Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 25, 2022, Winnipeg, Manitoba ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM B3TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2022 C M Y K PAGE B3 NEWS A MESSAGE from Manitoba’s exec-utive director of custody correc-tions to Headingley Correctional Centre staff, saying he believes they were “acting in good faith” when an inmate was killed last year, has critics questioning the fair administration of justice. William Ahmo, 45, died Feb. 14, 2021, in hospital, following a physical alter- cation a week earlier with the critical emergency response team at the jail west of Winnipeg. The Office of the Chief Medical Ex- aminer later ruled Ahmo’s death a ho- micide. On Jan 21, RCMP charged guard Rob- ert Jeffrey Morden, 43, with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessaries of life. After the charges were announced, executive director Greg Skelly sent an email (obtained by the Free Press) to employees, saying: “Staff health and safety is paramount and we will con- tinue to support a safe environment for front-line staff at our facilities.” Ahmo’s death, he wrote, was “a trag- ic outcome,” but “we believe staff were acting in good faith to control the criti- cal incident.” The suggestion a corrections staff member who’s been criminally charged was among those “acting in good faith” is troubling, say lawyers and critics. “It’s important for leadership in this instance to instil in their staff faith in the fair administration of justice through the courts, no matter what the final outcome,” Winnipeg lawyer Dan- ielle Morrison said Monday. “Any messaging that suggests bias towards a particular outcome for this criminal proceeding is counterproduc- tive to public faith in the fair admin- istration of justice, and highly inap- propriate coming from the lead of the correctional facility in question.” Morrison’s part of the legal team rep- resenting the family of Eishia Hudson. The 16-year-old was shot and killed by Winnipeg police in April 2020, after fleeing in a stolen vehicle following a reported Liquor Mart theft. International human rights lawyer Da- vid Matas cited a criminal code provision that says “acting in good faith” is not a defence when a person causes a bodily injury that is of itself of a dangerous na- ture and from which death results. “While it is understandable that a su- perior would stand up for those working for them, that stance is out of place in the police and corrections field when criminal behaviour of one of their own is at issue,” said Matas, who noted he’s not a criminal lawyer and only knows about Ahmo’s case from news reports. The Winnipeg-based immigration law expert does, however, know about pow- er imbalances. “In a conflict between the police and the public or corrections guards and in- mates, there is an imbalance of power. There needs to be guardrails in place to prevent that imbalance from becoming harmful to the public and, in the cor- rections setting, inmates,” Matas said Monday. “One of those guardrails should be standing down, rather than standing up for one their own, when one of their own is accused of wrongdoing.” The fact a police investigation led to charges against a guard should have those in charge of the jail waiting for the court to decide before pronouncing staff were “acting good faith,” the Man- itoba NDP justice critic said. “My hope is that people would want to participate in a process that will get us to a place where Manitoba citizens housed in correctional facilities are safe,” St. Johns MLA Nahanni Fontaine said. “When they’re put in custody, it’s a responsibility of the state to make sure that they actually get out alive and in one piece.” Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen’s office did not respond to an interview request nor provide comment Monday. Manitoba Justice and the union repre- senting the accused guard have both de- clined to comment now that the matter is before the court. The Southern Chiefs’ Organization is- sued a statement Monday, saying Ahmo “was a beloved member of the Sagkeeng Anicinabe First Nation.” Sagkeeng Chief Derrick Henderson is quoted as saying Ahmo was “just one of so many of our people, who have been taken from us while in colonial justice and health-care systems.” Henderson said he hoped having a court hear the criminal charges against a guard “results in real and transformative change when it comes to the treatment of incarcerated First Nation people.” carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Executive support amid inmate death draws fire CAROL SANDERS MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Executive director for Manitoba Corrections Greg Skelly said he believes Headingley Correc- tional staff were ‘acting in good faith’ when William Amho (above right) died Feb. 14, 2021. STAGNANT provincial funding has left thousands of adult learners with fewer options to improve literacy skills or re- ceive a high school diploma, according to new research by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. A report by University of Winnipeg professor emeritus Jim Silver, and published Tuesday by CCPA-Manitoba, makes 11 recommendations to improve adult education based on in-depth in- terviews with directors of 30 schools, representing just under half of Manito- ba’s adult learning centres and literacy programs. According to the 44-page report ti- tled, “Unearth this Buried Treasure: Adult Education in Manitoba,” the num- ber of adult literacy programs in Man- itoba — which help students improve their skills to obtain a high school diplo- ma — have decreased by about 29 per cent over the past 10 years. Meanwhile, educators say the num- ber of students wanting to enroll in their programs far exceeds capacity, the report states. At the same time, provincial funding for adult education has increased by just four per cent over 10 years, to $19.9 million from $19.1 million. “Neither the current government nor the previous provincial governments have treated adult education as any- thing other than an afterthought,” Sil- ver said Monday. “The amount of money allocated to adult education is abysmal and it’s just an infinitesimal proportion of the total amount spent in the province on educa- tion.” The shortfalls in adult education also ripple across the economy and the la- bour market with a pronounced impact in northern and rural communities, as jobs go unfilled while people struggle to upgrade their education, Silver noted. One program director in northern Manitoba reported as many as 2,000 people were in need of a seat at her cen- tre. In the 2019-20 academic year, there were 8,892 people enrolled in adult ed- ucation programs across the province. A lack of seats also disproportionately affects Indigenous people in Manitoba, who are statistically less likely to ob- tain a high school diploma on time com- pared to non-Indigenous people, due to ongoing and historical damage caused by colonization, the report noted. About 38 per cent of students enrolled in adult education identify as Indigenous, de- spite making up about 18 per cent of the province’s population. Silver said adequately funding and supporting adult education programs to meet the needs of Indigenous learners will be critical to advance reconcilia- tion. “Adult education seems a fair way to try to make up for some of the damage done by the residential schools in the past,” he said. An estimated 20 per cent of the adult population in Manitoba could benefit from adult education programs, Seven Oaks School Division Adult Learning Centre director Fran Taylor said. “It’s a lot of people and there’s a work- force there that we could easily help support,” said Taylor, who has worked in adult education for more than 15 years. However, money remains the biggest challenge for the sector in meeting de- mand while disparities in programming and compensation between adult educa- tion centres widen, Taylor said. Some programs supported by school divisions provide child minding and counselling for students and union wag- es for staff, while other independent programs struggle to offer competitive salaries due to differences in funding. “Unlike many adult learning centres, Seven Oaks funds me and provides in kind support in a way that not every- body is getting,” Taylor said. “If I didn’t have that, I would not be able to run the program as it is.” Silver recommended the government make adult education part of a continu- um that includes kindergarten to Grade 12 and post-secondary, with certified instructors and appropriate supports for students, as part of an overall strat- egy to enhance the program. “You can scarcely believe that in one of the richest countries in the world we would have such a high proportion of people who have not had the full advan- tage of the K-12 system,” Silver said. “It’s a huge disadvantage to those in- dividuals whose literacy levels are so low, but it’s a huge disadvantage to all of us because we end up in so many cases having to support those people. When if we were to invest in them, they would be employed and paying their fair share of taxes.” In a statement, Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration Minister Jon Reyes said the adult education sector continues to adjust programs to meet the needs of learners and communities. The minister did not respond to ques- tions about funding but noted the sector receives more than $20 million annual- ly. “The adult education programs help remove barriers to student success, including skill barriers, and promotes access to advanced education as guided by Manitoba’s Skills, Talent and Knowl- edge Strategy,” Reyes said. “With the province’s support, adult learners can pursue educational pathways to devel- op the skills needed to participate fully in the community and contribute to a growing economy.” danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca Province treats adult education as ‘afterthought’: prof emeritus DANIELLE DA SILVA MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Jim Silver, author of a new report on adult education in Manitoba, says proper funding is crucial to helping adult Indigenous learners. Remarks after guard charged ‘highly inappropriate’: lawyer IN BRIEF APARTMENT FIRE SENDS TWO TO HOSPITAL TWO people were hospitalized after a fire in an apartment building Monday afternoon. Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews responded at 1:13 p.m. to a fire on the 300 block of Mountain Avenue. Smoke was coming from a suite in the building when crews arrived. The fire was brought under control at 1:36 p.m., the city said. Two people were transported to hospital: one was stable, the other person was in unstable condition. MELEE RESULTS IN WEAPONS CHARGES A woman who allegedly pointed a handgun at a man after a melee at a New Year’s Eve party has been arrested. Winnipeg police said a 23-year-old woman was arrested Monday while officers were responding to an unrelated matter. Police said after a fight broke out at a house party Jan. 1 and spilled outside the home. Some people from the party went to a nearby hotel, where a woman pointed a handgun at a man and stole a woman’s backpack. The 23-year-old was charged with rob- bery, carrying a concealed weapon, and other firearms-related charges. RUNNING VEHICLE CARJACKED A 32-year-old man is facing carjacking related charges after allegedly stealing a vehicle left running early Monday. A vehicle left alone momentarily was taken by a man with a knife, who threat- ened the owner before driving off from the 300 block of Pembina Highway at about 2 a.m., Winnipeg police said. Officers spotted the vehicle near Osborne Street and Jubilee Avenue but didn’t chase it when it took off at a high rate of speed, ac- cording to police. The vehicle struck a truck when it ran a red light on Portage Avenue, causing the truck to knock down a light standard and the stolen vehicle to end up in a snow bank. The male suspect, who is facing charges of robbery and driving while suspended, was arrested a short distance away. THE death of a man in a house fire in Brooklands last week has now become a homicide investigation. And a man who died on Sunday af- ter being shot is the city’s third homi- cide of the year. Winnipeg Police Service spokes- man Const. Jay Murray said Monday officers and fire investigators saw things they considered suspicious at the fire scene in the 1900 block of William Avenue West, and those sus- picions were confirmed after an au- topsy. Brian Robert Scibak, 61, of Winni- peg, was the victim in the fire Thurs- day just before midnight. Police ask anyone who had contact with Scibak before the fire to step forward with information or video, calling investigators at 204-986-6508 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477). “If you have access to video surveil- lance and you haven’t spoken to police investigators we ask to you talk to us,” he said, adding even material from a few streets away could be helpful. “Typically when crimes like this happen people flee from the scene,” Murray said. He wouldn’t say whether Scibak, who had lived at the address for sever- al years, was known to police. Last week, a spokesperson for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said the blaze at the single-fami- ly bungalow was well involved with heavy smoke and flames when crews arrived. Firefighters launched an offen- sive attack at first, but had to pivot because of the deteriorating condi- tions. It took more than an hour to get the fire under control. Murray said a dog’s body was found inside the home and police are deter- mining the cause of death. Meanwhile, Murray said officers rushed to the 400 block of Young Street on Sunday at about 8:45 a.m., after receiving reports of a man get- ting shot. Murray said when officers arrived they immediately began administer- ing emergency care to a man to the se- verely injured victim who was rushed to hospital in critical condition and later died. He was identified as Dustin Curtis Kyle Gibbs, 28, of Winnipeg. Murray said investigators haven’t yet determined if the shooting was random or not. kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca Brooklands fire now homicide investigation; fatal shooting probed KEVIN ROLLASON A 61-year-old and his dog were found dead following the fire on William Avenue West. B_03_Jan-25-22_FP_01.indd 3 2022-01-24 10:07 PM ;