Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 21, 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A3 6 9 7 - 7 0 0 1 HOME DELIVERY 1- 800- 542- 8900 Call 200 HIGHWAY # 12 N, STEINBACH, MB 1- 888- 892- 7048 . 150+ point inspection . 24- hour roadside assistance . Manufacturer's warranty . 30- day/ 2500 km no- hassle exchange privilege w ww . l edi n g h amg m . co m 2011 Impala LT $ 15 , 990 3.5 V6, Auto Trans, Dual Climate Control A/ C, Tilt Steering, Power Windows / Door Locks / Mirrors / Driver Seat, Cruise Control, Anti- lock Breaks with Traction Control, Keyless Entry, Remote Start, OnStar, Alloy Wheels and more... 7 to c h o ose f r o m ! UP FRO N T PR I C ING, NO TRADE O R E Q U I V ALENT RE QUIRED . CHECK TH E OTH E R D E AL ER S FI NE P R INT birksgoldexchange . COM A .. C .. .. .. .. .. ' .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 133 .. .. .. .. .. , B .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. , .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . B .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . T .. .. B .. .. .. .. P .. .. .. .. .. .. .. M .. .. .. .. B .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 .. . .. . .. .. 5 .. . .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. : TRUST US WITH YOUR UNWANTED GOLD J �� �� Ǹ 27 Ǵ �� Ƿ 28, 2012 B Ǽ �� Ǿ �� 191 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 204.786.7468 TOP NEWS WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012 winnipegfreepress. com A 3 IF you want to work for Ikea, you don't necessarily need to be able to work an Allen key. The retail furniture giant is looking to hire 300 people. While many of the positions will be on the sales floor helping customers, there will also be a number of jobs you'd expect to see in a head office. They include roles in IT, graphic art and interior design, Stephen Bobko, store manager for Ikea Winnipeg, said. The total workforce could climb as high as 350 and Bobko said there is more than a little interest from Ikea workers in other cities. " We're excited to see a lot of Winnipeggers in Ikea stores throughout the country have put up their hands to be part of the project and to come home," he said. One of the keenest followers of the provincial job market couldn't recall the last time, or any time for that matter, 300 sustainable jobs were announced in one fell swoop. " I would think the provincial government would just be delighted and I think anybody who lives in Manitoba should be delighted. I think we should cheer for more days like this," said John McCallum, a finance professor at the University of Manitoba. It's not uncommon for a major construction project, such as the Canadian Museum for Human Rights or the new Winnipeg Blue Bombers stadium, to hire a significant number of people but they're for a finite period, he said. " These are secure, sustainable, good jobs that will be based on a high- quality company providing a retail service for a long time," he said. Ikea will almost single- handedly make up for the 400 jobs Manitoba lost in the last year, McCallum said. There will be an undetermined number of spinoff jobs, too, for accounting and legal services and other things Ikea might not want to do in- house. Unlike the Investors Group Field, Ikea's 390,000- square- foot store hasn't been negatively affected by the weather and is on schedule for a late November or early December opening. When the ribbon is cut, it will be the second- biggest Ikea store in the country, trailing only the new store in Ottawa. A few months after that, an expanded Montreal location will assume the title with more than 400,000 square feet. There are more than a few perks of working for Ikea. Employees can eat at an employee restaurant that offers subsidized meals and they'll have access to their own lounge and meditation room. They may even need to dust off their passport. The company's " backpacker" initiative provides the opportunity to travel for a year and work alongside experienced mentors in different stores around the world. Bobko said Ikea has one of the lowest turnover rates of any retailer in Canada. Would- be workers can apply via the company's website, www. ikea. ca . geoff. kirbyson@ freepress. mb. ca By Geoff Kirbyson Ikea: Swedish word for jobs A MEMBER of a northern Manitoba First Nation said she was paid $ 700 cash to attend a twohour meeting in 2010 over hydro development in her community. Solange Garson said Wednesday the meeting occurred at the Winnipeg offices of a consulting firm, employed by Tataskweyak Cree Nation ( TCN). She lived in Winnipeg at the time. Garson said it was also common - until she started blowing the whistle - for video- game consoles, flat- screen TVs and freezers to be offered as door prizes to lure band members to meetings. She called the door prizes and cash payments " very unethical" and " wasteful." It's seen as crucial to the public- consultation process to have attendees at such meetings. Manitoba Hydro has been negotiating with TCN and several other northern First Nations for years over the development of the Wuskwatim, Keeyask and Conawapa hydroelectric- generating stations. Also on Wednesday, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation revealed the cost to Manitoba Hydro of providing lawyers, consultants and other assistance to First Nations negotiating agreements with the Crown corporation has risen to more than $ 223 million. That's up from about $ 160 million in late 2009. " It's a lot of money. When you look at the big picture, you're talking about a quarter of a billion dollars just to set up an agreement to share some revenues to building new hydro dams," said Colin Craig, the federation's Prairie director. Craig is upset Hydro refused to release details of the expenditures. The Crown corporation says the information is confidential. The federation isn't buying that, saying Hydro is owned by Manitobans and they deserve an explanation. Craig was critical of door prizes and money being offered to attract band members to meetings. " The public shouldn't be paid for attending meetings on dams or to approve a new bike path or whatever the case," he said. Craig referred the Free Press to Garson, who has spoken about the freebies in the past. Garson said she received her cash payment when she attended a meeting at Hobbs and Associates, a Winnipeg consulting firm employed by her home community. " I went to a two- hour meeting. They gave me $ 700 cash," she said. About eight band members attended the meeting, she added. Nick Hobbs, one of the firm's owners, said the money didn't come from his company. " We certainly didn't do anything like that," he said. He advised the Free Press to call the First Nation. A receptionist at Tataskweyak Cree Nation referred a reporter to band councillor Robert Garson. Reached while travelling, Garson said he could not comment without clearing it with fellow councillors. " I don't want to be speaking on their behalf," he said. First Nations negotiating northern hydro agreements have their costs covered by Manitoba Hydro. Once the dams start producing electricity, they will be required to reimburse Hydro for a portion of the costs from the revenues they earn. Hydro spokesman Glenn Schneider said the corporation would reject any invoice covering inducements to attend meetings. " It's not an expense that qualifies for reimbursement. " He said questions on gifts to meeting- goers should be directed to Tataskweyak Cree Nation. But Craig said it is irrelevant whether the inducements are funded by Hydro or the First Nation, which is funded by federal taxpayers. " It's like asking whether it's coming from the taxpayer's right pocket or left pocket," he said. Solange Garson said the issue boils down to the vast sums of money Hydro is spending to prop up the negotiations - money she would rather see spent on community improvements. " If Hydro wasn't dishing out this money, there wouldn't be money to waste," she said. larry. kusch@ freepress. mb. ca Cost of community consultation A breakdown of the money Manitoba Hydro has spent so far to cover the costs of aboriginal community participation in negotiations over northern hydro projects: PROJECT COMMUNITY AMOUNT Bipole III Fox Lake Cree Nation $ 798,596.95 Manitoba Metis Federation $ 441,250.00 Swampy Cree Tribal Council $ 14,560.00 Swan Lake First Nation $ 5,271.75 Southern Chiefs Organization $ 32,000 Cree Nation Partners*( TCN/ WLFN) $ 2,360,021.04 Keeyask Fox Lake Cree Nation $ 23,535,170.20 Manitoba Metis Federation $ 41,250.00 Nisichawaysihk Cree Nation $ 4,127.40 York Factory First Nation $ 20,719,020.67 Cree Nation Partners*( TCN/ WLFN) $ 100,233,165.59 Wuskwatim Opaskwayak Cree Nation $ 190,599.94 Nisichawaysihk Cree Nation $ 49,386,346.67 Nelson House Community Council $ 25,413.53 Cormorant $ 190,599.94 Snow Lake $ 254,133.27 Thicket Portage $ 25,413.53 Herb Lake Landing $ 25,413.53 Cree Nation Partners*( TCN/ WLFN) $ 2,164,740.34 Conawapa Fox Lake Cree Nation $ 11,943,912.87 Manitoba Metis Federation $ 41,250.00 York Factory First Nation $ 4,187,494.72 Shamattawa First Nation $ 1,211,419.97 Cree Nation Partners*( TCN/ WLFN) $ 5,700,650.60 TOTAL $ 223,531,822.51 * Includes Tataskweyak Cree Nation and War Lake First Nation - source: Canadian Taxpayers Federation . Band member paid to attend . Cost of dam talks hits $ 223M $ 700 for Hydro meeting By Larry Kusch PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Solange Garson's cheque stub, which she says proves she was paid to attend a meeting. A_ 03_ Jun- 21- 12_ FP_ 01. indd A3 6/ 20/ 12 8: 07: 38 PM ;