is begin the second week of Decem be r. Professors accepted a w age freeze in 1995. They have received no incremental increases for the past three years and have worked 20 Days with out pay during the expired contract. Meanwhile professors and librarians at the University of Manitoba were meeting last night to talk about their ongoing contract concerns. The University presented the 1,075-,m,e Raber faculty association with a proposal on sept. 4. Its a three year contract offering a wage freeze in the first year and one and t Wope a cent increases after that. It also includes a controversial a Aida tory Reti be ment provision which would Force association me in Bers to Reti re w Hen they re legally required to begin collecting Federal pension Bene fits currently age 69. University of Winnipeg negotiated a be w contract w Ith its faculty earlier this year. Of Homes septem be iii 1 2 ,27. 1 9mm Imani Toba a Homie presen Leo. By the Mani tob Home #i,,.i,a,fion association for More Call 9115-2560 pro of sponsors Royal Bank ski Tchen Cratt connect lion Oia Lico Oil bal to Luime Ber Ltd. Hia Tiona Home War Iran in programs s Lar Bui id Ling materials super Lile lighting Ltd., Willmar windows Winnipeg free press am alarm Sis lems Ltd. Building products and Concrete supp la Clec mortgages Quot inc. Chic Curtis carpets Ltd., Fui Nasman Union Energy Robinson lighting a a amp Bath Centre Scotia Bank All w eater windows Ltd. 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