Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 29, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba B2 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM NEWS MONDAY, JULY 29, 2024 St. Paul’s grad vows to continue giving back to community ‘Life changing’ honours for teen humanitarian B ALJOT Rai was in an enviable position this year — he was of- fered more scholarships than he could accept. Rai, who graduated from St. Paul’s High School last month, is the recipient of the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award and a Loran scholarship. The former award, named for the Winnipegger who embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research, is worth $28,000. It’s awarded annually to 14 youth across the country who exemplify Fox’s humanitarian ideals by vol- unteering and giving back to their communities. The latter award, worth $100,000, is given to 36 graduating students who embody the Loran Scholars Founda- tion’s core values of character, service and leadership. Rai is the only Manitoban to receive these awards this year. The money will cover his tuition and living expenses as he pursues studies at the University of British Columbia starting this fall. “It’s life changing and it’s an abso- lutely great honour,” says Rai, 17. “The entirety of my four years (in univer- sity), all expenses are going to be covered with these scholarships. That’s obviously wonderful because it gives me more free time to invest back into the community.” The list of Rai’s contributions to the community is already impressive. He founded the One in All project, which supplies religious, spiritual and self-improvement resources to inmates in Manitoba prisons who practise minority faiths. Rai and the eight youth collaborat- ing with him on the project have been working with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to expand the reach of the project to Indigenous inmates. Rai was inspired to start One in All after a man at his gurdwara who had been incarcerated told him about the dearth of spiritual resources available to Sikhs in prison. “For prisoners of minority faiths, it’s disheartening to know they still face such large inequities in this day and age when we’ve been able to make so much progress as a society,” Rai says. Working for justice is a theme that runs throughout Rai’s volunteer com- mitments. Throughout high school, he orga- nized truth and reconciliation initia- tives within his school and community. He served as secretary of his school’s human rights club and he helped lead its Youth in Philanthropy club, which granted $25,000 to commu- nity organizations over four years. He teaches Sunday school at his gurdwara and volunteers at the Cana- dian Museum for Human Rights. “It’s hard for me to see an issue and be quiet about it when I know there’s something I can be doing about it,” he says. Rai is a kind-hearted, driven and hard-working person, says Anna Mc- Gill, a guidance counsellor at St. Paul’s who oversees the school’s human rights club. “He’s… very mature and is very good at expressing his passions,” McGill says. “Every time we work together I feel humbled next to him because he’s worked so hard and ac- complished so much. It’s all very, very well deserved.” In addition to human rights, Rai is passionate about science. For the past two years, he has researched Lake Winnipeg’s blue- green algae problem and developed solutions. Along the way, he’s shared his research with experts at the local, provincial and national levels. Rai will continue that research as he pursues a double major in oceanog- raphy and biology at UBC. Interfaith studies will be his minor. “We as youth have so much potential and if we believe in it, we can do more than we or anyone else can ever imag- ine,” Rai says. “I want to encourage youth … to stand up against what we hear and we see is wrong and isn’t equitable and take action.” If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron. epp@freepress.mb.ca. AARON EPP VOLUNTEERS RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS Baljot Rai, who graduated from St. Paul’s High School in June, received a Terry Fox Humanitarian Award and a Loran scholarship. He volunteers at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Politicians’ calls for Ottawa to ‘fix’ bail provisions rely on ignorance, fear B AIL might be the most misunder- stood aspect of Canada’s justice system. It’s probably why it’s so easy for elected officials to politicize it. If the public doesn’t fully understand the legal principles behind bail — that people charged with crimes are pre- sumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law — it’s that much easier for them to be manipulated by the kind of ramped-up political rhetoric we’ve seen on bail reform in recent years. Canadian premiers and territorial leaders last year wrote Prime Minister Justin Trudeau demanding the federal government “toughen up” provisions around bail to make it more difficult for repeat violent offenders charged with new crimes to be released into the community. Ottawa responded with Bill C-48 which, among other things, expanded the use of reverse onus for repeat vio- lent offenders. Reverse onus requires the accused to argue why they should get bail. Normally it’s up to the Crown to argue why bail should be denied. Reverse onus previously existed for a handful of serious offences, including murder. Bill C-48 expanded the list. It doesn’t mean reverse-onus offend- ers are automatically denied bail. Far from it. Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms stipulates — for good reason — that no one can be refused reasonable bail without just cause. If just cause, such as a threat to pub- lic safety, cannot be established, the accused should be released, pending the outcome of their court case. It’s not a perfect system. Some accused released into the community will be charged with another crime, sometimes a serious one, such as mur- der. Unless the courts detain everyone charged with a crime, that risk will exist. “Accurately predicting and eliminat- ing all risk is impossible and attempt- ing to do so would require the mass incarceration of an untold number of innocent people,” the Canadian Civil Liberties Association wrote in its recent report Still Failing: The Deepening Crisis of Bail and Pre-Trial Detention in Canada. “Such a system would be fundamen- tally contrary to Canadian values and the Constitution.” If the courts can’t detain everyone charged with a crime — or every repeat violent offender charged with a crime — what is the solution? There is no easy answer to that question. Even though all provinces expressed approval of C-48 last year, they now say it didn’t go far enough. The pre- miers sent another letter to the prime minister last week (following several high-profile cases of accused allegedly re-offending) demanding once again that the federal government fix the country’s “broken” bail system. Not surprisingly, they offer no specific proposals. That’s because it’s easy to demand changes to bail, but it’s far more difficult to specify what those changes should be. Short of automat- ically locking up everyone charged with a violent offence — which would be unconstitutional — there will be cases, usually rare, in which people released on bail will be charged with another offence. In some cases, the alleged re-offence will be nothing more than a breach of conditions, such as abstaining from alcohol or violating residency require- ments. Sometimes it will be worse — a stabbing or a gun crime. Those are the ones that attract the most attention and prompt some elected officials to politicize what is a very complicated and nuanced issue. Conservative Leader Pierre Poil- ievre leads the charge on that front. He called the federal Liberal gov- ernment’s bail reform (including Bill C-75 — passed in 2019 — which mostly codified a series of Supreme Court of Canada rulings) “whacko,” “insane” and “radical.” “Trudeau’s Bill C-75 has all but guar- anteed that even the worst violent of- fenders will be released on bail shortly after they’re arrested,” Poilievre said in a release Thursday. That, of course, is completely inac- curate. No one is guaranteed — or even “all but guaranteed” — bail, especially the worst violent offenders. “Trudeau’s insane catch-and-re- lease policies are putting dangerous, repeat, violent offenders back onto our streets,” said Poilievre. That may be an effective sound bite designed to instil fear. But it’s a false- hood that undermines Canada’s ability to have an intelligent, evidence-based debate around bail reform. There were repeat violent offend- ers released into the community long before Trudeau won office in 2015 and there will be after he’s gone. The best the justice system can do is mitigate and manage those risks while balanc- ing them with the charter’s presump- tion of innocence rights. The more the public understands that, the less likely they will be manip- ulated by the political spin from Poil- ievre and other politicians like him. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca TOM BRODBECK OPINION Volunteer opportunities THE following is a list of volunteer opportun- ities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can help people find opportunities. To learn more about its programs and services, go to www.volunteermanitoba.ca or call 204-477- 5180. ● Special Olympics Manitoba needs volunteers for the Brandon multi-sport day on Aug. 10. Positions include softball scorekeeper, soccer scorekeeper, soccer timer and golf scorer. Must be 16 or older, with transportation — if needed — to get to the venues. The time commitment is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with lunch provided. Apply online at http://wfp.to/Cww or ewedlake@specialolympics.mb.ca by Aug. 8. ● Green Kids Inc. needs volunteers for its Bikes and Circuses event. This year’s show will feature a team of Winnipeg theatre, dance, music and circus artists at Whittier Park from Aug. 7 to Aug. 11. Roles include box office volunteers and stagehands. Flexible time commitments are available. Volunteers will receive a free ticket to any performance they are not helping with. Email daina@greenkids. com by Aug. 11. ● Prairie Strides, a charitable organization offering adaptive horse riding for children with disabilities aged 5 to 15, needs volunteers for the 10-week fall session on Monday evenings at West Wind Stable. Roles include side-walk- ers, horse leaders and physio/occupational therapists. Training will be provided. Email exedir@prairiestrides.com by Aug. 16. ● Hood and Dagger Productions, a new not-for-profit community theatre company, needs more board members, particularly people with expertise in accounting, marketing or fundraising. The bylaws include a director indemnity clause and director and officer insurance is in effect. Incorporated in January, the company’s mandate is to build community through community theatre. It strives to make shows community events instead of only theatre. Cast, crew and board members are volunteers. Email HoodandDagger@outlook. com by Aug. 23. ● The Mood Disorders Association of Mani- toba needs volunteers for MAD Camp, a two- week wellness-centred summer camp for youth aged 12-17 in Winnipeg. This camp focuses on mental health, music, art and dance, offering a nurturing environment for young people to enhance their skills and receive peer support. Volunteers will help with various activities such as art sessions, off-site adventures and maintaining positive connections with camp- ers. Skills required include English proficiency, experience with youth and a background in mental health. Volunteers will gain valuable experience in peer support, mental health support, leadership and conflict resolution. Must be 18 or older, available for daytime shifts and have clear criminal record and child-abuse registry checks. Email volunteer@moodmb.ca by Aug. 28. ● Shelter Movers — a national charity providing free moving and storage services to people and families fleeing abuse — needs onboarding co-ordinators to support its expan- sion into Winnipeg. As the first point of contact for new volunteer applicants, the co-ordinators will communicate with applicants, conduct screening interviews and support them during the onboarding process to ensure a positive experience. This is a remote position for adults, with an ongoing commitment of about four hours per week. Email volunteer.winnipeg@ sheltermovers.com by Aug. 15. ● Inclusion Winnipeg needs volunteers to join its board of directors. The registered char- ity has been dedicated to making life better for children and adults living with intellectual disabilities for more than 60 years. Volunteers must be passionate about creating inclusive communities and willing to contribute their ex- pertise and energy. Enthusiastic and dedicated people from diverse backgrounds and various skills are needed. Successful candidates should have a commitment to the organization’s mission and be able to participate in monthly meetings. Apply to executive director Janet Forbes at jforbes@inclusionwinnipeg.org by Aug. 16. ● Lord Roberts Community Centre needs event-day volunteers for its Neighbour by Neighbour Music Festival on Sept. 7. Roles include 50/50 ticket sellers, canteen assistants and runners, order-takers and kitchen helpers. Apply at http://wfp.to/CmS by Sept. 4. ● The Leftovers Foundation, a food rescue charity with a mission of reducing food waste and increasing access to food for people facing barriers, is gearing up for Home Harvest. The program facilitates the rescue of homegrown food. Community members can participate by signing up through their website or mobile app to become a donor (grower) or volunteer to complete routes. Growers with excess produce can submit a request any time and volunteers can harvest and deliver the produce to local service agencies and keep a portion for them- selves. Volunteers can sign up in groups or as individuals. Email homeharvest@rescuefood. ca or go to rescuefood.ca for more information. Apply by Oct. 30. ● The Canadian Red Cross needs volunteers. The Red Cross can show you how to help when disaster strikes. Go to http://wfp.to/0pE, email volunteer@redcross.ca or call 1-844-818-2155. ;