Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 1, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2024 A2 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM NEWS VOL 153 NO 221 Winnipeg Free Press est 1872 / Winnipeg Tribune est 1890 2023 Winnipeg Free Press, a division of FP Canadian Newspapers Limited Partnership. Published six days a week in print and always online at 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2X 3B6, PH: 204-697-7000 CEO / MIKE POWER Editor / PAUL SAMYN Associate Editor Enterprise / SCOTT GIBBONS Associate Editor News / STACEY THIDRICKSON Associate Editor Digital News / WENDY SAWATZKY Director Photo and Multimedia / MIKE APORIUS NEWSMEDIA COUNCIL The Winnipeg Free Press is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to determine acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please send them to: editorialconcerns@freepress.mb.ca. 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INSIDE Arts and Life C1 Business B5 Classifieds D8 Comics C5 Diversions C6,7 Horoscope C6 Jumble C6 Miss Lonelyhearts C6 Obituaries D7 Opinion A6,7 Sports D1 Television C4 Weather B8 What’s Up C2 COLUMNISTS: Dan Lett A5 Taylor Allen D2 Jeff Hamilton D4 READER SERVICE ● GENERAL INQUIRIES 204-697-7000 CIRCULATION INQUIRIES MISSING OR INCOMPLETE PAPER? Call or email before 10 a.m. weekdays or 11 a.m. Saturday City: 204-697-7001 Outside Winnipeg: 1-800-542-8900 press 1 6:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.; 7 a.m. - noon Saturday; Closed Sunday TO SUBSCRIBE: 204-697-7001 Out of Winnipeg: 1-800-542-8900 The Free Press receives support from the Local Journalism Initiative funded by the Government of Canada But he repeated his position first stated last Friday that his record was clean at the Olympics and World Cups. “I can again clarify that at a FIFA World Cup, pinnacle event, Olympic Games, at a Youth World Cup, those activities have not been undertaken,” he said. “And I’ve got nothing else to say on that matter.” Herdman led the Canadian women to two Olympics, winning bronze in 2012 and 2016. He also took the Canadian men to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. On Wednesday, a sports arbitration court also dismissed Canada’s appeal of a six-point penalty against the women’s team, as emails from earlier this year released by soccer’s govern- ing body appear to show that a Canada Soccer analyst resisted a request from the team’s head coach to engage in “spying.” The Court of Arbitration for Sport said its panel of three arbitrators re- jected the appeal by Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Soccer to reverse the penalty imposed in relation to a drone spying scandal involving the team’s coaching staff ahead of Canada’s opening game against New Zealand. Herdman said he was “devastated” for the women’s team. Herdman could face sanctions him- self, if his involvement in past spying is proven. The FIFA Appeals Committee ruling notes that its decision related only to “drone incidents” that occurred at the Olympic football tournament. “As the chairperson understands it, the (Canadian Soccer Association) is conducting its own broader investiga- tion into spying,” the ruling said. “In this respect, the chairperson expects the CSA to provide FIFA with the results of said investigation in order for it to be able to assess and decide whether further action by the FIFA bodies is necessary and appropriate.” Canada Soccer has been fined more than $300,000 and three team staff members involved in the drone inci- dent — including Priestman — were suspended for one year. — The Canadian Press “When they found the remains of his body, you couldn’t recognize his face because of that bear,” he said. “They can’t even find his other arm.” People living in Shamattawa have reported an increase in the number of bears in and around the First Nation, and news of the attack has set the com- munity on edge. Many residents are afraid to let children out of their sight, area band councillor Kerry Miles said. “There are so many bears here. We see them at night, maybe because of food cooking… and the dump is just close by here,” Miles said. “Right now, people are concerned. Especially with the kids because they run around at night.” Miles said he was in Winnipeg when he learned of the fatal attack while reading a community Facebook page. First Nations members have been using the page to keep each other informed about bear sightings, with numerous posts expressing concerns about the prevalence and behaviour of the animals, including requests last week for “someone to (do) something” because “next time the bear might kill somebody.” Manitoba conservation officers have been dispatched to Shamattawa in the wake of the attacks. Some community members are taking matters into their own hands, Miles said. “(The bears) are getting out of hand. We had to shoot them, we don’t want to wait for a conservation officer, because they are very dangerous,” he said. He could not confirm the number of bears that have been shot and killed, but said it is more than one. Neither RCMP nor the provincial government had updates Wednesday about the investigation into the fatality, or whether bears will be culled or captured and relocated. “(The) investigation (is) just start - ing, but I can confirm there has been no request from the community for assistance with any bear removals. They have that in hand,” a provincial spokesperson said. “Depending on the location and potential for future conflict, conserva- tion officers may respond to address concern. Whenever possible, if a bear becomes habituated to food or has reduced fear of people, they may be trapped and removed from populated areas.” While hundreds of interactions with bears are documented annually, there have been only three fatal attacks in Manitoba since 1900 — in 1929, 1982 and 2005. The long-term average for reported incidents in which a black bear injures a human through physical contact is less than one per year, the provincial spokesperson said. “It’s unfortunate but when it does rise up to this level, it’s often with really tragic consequences, both for the people and, eventually, that bear,” said Michael Campbell, a professor of environment and geography at the University of Manitoba. “The problem arises when bears start to associate people with food and become habituated to the presence of people, so it becomes much more diffi- cult to encourage those bears to leave.” The bear that attacked Thomas may have broken the kitchen window in search of a meal and, once trapped inside, felt threatened, he said. But the fatal attack on Wood was likely predatory, Campbell said, sug- gesting the animal encountered him in an isolated area and viewed him as prey. The same animal may have commit- ted both attacks, although it will be impossible to confirm unless conser- vation officers kill the one responsible and conduct an autopsy, which could be difficult because of the number of bears in the community, he said. Such autopsies typically involve checking stomach contents for evi- dence of human remains, or testing the animal for signs of illness, he said. Campbell noted Canada is home to some of the largest black bears in the world. The Canadian Encyclope- dia estimates they can range in size from 200 to 600 pounds, depending on gender. “They are big animals, very strong, a lot stronger than a human being,” he said, noting one weighing 856 pounds was struck and killed by a motorist near a garbage dump along Lake Win- nipeg in 2001. He advised Shamattawa residents to remove any garbage, food or pet food that could attract trouble. Thomas described the bear that attacked him as a “backstabber” and said he believes it is still wandering around the community. “I just want one more round, one more round for that bear to come around here and I’ll be ready,” he said. “He caught me off guard, so I’m going to be ready next time. We are all ready.” tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca Reeves said the Crown and defence arrived at the sentence in the face of what could have been a shorter or longer term of impris- onment, depending on the court’s ruling. Courts are bound to accept joint recommendations unless they are clearly unfit. “The position being put forward is absolutely justifiable in law,” Reeves said. “That being said, the public will disagree. “I don’t think anyone in this gallery believes three years or even four years is an appropriate sentence given the harm caused,” he said. “We can justify these sen- tences legally by looking at moral blameworthiness when drivers don’t set out to hurt anyone, but when these offences cause more ca- lamity than any other offence in the Criminal Code, it doesn’t sit well with the public when they see the sentences that are being imposed.” Dozens of family members, friends and co-workers filled the courtroom in support of Léveillé. Léveillé suffered a fractured spine and pelvis, ruptured rectum, a broken arm, leg and nose and other injuries only discovered after several days in hospital. He can no longer walk without a cane or crutches and lives with an in- creased risk of stroke. After the collision, his daughter moved back home from Vancouver and his wife stepped away from work at her dance studio to care for him. At the time of the collision, Léveillé and his wife Tobi were planning a Mexican getaway to celebrate their 30th wedding anni- versary. “Instead of being in Mexico to celebrate our wedding anniversary, we ordered dinner in to his hospital room,” Tobi said. Tobi recalled the “agonizing wait” as Léveillé underwent emergency surgery following the collision, not knowing whether he would live or die. “There was just so much damage to his body it was overwhelming,” Tobi said. “Imagine you start your day completely able bodied, and then you are in bed for months, away from your home staring up at the ceiling or the walls,” she said. “My husband went from being healthy and independent to being broken, ill and in constant pain, dependent on others for everything.” Gordon said reading the victim impact statements provided by Léveillé, his family and a co-worker made him better understand the consequences of his actions. “It is hard for me to imagine the physical pain (Léveillé) experienced from the accident, his recovery and to this day,” Gordon told court via video from Brandon Correctional Centre. “It is clear to me you are a strong person as you fought and continue to fight in your recovery. “I can also understand the frus- tration and anger you may have toward me — it is justified,” he said. “I’m sorry I hurt you and your family and your friends so much… I understand a day will come when my sentence will end and I will be released from custody. However, on that day I also know that you will be suffering the consequences of my actions. For that, as well, I am truly sorry.” dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca COACH ● FROM A1 BEAR ● FROM A1 OFFICER ● FROM A1 Numbers fluctuate Number of bear interactions reported by Manitoba Conservation in recent years: 2024 – 744 2023 – 465 2022 – 766 2021 – 1,698 SUPPLIED Waylon Thomas in the aftermath of a bear attack. EUGENIO SAVIO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Former Canadian women’s soccer coach John Herdman has denied spying with drones while he led the team. ‘Our differences do not divide us’ ‘Same old show’: Harris rails at Trump’s critique of her race W ASHINGTON — U.S. Vice-Presi- dent Kamala Harris said Wed- nesday that former President Donald Trump’s false assertions about her race were the “same old show” as she emphasized the need for Black women to organize for his defeat in November. Addressing Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. — of the Divine Nine his- torically Black fraternities and soror- ities — in Houston, she said, “When I look out at everyone here, I see family.” She drew knowing chuckles from the audience as she mentioned Trump’s comments earlier in the day at the annual meeting of the National Asso- ciation of Black Journalists. Trump said Harris, the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice-presi- dent, had in the past promoted only her Indian heritage. “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she hap- pened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said to the NABJ in Chicago. Harris responded briefly during her address to the sorority, saying Trump’s display was “the same old show: the divisiveness and the disrespect... “And let me just say, the American people deserve better. The American people deserve better.” “Our differences do not divide us, they are an essential source of our strength,” Harris said. Referencing the tone of Trump’s interview at the NABJ convention, she said, “The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth, a leader who does not respond with hostility and an- ger when confronted with the facts.” Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immi- grants to the U.S. As an undergraduate, she attended Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent histor- ically Black colleges and universities, where she also pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Speaking to Sigma Gamma Rho members, Harris said, “Our nation is counting on you” to register people to vote and ensure they go to the polls: “When we organize, mountains move.” Black Greek life is often seen as a lifelong involvement, leading many members to return to regular gather- ings — or “boulés” in the organizations’ phrasing — that gather tens of thou- sands of members each. Harris has attended three such events in the last month, including the boulé for her own sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. The Divine Nine, which are official- ly apolitical, emphasize public service as a mission and have deep networks in politics, business and media. June Penny, 66, of Georgia, an atten- dee at Harris’ speech in Houston, said Trump’s comments reminded her of his attempt to discredit Barack Obama. “I’m not surprised he would try to find something like that,” Penny said. She said Trump’s views don’t reflect the reality of race in the country, not- ing, “I have biracial grandchildren and the world views them as Black.” More than 30 members of Congress are affiliated with a Black Greek letter organization. Close advisers to Presi- dent Joe Biden are members of Divine Nine organizations. Harris has wel- comed such connections to staff her operation and build her own network in Washington. — The Associated Press CHRIS MEGERIAN ‘He caught me off guard, so I’m going to be ready next time’ — mauling victim Waylon Thomas ;