Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - November 6, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba A2 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM NEWS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2025 VOL 154 NO 299 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 D7 Comics C5 Diversions C6-7 Horoscope C4 Miss Lonelyhearts C4 Obituaries D6 Opinion A6-7 Sports D1 Television C4 Weather B8 What’s Up C2 COLUMNISTS: Dan Lett A4 Peter McKenna A7 Jeff Hamilton D3 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 I LEARNED long ago that solutions to violence begin with the survivors. In other words, those who have not experienced violence can listen, learn and, after that, participate in finding solutions — but it is survivors of violence who know first and fore- most how to address it. This is why the Truth and Reconcil- iation Commission is one of the most effective and successful processes this country has engaged with its violent past. It was driven by and designed with residential school survivors at the centre. This is also why justice in criminal trials doesn’t really occur without the participation of the victims and their children, families and communities. This brings me to recent comments by Premier Wab Kinew, who was asked Monday to comment on last week’s Supreme Court of Canada ruling that rejected mandatory one-year mini- mum sentences for possessing child pornography. “Child sexual abuse images and vid- eo, this is like one of the worst things that anyone can do,” Kinew told media. “Not only should (you) go to prison for a long time, they should bury you under the prison. You shouldn’t get protective custody. They should put you into general population, if you know what I mean.” Referring to possessors of child pornography as “skinners” — a slang term used by prisoners to describe pedophiles and sex offenders — Kinew called them “the worst.” Kinew doubled down on his com- ments during the legislative session and with reporters, saying people who possess child pornography should experience “the code on the streets.” Critics from the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association of Manitoba accused the premier of calling for “extrajudicial vigilante justice” and misunderstanding the decision. A few political commentators pulled out the tired (and, frankly, lazy and overused) stereotype of Kinew as an Indigenous male with past legal troubles. Few pointed out the irony around an Indigenous leader calling for “the code on the streets” delivered by inmates — many of whom would be Indigenous — on “skinners” who, in some cases, might also be Indigenous. Others marvelled at the populism of the NDP premier’s words and com- pared them to responses by federal Conservative Leader Pierre Pollievre, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford. All of these takes, however, miss much of the meaning and purpose of Kinew’s response. He is an intergenerational survi- vor of sexual abuse. Kinew’s father was raped while in residential school — something his son reported on frequently while a TV journalist and wrote about in his memoir The Reason You Walk. I am an intergenerational survivor, too. My grandfather was sexually assaulted while in residential schools, and so were nearly two dozen other members of my family when they were children. Nothing ever happened to the per- petrators of those crimes. Many were rewarded for their “work” by church- es, schools and governments. In some cases, the sexual abusers were Indigenous peoples: older chil- dren, school employees or, worst and most painful of all, relatives. Sexual violence is a national epidemic throughout society, but it’s something perhaps best understood by Indigenous peoples. In other words, I — like the Man- itoba premier — do not have a lot of sympathy for those who sexually prey upon children. These people have created harm that has devastated our lives, families and communities for generations. I, too, would like to see some of them buried once and for all. At the same time, Kinew is well- known for being a strategic, savvy speaker and thinker who knows how to influence. He was, of course, in media before he was in politics. “The role of us in the legislative and executive branch is to offer counter- balance to the judicial branch and vice versa,” he told media when asked Tues- day to follow up on his remarks from the day before. “I feel confident that what I’ve been putting on the record this week is in line with what Manitobans believe.” If Kinew earned a living as a lawyer, judge, correctional officer or prison warden, his words would be a problem. As premier, he has influence, but he was not proposing a law subjecting people who possess child pornography to vigilante justice. He was stating an opinion — something politicians are elected to do. He might be also stating a fact. For generations in this country, children have been sexually abused and, for far too many, justice never comes. In some cases, “the code on the streets” delivers what prosecutors and judges cannot. It’s a situation that demands atten- tion and might just need some drastic language to make that happen. niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca Premier’s words got people to pay attention; maybe that was the point NIIGAAN SINCLAIR OPINION MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS SCATTER SHOT Students from École Stanley Knowles School walk across the field at Assiniboine Park outside of The Leaf Wednesday afternoon as a flock of geese takes off. The birds may be headed for warmer climates, as a mix of rain and snow is forecast for today with highs below zero on the weekend. Kinew said the province is prepared to open a 20-bed facility, dubbed the “protective care centre,” at 190 Dis- raeli Fwy. That site had been pegged as a potential supervised consumption site, but the plan was sidelined by opposition from community members who said it was too close to a school. Occupancy permits for the property have been approved and medical staff are being trained, he said. “We’re talking about the drunk tank for people that are high on meth — there’s nothing new here,” Kinew said, describing the meth crisis as “an urgent matter of public importance.” “We have a responsibility to take action and help these people who are suffering from meth addiction.” The PC party wanted the province to have a 45-day consultation period and publish a plan outlining the potential impact of the centre on the commu- nity. “Manitobans asked for these chang- es but this NDP premier refused them at every single chance they had,” Khan said during question period. Kinew countered by tabling a state- ment from TJ Belluk, vice-president of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg union. Belluk described a situation that occurred Tuesday night, in which firefighters responding to a person in medical distress were unable to give aid because a person believed to be high on meth was “behaving errati- cally.” “EMS had staged and when fire crews arrived they remained in the truck as the person approached and jumped on the truck trying to gain entry,” the statement said. “The individual went around the truck and tried opening the passenger door, but luckily the crew had all doors locked. The person jumped on the truck again and fell off. Luckily, (there were) no injuries from the fall.” Belluk said it was one of many meth-related incidents that occurred overnight. He said intoxicated people often verbally abuse crews, who are forced to keep their distance to avoid physical confrontation. “This can be difficult at times when you know or see someone in medical distress and feel threatened if you approach,” his statement said. Rebecca Clifton, administrative director of the Paramedic Association of Manitoba, said such situations have become common for all first-respond- ers. “Meth use has completely changed the way paramedics approach scenes and has increased the violence against first responders,” she said during the news conference held by the province. “These calls often take longer, they involve a greater risk and they keep ambulances tied up while other emer- gencies are waiting.” Mayor Scott Gillingham, who voiced similar support, said the bill “address- es a critical need in our community.” “These people need help, we are do- ing them no favours by allowing them to be back out in the street time and time again,” he said. Critics of the bill have raised concern it could result in possible breaches of the Charter right not to be arbitrarily detained, and have ques- tioned whether involuntary detention is backed by clinical evidence as a way to treat and manage addiction. The law must receive royal assent to be enacted. tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca Sandhu signed an order in council in the morning to establish the regu- lations. “The delay in enacting the regula- tions was the result of the province doing its due diligence, including a mandatory jurisdictional scan of every province in Canada,” said department spokesman Caedmon Malowany. Opposition MLAs took the govern- ment to task for the delay. “Despite background checks and Google searches, this person had access to (the mother’s) home and her children for five years because he was legally allowed to change his name,” said Liberal MLA Cindy Lamoureux. The Change of Name Act now re- quires a criminal record check when a name change application is made. The director of Vital Statistics must refuse the change if the record check discloses the applicant was convicted of an offence that meets criteria set out in the regulations unless an ex- emption is granted by the minister. “This situation is every parent’s worst nightmare,” Sandhu said during question period, referring to the mother in Tuesday’s report. “I want to extend my deepest sym- pathy to this family for what they are going through.” The mother, identified as “Lisa” in the Free Press, said she was happy to hear the province has closed the door allowing sex offenders to change their names. “I think it’s a good first step toward protecting people in the community and victims,” she said. “But there is still a really long way to go. We need a firm reassessment of child protection laws and whether or not the systems and regulations we have in place are reducing recidivism of offenders.” Monique St. Germain, general counsel for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said it was too early to comment on the new law because the province had not yet publicly published details about how it will be applied. “The law itself definitely is the right direction, but sometimes the devil is in the details, and that’s where the regulations really become important,” she said. “The legislature doesn’t have to get into the nitty-gritty detail of how exactly it’s going to work… so the reg- ulations are an incredibly important part of understanding how the law is going to work.” Germain said she looks forward to reviewing the regulations when they become available. She said laws preventing sex offenders from changing their names should be uniform across all Cana- dian jurisdictions to prevent those convicted from moving between provinces in order to circumvent such restrictions. — With files from Dean Pritchard and Tyler Searle carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca METH ● FROM A1 NAME ● FROM A1 ;