Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 21, 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A7 winnipegfreepress. com MANITOBA WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012 A 7 " NOW 269- 1600 or toll- free 1- 866- 323- 1600 OPEN" 400- 1717 WAVERLEY STREET VISIT US AT www. autotownkia. ca WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED . 5- year/ 100,000 km worry- free comprehensive warranty . 5- year/ 100,000 km powertrain warranty . 5- year/ 100,000 km extra care . roadside assistance . no deductible charge Follow us on 0 % FINANCING ON 2012' s ** KIA MEMBER REWARDS Earn points towards future discounts. It's FREE and it's incredibly rewarding. PAY ON SELECT MODELS UNTIL * FALL * All prices reflect cash purchase price. All prices and payments are with $ 1,000 down plus freight, PDI, documentaion fee & applicable taxes. EG: 2012 Kia Forte sale price $ 16,595.00 plus frieght $ 1455.00 plus PDI of $ 495.00 plus documentaion fee of $ 599.99 plus $ 100 air tax, plus $ 22.50 tire tax. Plus GST & PST. Sale ends June 30, 2012. 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There is no expiry to his sentence and it's possible Osborne will spend the rest of his days behind bars. " The criminal record of Mr. Osborne is atrocious," Queen's Bench Justice Robert Dewar said in his written decision. Osborne's convictions include numerous assaults, weapon offences, sexrelated crimes and failing to abide by a number of court orders. He has attacked various people on the streets and in custody, often resulting in serious injuries. " For the past 14 years, he has spent most of his time incarcerated," said Dewar. Osborne's latest crime, which triggered the Crown application, was a March 2009 attack on a 25- year- old woman. She found Osborne passed out inside her home following a party and ordered him to leave. Osborne responded by violently attacking her. She suffered extensive cuts and bruising. Two parole officers testified at Osborne's sentencing hearing about the serious risk he continues to pose to the public. Dewar said Wednesday it's clear that extensive change is required if Osborne is ever going to be released. " His record, inclusive of the predicate offence, clearly shows a pattern of repetitive behaviour by Mr. Osborne, showing a failure to restrain his behaviour," said Dewar. " An objective assessment of this pattern, with little tangible evidence that Mr. Osborne has changed, prompts a conclusion that there is a real likelihood of his causing injury to other persons, or inflicting severe psychological damage on other persons, through failure in the future to restrain his behaviour." Osborne was raised in a tragic environment, court was told. His father was physically abusive to his family and drug and alcohol use was rampant. He bounced around various foster homes as a child and was sexually abused during one placement. Defence lawyer Darren Sawchuk had argued that Osborne's background didn't fit the tough criteria needed to sustain the label of dangerous offender. He said Osborne should be given a fixed sentence of three years along with strict supervisory conditions to follow. But Dewar said Osborne's previous disregard for court- ordered assistance gives him little hope of success. " A review of his record indicates that probation conditions have meant little to him in the past. Not only has he not respected them, but he has committed serious offences when he was under them," said Dewar. " Furthermore, Mr. Osborne's record in custody does not instill confidence that he has a willingness or capacity to improve." Osborne will participate in annual progress reviews by the National Parole Board, which will determine whether he is fit to return to society. " I don't view this as a life sentence, and nor should you. You're not ready to be released yet, but there are things you can do in order to get ready to be released," Dewar told him. www. mikeoncrime. com Career criminal declared dangerous offender ST. Simon's Church in Lynn Lake is the latest target in a recent rash of arsons that have some residents fearing for their safety in the northern Manitoba town. " It's very difficult to remain in the community," said John Perepeluk, the former volunteer fire chief who has lived in Lynn Lake for 35 years. As the church burned early Monday morning, the RCMP were also dispatched to several other arson fires in the area though the damages were minor, police said in a press release. When volunteer firefighters arrived at St. Simon's, it was engulfed in flames and couldn't be saved. Police confirmed it was arson and damages were estimated to be over $ 200,000. On Wednesday, Lynn Lake RCMP charged 20- year- old Ivan Robin Ballantyne- Sewap with arson as well as break and enter to commit arson. He is scheduled to appear in Thompson provincial court today. In Lynn Lake, Perepeluk is afraid young firebugs are to blame and that innocent people might get burned. " They're setting fire to abandoned buildings - the bus depot, the former Dairy Bar, the home of an individual who was sick in Winnipeg - they burned his house," he said. " This has to stop." The RCMP haven't laid any charges in connection with the St. Simon's fire. Perepeluk said it's one of many arsons in the community, where he sees unsupervised youth out at all hours. " You go out there at two o'clock in the morning, and these kids are roaming around and windows are broken all over," said the driving instructor. " The kids are not supervised." He said he's not trying to lay blame, but rather to solve the problem. " Kids are kids." He and his wife, a teacher, raised three children in the community, and all were baptised at the church that was torched early Monday morning. Del Hildebrandt is one of the volunteers who kept the church going with weekly services. For her, it was a labour of love. " I've been here since 1952," said the retiree who moved to Lynn Lake when she was 19 to work. " I saw the church built and I have been a regular attender. I play the organ at the church." They only have a minister come to town for services six times a year and have fewer than a dozen parishioners, but that doesn't stop them from holding weekly services. " I do up the services and another parishioner leads the services," she said. " It's all volunteer- run and ecumenical. " Being in a northern community and our main industry is gone, we're still struggling," she said. " If we were thriving, you could look to rebuildiing. But you can't when there may not be any future here," she said. In the meantime, the gospel church has offered them the use of their vacant building and the church has a smaller bulding they could use for services, she said. Old church records are safe in the diocese offices, she said. They keep record books of baptisms and marriages and when they're full, they're sent to the diocese. She said the current book burned in the fire along with records of the most recent sacred rites that took place over the last few years. " The unfortunate part is losing records that we can't recover," said Hildebrandt, who isn't letting the destruction of them or the church get her down. " It was the building that went," she said. " The people are still here." Hildebrandt's grateful no one was hurt in the fire. " This is the first major fire they've caused and who knows - next time it could easily be somewhere a family lives or an apartment building. Where it's going to stop, I don't know. And I don't know how you stop it." carol. sanders@ freepress. mb. ca History of violence ' atrocious': justice By Mike McIntyre Lynn Lake church latest arson target Man charged in connection with fires By Carol Sanders HANDOUT Firefighters battle a blaze at St. Simon's Church in Lynn Lake on Monday. 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