Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 16, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba A2 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM The centre would include 20 spaces where people could detox from drugs under medical supervision. It would provide health resources, including prenatal testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and other conditions. If the plan moves ahead, another 20 spaces could be introduced to the facility in the new year, the province has said. Smith said the government is still determining the appropriate staffing level for the proposed facility, but stressed it will be operated by medi- cal professionals. The province worked with three physicians to determine the 72-hour timeline, she said. Jitender Sareen, the province’s medical specialty lead for mental health and addiction, said he is in favour of the legislation. He noted the 72-hour window aligns with the Men- tal Health Act and allows adequate time for medical professionals to assess a patient. People who detox before that period will be released, while others who experience prolonged medical events can be transferred to other facilities for appropriate care, he said. “The legislation is really respond- ing to the crystal meth epidemic, and this really does require careful, regu- lar assessments,” Sareen said. Sareen, who leads the department of psychiatry at the University of Manitoba, is one of four high-ranking medical experts in Manitoba who wrote a letter of support to Smith’s office in late September. “Collectively, we believe that, with appropriate implementation — in- cluding enhanced medical oversight, regular assessments, access to health services and safeguards to ensure preservation of human rights and individual autonomy — this change will improve safety,” reads the letter, shared with the Free Press by the provincial government. Sareen said the facility should include security staff and paramedics who can assess patients as frequently as every 15 minutes, if needed. A physician experienced in addictions and general practice should also be on hand, he said. It is critical to ensure the plan proceeds with patient safety as a priority, and with a full assessment on how introducing the detox centre will affect the health system, he said. Asked whether he feels the prov- ince will be prepared to open the de- tox centre within the next few weeks, Sareen said: “We are trying to work with government on those timelines.” Other co-signers of the endorse- ment letter include Dr. Rob Grierson, medical director of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service; Dr. Erin Knight, medical lead for the provincial rapid access to addictions medicine clinics and president of the Canadian Society of Addictions Medicine; and Rob Fry, CEO of mental health and addictions for Shared Health. Knight, Grierson and Fry were un- available for interviews Wednesday. Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan said he has many ques- tions about the proposed legislation and the detox centre, including how much it will cost to operate, who will staff it and how safety will be ensured. He raised concerns about where other centres could be opened in the future. “We can still support the concept of it, but the devil is in the details,” Khan said. “Will this turn into a drug consumption site? I don’t know. These are questions we are asking.” Last week, Bill 48 passed second reading, with Tory support. The legislative committee that is reviewing the bill will hear public presentations this evening. — with files from Carol Sanders tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca M ANITOBA Public Insurance has reported it lost $19.7 million in the last fiscal year, just as it’s seeking a 2.07 per cent rate hike to overall basic insurance rates. The Crown public insurer released its annual report Wednesday, on the second day of the an- nual rate hearing before the Public Utilities Board. MPI reported the net loss of $19.7 million, for the year ending March 31, 2025 — which is far better than the $129.5 million hit it took one year earlier. “Like many organizations, MPI continues to face the effects of rising claim costs, global tar- iffs, and the potential impact on the auto industry, inflationary pressures and shifting political dy- namics,” MPI board chair Carmen Nedohin said in a statement. “We have remained focused and pragmatic in the face of this volatility. Through careful finan- cial stewardship that saw an increase in earn- ings over the previous year and proactive risk management, we have taken meaningful steps to safeguard MPI and protect the investments of Manitobans.” Earlier this year, MPI asked the PUB for per- mission to increase its basic insurance rates by an average of $21 per year, or 2.07 per cent, for the average private passenger vehicle. If approved, drivers won’t start paying the increase until April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, depending on when their insurance is renewed. Last year, the board imposed a 5.7 per cent in- crease even though MPI had asked for a three per cent increase; in 2023, the board ordered a five per cent increase when MPI asked for no in- crease. MPI said the total number of claims went up by 2.1 per cent, to 280,300, in the last fiscal year, while the total cost of claims reached $1.2 billion. The insurer lost $39.6 million on the basic insur- ance side of its business, up from an $80.2-million loss one year earlier, but it earned net income of $53.7 million on the extension side. At the driver and vehicle licensing section of its business, it reported a net loss of $29.7 million, more than double the $13.2 million it lost in 2023- 24. “Fiscal prudence continues to be the order of the day,” Nedohin said. “Our goal is to provide the best service to Manitobans at an affordable cost, and we need to make the dollars and cents work.” Other statistics in the MPI report include: • MPI received an average of 1,121 claims per working day; • The insurer received 267,323 property dam- age claims; • The average number of Autopac policies is 1.3 million; • and there were 12,977 third party-liability bodily injury and Personal Injury Protection Plan injury claims reported. MPI says PIPP makes sure Manitobans who are injured in vehicle colli- sions are “fairly compensated for their economic losses.” kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca NEWS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2025 VOL 154 NO 281 Winnipeg Free Press est 1872 / Winnipeg Tribune est 1890 2025 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 C4 Miss Lonelyhearts C4 Obituaries D7 Opinion A6, 7 Sports D1 Television C4 Weather B8 What’s Up C2 COLUMNISTS: Dan Lett A4 Stephen Borys A7 Peter McKenna A7 Jeff Hamilton D1 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 DETOX ● FROM A1 MPI reports $19.7-M loss as it seeks rate increase KEVIN ROLLASON THE city’s legal department is propos- ing Winnipeg pay $7 million to settle lawsuits filed by three First Nations men wrongfully convicted of the 1973 slaying of a restaurant worker. Allan Woodhouse and Brian Ander- son, members of Pinaymootang First Nation in the Interlake, were formally acquitted of the 1973 slaying of Ting Fong Chan in 2023, and filed lawsuits in Court of King’s Bench in 2024 over the miscarriage of justice. Clarence Woodhouse, who was for- mally acquitted of the killing in Octo- ber 2024, filed his lawsuit last Febru- ary. A fourth convicted man, Russell Woodhouse, died in 2011. The federal justice minister has or- dered the Manitoba Court of Appeal to review Russell Woodhouse’s conviction. That review has not yet occurred. His estate is not among the plaintiffs seeking damages from the city and the provincial and federal governments. The parties and the men’s lawyers met for mediation in front of King’s Bench Justice Ken Champagne during the summer in an attempt to settle the matter without going to trial. The city’s interim director of legal services, Ashley Pledger, recom- mended council’s executive policy committee vote to approve a $7-million contribution to the potential settlement proposed during those meetings. “If the recommended settlement is not approved, the city will need to incur significant external legal and related costs to continue the litigation,” Pledg- er wrote. Pledger made the recommendation in an administrative report ahead of EPC’s meeting next week. Mayor Scott Gillingham said he ex- pects to vote in favour of the settlement. “That’s what the courts have said, so the city has an obligation to make good on what the courts have instructed us to do,” Gillingham said. “But first and foremost, we’re going to be having dis- cussions with city staff at the meeting.” Civic bureaucrats are negotiating with insurance companies that covered the city at the time over the amounts those firms will contribute, but the in- surance payout is expected to be less than the settlement figure, meaning some of the money will have to come directly from the municipal govern- ment, Pledger wrote in her report, which was made public this week. If the settlement is approved by all the parties, the lawsuits will be discon- tinued. “If the claims are not settled, next steps include the exchange of documen- tary disclosure, examinations of the parties and the retainer of experts re- garding liability and the assessment of damages,” she wrote in the report. “These steps are expected to take years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.” Pledger recommended the commit- tee approve an over-expenditure of $500,000 for the city to pay outside law- yers and other costs, if council does not approve the settlement offer. It was not clear Wednesday what fi- nancial figures the federal and provin- cial governments may have offered as part of the mediation process, known as a judicially assisted dispute resolution. Ian McLeod, a spokesman for the federal Department of Justice, said the process and anything arising out of it is confidential. He declined further com- ment. Ryan Stelter, a provincial government spokesman, said he could not comment on the settlement details, “which the parties agreed would be confidential.” The claims allege misfeasance in public office, false arrest, false im- prisonment, conspiracy, negligent in- vestigation, malicious prosecution, con- stitutional and human rights violations and breaches of statutory duties. The four men are represented by law- yer James Lockyer of Innocence Can- ada — a non-profit organization that identifies and advocates for the wrong- fully convicted. Lockyer spent years advocating and arguing their convic- tions were miscarriages of justice. He would not comment Wednesday. The three living men, as well as Russell Woodhouse, were convicted in 1974 of the killing of Ting Fong Chan, a 40-year-old father of two, in 1973. The four were charged based on questionable eyewitness testimony and what later were determined to be fabri- cated confessions. Despite all four hav- ing only a poor grasp of English, police produced a full confession written in English. The men testified Winnipeg police of- ficers beat them during interviews, but the judge refused to believe them. The cases were prosecuted by Crown attorney George Dangerfield, who was involved in several wrongful murder convictions. He died in 2023. Anderson served 10 years behind bars, Clarence Woodhouse spent 12 years in prison and Allan Woodhouse served 23, before they were declared innocent. Russell Woodhouse also served time. Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser ordered the Manitoba’s high court to re- view the late Russell Woodhouse’s con- viction last month. A notice of appeal was filed on Oct. 1, but the matter has not yet been heard. It’s the first time a federal attorney general has asked for a judicial review after the death of an applicant. erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS A proposed detox centre at 190 Disraeli Freeway could open in Point Douglas as early as Nov. 1. Settlement of $7M recommended in wrongful convictions of 3 Indigenous men ERIK PINDERA MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Public Insurance is seeking a 2.07 per cent rate hike to overall basic insurance rates. ;