Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 12, 2005, Winnipeg, Manitoba A6 Canada / world w Winnipeg f ree p Resst tuesday pril 12, 2005 real estate picture listings As Low As $ 72 00 Call classified 697 7100 by Colin Perkel t Oronto the devastating financial hardship the mad cow crisis has caused Canadas cattle producers has sparked four Mammoth class action lawsuits that accuse the Federal government of Gross negligence. The coordinated suits launched in Alberta Saskatchewan Ontario and Quebec seek at least $ 7 billion the Industry yes estimated losses to Date and another $ 100 million in punitive damages. Cameron Pallett the lawyer heading the Ontario action said yesterday the suits raise an important Public policy Issue. Is the government entitled to act in a Sloppy fashion and get away with it Pallett said. The statements of claim assert that Ottawa introduced a regulation in 1990 that specifically allowed feeding cattle parts to other cattle the method through which Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is transmitted. That was a full two years after Britain had banned the practice and about three years after Canada barred cattle imports from the United kingdom and Ireland that were not from farms certified As free of the disease. It was Only in 1997 that Canada banned the feeding of cattle to other cattle. They were grossly negligent in not taking into account the common knowledge and scientific knowledge of How mad cow is transmitted said Montreal lawyer Gilles Gareau who is leading the Quebec suit. The entire world knew about it. In addition the discovery of an infected cow in Alberta in May 2003, which prompted the United states to close its Borders to Canadian cattle and precipitated the crisis can be directly traced to another act of Federal negligence the suit asserts. In the 1980s, Canada imported 191 cows from the United kingdom. In 1993, one was found to have mad cow disease. Yet despite a Federal monitoring program the government lost track of 80 of the animals which entered the food Chain. It is in All likelihood if not a certainty the source of the contamination of the Alberta cow said Gareau. Elizabeth Whiting a spokeswoman for agriculture minister Andy Mitchell in Ottawa said the government could not comment until there has been an Opportunity to review the full statement and assess the issues. Estimates Are that the proposed class action would represent about 100,000 producers and others directly affected across the country including those in British Columbia Manitoba and Atlantic Canada. Bill Sauer a producer near Niagara Falls ont., and the Lead plaintiff in Ontario said he hoped the suit would help alleviate Farmers financial pain and prompt the Federal government to act More carefully. The suit also names Winnipeg based Ridley Canada whose Parent is australians largest Stock feed producer. The claims allege Ridley Canada continued to incorporate animal parts in its Canadian feed for More than a year after its Parent company had voluntarily ceased doing so in Australia despite being aware of the hazardous nature. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Canadian press by Shannon Kari Toronto a Young woman who went Salsa dancing As her two year old daughter died of dehydration was sentenced to three years in prison yesterday and condemned by a judge who said the Credo of me first triumphed in the life of Clara Dasilva. The 25 year old Toronto woman engaged in Wanton and reckless self indulgence during an unusually hot weekend in Early september 2002, said Superior court Justice David Watt. Two year old Adrianna was left alone in her crib All Day on a sunday while her Mother went to work according to an agreed statement of facts filed last fall when Dasilva pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The Young woman returned to her apartment briefly at about 7 p. M. That evening to pick up her dancing shoes and then left her daughter alone again. Dasilva went Salsa dancing for the third straight evening that weekend and stayed at a male friends residence overnight. She did not return Home until nearly 5 p. M. Monday when she discovered her daughters lifeless body in her crib. The infant was found with a severe diaper rash and died of dehydration. Emergency workers noted the apartment smelled of vomit and cat urine. The temperature in the apartment was recorded at 35 degrees celsius. Dasilva had claimed her purse with her keys and Mobile phone were stolen while she went dancing so she could not return Home. The explanation was flatly rejected by Watt. Clara Dasilva danced the night away in unflinching self indulgence. She left her child alone in her crib to dry up like soil in a summer drought while she slaked her thirst for Salsa dancing said Watt. Can West news service by Lee Greenberg Toronto Ontario lawyers will ask a Quebec judge to severely restrict Karla Homol kans movements when she is released from prison this summer attorney general Michael Bryant said yesterday. The court ordered conditions would be the first step in ensuring a nationwide set of eyes Monitor one of Canadas most notorious criminals he said. No matter where she goes our Justice system is going to be watching her Bryant said. Sheds been convicted of the most horrific ghoulish crimes imaginable to Humankind. And the parole Board has made findings that she May pose a risk to the Public. So we want to make sure were doing everything to protect the Public upon her release. Homolka who was convicted of manslaughter in 1993 in the sex slayings of Kristen French 15, and Leslie Mahaffy 14, is serving the final months of her 12 year sentence at Joliette institution near Montreal. She is to be released july 5. Bryant wants a set of severe conditions known As a recognizance waiting for her As she Steps out of prison. That Means there will be no possibility of her slipping away. Recognizance orders can include restrictions on a persons movement and the people they associate with How often they report to police a curfew and prohibitions on alcohol or drugs. While he was unwilling to say what restrictions the Ontario prosecutors will ask for Bryant said we will be seeking the strictest conditions possible. If the court orders Homolka into recognizance she would be forced to report her movement both within and outside Quebec. Any violation would quickly land her Back in court. Can West news service infant Dies judge jails me first mom mad cow suits seek at least $ 7 billion coordinated claims accuse Federal government of negligence close watch on Homolka sought Karla Homolka the Winnipeg free press is read by 48% of Winnipeg adults every weekday. Thatus # 1 in Canada among major newspapers. Pavel Rahman / associated press Crews search for workers trapped under the rubble of a collapsed garment factory at Savar Bangladesh. Savar Bangladesh a nine Storey garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed after a boiler exploded yesterday killing at least 21 people and trapping about 200 others police and rescuers said. Rescuers used welding machines to Cut holes in the rubble to reach people and pump air to survivors at the sweater making factory near Savar an Industrial town about 30 Kilometres Northwest of the capital Dhaka. Police said at least 300 people were in the factory when it collapsed. Twenty one bodies have so far been recovered and nearly 200 people Are believed to be still beneath the rubble said Selim Newaz Bhuiyan a fire brigade official at the scene. At least 92 injured workers were pulled from the debris and taken to hospitals he said. Anxious relatives joined soldiers and firefighters in using Bare hands and crowbars to remove rubble. They said narrow roads leading to the collapse site had restricted Access for cranes and other Rescue equipment. At one Point a trapped worker called relatives on his cellphone from beneath the slabs of Concrete. He said he was dying and he asked for some water said Nurul islam a police official supervising the Rescue Effort. We Are trying to locate him. One manager at the factory said he plunged from the seventh floor in a Jumble of Concrete. I was overseeing the workers when there was a big bang and the building suddenly started shaking and going Down said Helal Uddin who uses one name. I was buried under slabs of Concrete before i could realize what had happened he said before being taken to a Hospital. Associated press garment factory collapses 21 dead hundreds believed still beneath rubble Pavel Rahman / associated press firefighter rescues worker ;