Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 15, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba scu.mb.ca/bonus MARCH 23-31 There’s so much to do at The Leaf and the Zoo! Join us for a full week of family-friendly fun and learn more about the amazing plants and animals we share the planet with. Visit assiniboinepark.ca for a full list of activities SERVING MANITOBA SINCE 1872. FOREVER WITH YOUR SUPPORT. FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2024 TODAY’S WEATHER LIGHT RAIN. HIGH 5 — LOW -3 CITY CHAMPION CHILD A HEALTH-CARE ENVOY / B2 W INNIPEG’S police chief took the rare step of criticizing the child-welfare system after a string of random and violent incidents involving youth in care, including a machete attack on a woman waiting at a St. Vital bus stop. “The violence that we’re seeing is remarkable. They’re wielding machetes and using them almost at what appears to be indiscriminately,” Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth said Thursday at a news con- ference to discuss the spate of attacks police say were committed by a group of young people who know each other. The chief said all of the underage suspects were living in group or foster homes, where caregivers don’t have the means to give them a stable life. “They don’t have the resources or the tools to meet the needs of the youth in their care,” he said. “This means that the kids are left to themselves to go anywhere and do anything that they see fit.” Smyth highlighted four recent incidents in which suspects have been identified, adding police are still investigating several other crimes they believe to be linked to the group, which is not considered a street gang. “We’re of the belief that there is a loose affiliation of a bunch of youths that are involved in similar conduct. We’re slowly trying to unravel the puz- zle here… and I expect that more will come out of this investigation,” he said. In response to concerns raised by the police chief, Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe called the vio- lence unacceptable. “We need to make sure that any- body who needs supports, that needs further services to help them get back on the right track, that we’re offering those to everybody,” said Wiebe. The first robbery Smyth discussed happened at a bus stop near St. Mary’s Road and Riel Avenue, close to the St. Vital Centre mall, at about 5 p.m. Sunday. A 19-year-old woman had left work and was waiting at the southbound stop on St. Mary’s when she was con- fronted by a boy who demanded she hand over her cellphone. The suspect pulled out a machete and swung it at her, striking the woman. The victim suffered serious injuries as she defended herself, Smyth said. The attacker ran and a bystander helped the woman until police arrived and gave her first aid. The woman was transported to hos- pital in stable condition and treated for “life-altering injuries.” Officers identified the suspect as a 13-year-old and got a warrant for his arrest. When the teen was arrested downtown Wednesday, he had a ma- chete in his possession, police said. The teen has been linked to the Tuesday night robbery, at gunpoint, of a 12-year-old boy at Main Street and Rupertsland Avenue, WPS said. The victim was robbed of his phone and the suspect ran off. The boy was not hurt and police recovered the fire- arm, an air-powered pellet gun, linked to the incident. Police said the teen suspect, who didn’t know either victim and is being held in custody, has been charged with several offences, including aggravat- ed assault, robbery with a firearm, possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order and three counts of failing to comply with a sentence order. Some of the charges indicate the boy had been involved in the justice system before the recent incidents. “It suggests to me that his needs are not being met,” said Smyth. The provincial government has an- nounced a public safety summit will be held this spring. Smyth said it will be a forum to delve into issues related to youth vio- lence and the child-welfare system. “I certainly hope that some of the service providers in (child welfare) come to the table… These are some of the very complicated things that need to be discussed and talked about. The police have a role in it, but it’s not for us to take the lead,” he said. “The care that they’re provided is really what needs to be addressed.” Police chief calls out violence by youth in CFS ERIK PINDERA OTTAWA — The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of popular video app TikTok in Septem- ber 2023 but did not disclose it publicly. “This is still an ongoing case. We can’t comment further because of the confidentiality provisions of the Investment Canada Act,” a spokesper- son for Industry Minister François- Philippe Champagne said. “Our government has never hesitat- ed to (take) action, when necessary, if a case under review is found to be injuri- ous to Canada’s national security.” The revelation comes after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business. “We’re watching, of course, the debate going on in the United States,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday when asked whether Canada would pursue a similar move. In response to the same question, Champagne’s office said the Liberal cabinet “issued an order for the nation- al security review of TikTok Canada” on Sept. 6. It said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expan- sion it was reviewing. A government database shows a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “market- ing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.” The minister’s office said the cabinet order to launch the review was not accessible online because the informa- tion is protected and confidential under the Investment Canada Act. Champagne’s office indicated Tik- Tok would be subject to “enhanced scrutiny” under the act, under a new policy on foreign investments in the interactive digital media sector. That policy statement says “hostile state-sponsored or influenced actors may seek to leverage foreign invest- ments in the interactive digital media sector to propagate disinformation or manipulate information in a manner that is injurious to Canada’s national security.” The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in Feb- ruary 2023 after federal and provincial privacy commissioners launched their own investigation into the platform. “As you know, Canada made the de- termination that no government phones or devices can have the TikTok app. That’s a matter of security and safety,” Trudeau said Thursday. “I can’t com- ment on national security reviews.” A TikTok spokesperson said the company continues “to co-operate with the government’s review of TikTok’s investment in Canada.” The spokesperson said the company remains “committed to ensuring the safety and security of the platform for the millions of Canadian creators, art- ists and small businesses who rely on TikTok to earn a living, find communi- ty and create jobs.” Feds ordered national security review of TikTok in fall ANJA KARADEGLIJA CONVICTED sex offenders could soon be banned from legally changing their names in Manitoba, if an NDP bill passes into law. Government Services Minister Lisa Naylor — whose portfolio includes the Vital Statistics Branch, which handles name changes — introduced the Change of Name Amendment Act at the legislature Thursday. “When someone has survived sexu- al violence, they want to know that the perpetrator can’t simply hide behind a new identity,” Naylor told reporters. “This legislation makes Manitoba a more hostile environment for serious violent offenders.” Naylor said the bill would ban people from legally changing their name if they have been convicted of a sex-related criminal offence, and possibly other “serious offences,” such as the human trafficking of children and murder. The province will consult with victim service organizations, police and others, prior to determining what offences are included, Naylor said. The proposed legislation would require people who apply to change their name to submit to a criminal record check, in addition to finger printing, which already takes place, the minister said. If someone is flagged as having committed one of the yet-to-be-de- termined offences, their application won’t be processed, Naylor said. However, the written bill states people can apply for exemptions. Manitoba law to stop sex offenders from changing name KATRINA CLARKE ● TIKTOK, CONTINUED ON A2 ● VIOLENCE, CONTINUED ON A2 ● NAME, CONTINUED ON A2 MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Foundation CEO Sky Bridges hugs National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation executive director Stephanie Scott prior to an emotional ceremony Thursday. ‘INVESTMENT’ IN RECONCILIATION Winnipeg Foundation embraces National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation with donation for new home / B2 Recent random attacks ‘remarkable’: Smyth ;