LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Mr. Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom, know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen.
House Business
Mr. Speaker: The honourable Government House Leader, on House business.
Hon. Jennifer Howard (Government House Leader): Yes, Mr. Speaker, on House business.
Would you see if this morning we can proceed through the following private bills: Bill 220, Bill 217, Bill 205, Bill 204 and Bill 222; followed by public–followed by private bills 300 and 301.
Mr. Speaker: I'm going to call Bill 220 on resumed debate on second reading–[interjection]
Can we get agreement for–to follow the process just indicated: Bill 220, 217, 205, 204, 222, and to be followed by 300 and 301? [Agreed]
Bill 220–The Justice for Victims of Child Pornography Act
Mr. Speaker: I'm going to call Bill 220, The Justice for Victims of Child Pornography Act, and standing in the name of the honourable Minister for Labour and Immigration, who has seven minutes remaining.
Hon. Jennifer Howard (Minister of Labour and Immigration): Mr. Speaker, I think, as I was saying, this bill is about an issue that we all take very seriously in the House, the issue of what we can do to protect victims of child pornography, and we've taken several steps to do that together. And I think that this bill represents another step that we can take together, and so we are willing to see this bill go to committee.
Mr. Speaker: Is the House ready for the question?
Some Honourable Members: Question.
Mr. Speaker: The question before the House is Bill 220, The Justice for Victims of Child Pornography Act.
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]
Bill 217–The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act
(Expanded Grounds for Early Termination)
Mr. Speaker: Okay, now I'll call Bill 217, The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Expanded Grounds for Early Termination), and it's standing in the name of the honourable member for Arthur‑Virden (Mr. Maguire), who has five minutes remaining.
What is the will of the House? Is the will of the House for the bill to remain standing in the name of the honourable member for Arthur-Virden?
An Honourable Member: No.
Mr. Speaker: Okay, that's been denied.
Okay, do we have speakers?
Mrs. Mavis Taillieu (Morris): Yes, Mr. Speaker, I'm just pleased to put a few words on the record in regard to Bill 217, the residential tenancies amendment act expanding grounds for early termination, which allows to terminate a tenancy early in cases where there has been domestic violence or stalking, or declining health which would affect the accessibility of a person to live in that particular residence, and if there's a change in posting for a member of the Canadian Armed Forces or reserves.
So, it certainly seems like a reasonable step to take, and we'd like to support this bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker: Is the House ready for the question?
Some Honourable Members: Question.
Mr. Speaker: The question before the House is Bill 217, The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Expanded Grounds for Early Termination).
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]
Bill 205–The Regional Health Authorities Amendment Act
(Mammography Accreditation)
Mr. Speaker: Now we'll move on to Bill 205, The Regional Health Authorities Amendment Act (Mammography Accreditation), standing in the name of the honourable member for Burrows (Mr. Martindale), who has nine minutes remaining.
What is the will of the House? Is it the will of the House for the bill to remain standing in the name of the honourable member for Burrows?
An Honourable Member: No.
Mr. Speaker: No, that's been denied.
Okay, a speaker?
Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): I'm certainly hopeful that this House might consider moving forward on this legislation.
It's actually a very critical piece of legislation about ensuring that all machines in Manitoba that are dealing with mammography are accredited. I understand from some of the things that the minister has said that they are supposed to be, and yet we know that two machines have not been accredited since at least 2009 that we're aware of, and nobody seems to be quite sure why that isn't happening.
But I would certainly like to encourage everybody in the House to support this legislation that would ensure that all mammography machines are accredited, because this is a quality assurance program, it is a safety issue. And I think it's critically important to women that are going forward for mammography to see if they have breast cancer to have that comfort level that, indeed, these machines are in good working order, they've been accredited, they have followed the national standards, and the–it takes away some of the question about all of that.
So I'm hopeful that we can have a movement in the House towards making this change, and I would like to see this legislation go to committee for further discussion and any public input, and then I would hope that we will see this move forward, because I think it's very, very important to women in Manitoba who have breast cancer.
Mr. Speaker: Is the House ready for the question?
An Honourable Member: Question.
Mr. Speaker: The question before the House is Bill 205, The Regional Health Authorities Amendment Act (Mammography Accreditation).
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]
Introduction of Guests
Mr. Speaker: Could I ask the patience of the House? We have a group–I'd just like to make a quick introduction–who have come down to visit us.
And they're from Winnipeg School Division EAL program. We have 16 English as an Additional Language students under the direction of Ms. Lorie McKenzie, and this school is located in the constituency of the honourable member for Wolseley (Mr. Altemeyer).
On behalf of all honourable members, we welcome you here today.
Bill 204–The Consumer Rights Day Act
Mr. Speaker: Okay, we will now move on to Bill 204, The Consumer Rights Day Act, standing in the name of the honourable member for Springfield (Mr. Schuler).
What is the will of the House? Is it the will of the House for the bill to remain standing in the name of the honourable member for Springfield?
An Honourable Member: No.
Mr. Speaker: No, that's been denied. Okay.
* (10:10)
Mrs. Mavis Taillieu (Morris): Just a few words and comments in regard to Bill 204, The Consumer Rights Day Act, proclaiming March 15th every year as Consumer Rights Day.
And, certainly, all of us here are consumers, Mr. Speaker, and would like to have fair and honest treatment, I think. And so I don't think that there's any reason why we wouldn't support this bill. Thank you.
Ms. Erna Braun (Rossmere): Mr. Speaker, it's a pleasure to put a few words on record regarding The Consumer Rights Day Act.
After all, a strong community is one in which consumers are treated fairly and honestly and have clear, accurate information upon which to make informed choices. A strong community is one in which businesses compete on a level playing field and are thus granted equal opportunities.
Recognizing the importance of consumer rights to strong and healthy marketplaces, more than a hundred countries now recognize Consumer Rights Day annually on March 15th. These days are marked with events, campaigns and rallies dedicated to furthering the understanding of consumer rights. This bill would accordingly designate the date Consumer Rights Day in Manitoba. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker: Is the House ready for the question?
An Honourable Member: Question.
Mr. Speaker: The question before the House is Bill 204, The Consumer Rights Day Act.
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]
Bill 222–The Sexual Assault Awareness Month Act
Mr. Speaker: Okay. Now we'll call Bill 222, The Sexual Assault Awareness Month Act.
Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to bring forward this legislation and I think it's incredibly important that we all–
Mr. Speaker: The member for Charleswood, to move the motion.
Mrs. Driedger: I move, seconded by the member for Minnedosa (Mrs. Rowat), that Bill 222, The Sexual Assault Awareness Month Act, be now read for a second time–[interjection] and referred to a committee.
Motion presented.
Mrs. Driedger: I'm pleased to stand and put a few comments on the record in terms of Bill 222, The Sexual Assault Awareness Month Act, and this is something, I think, that is critically important that we look at moving forward with in Manitoba, because I think that there's enough evidence out there that sexual assault is a seriously under-reported issue. And I think what we need to do is bring more attention to the issue and by bringing more attention to the issue, we can, besides creating the awareness, move forward with addressing some of the challenges around the fact that it's happening and it's so under-reported.
Mr. Speaker, we know that sexual violence happens, you know, more frequently than what anybody would think, and we also know that sexual violence is more about asserting power and control over victims by the people that choose to do this.
We know that every day women, men and children suffer through the pain and trauma of sexual assault, although we know that it disproportionately affects women. And, Mr. Speaker, we also know there's verbal harassment, there's intimidation, there's molestation and rape, and this crime occurs far too frequently, goes unreported far too often, and it does leave some long-lasting physical and emotional scars. All one has to do is just listen to some of the stories of women that are interviewed about this just to know how challenging it is for them to move on with their lives.
We know that sexual violence affects Canadians of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances. You know, it's certainly troubling when we hear of sexual assault against children, grandmothers, you know, women of all ages, but we also do know that sexual assault also occurs against men. It is not just specifically something that happens to women, but we know that disproportionately it affects women more.
And we're also aware that there is alarming rates of sexual violence occurring amongst young women attending college and university, and we also know that alcohol and drugs are used, you know, in certain occasions to incapacitate the victim.
We also know, Mr. Speaker, that Native American women are more than twice as likely to be sexually assaulted compared with the general population.
So, as a province, we share the responsibility for protecting each other from sexual assault, supporting victims when it does occur and bringing perpetrators to justice. There are many facets to this and, unfortunately, we see, as was mentioned in this House yesterday, that sexual violence seems to be on the increase in certain parts of Manitoba.
And, you know, disturbingly enough, we know that about nine out of 10 women that are sexually assaulted do not report sexual assault. So, again, there's a huge stigma attached to this and a huge amount of shame and a lot of women looking at it as something where they blame themselves when, Mr. Speaker, there is no instance where a woman should ever take the blame upon herself when something like this happens to her.
So what this legislation does, it would designate each April to be known throughout Manitoba as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and, with this bill, it is our intention to not only lift the veil of secrecy and shame surrounding sexual assault and violence, but also to raise awareness about this serious issue. It is critical to reduce the stigma attached to sexual assault through increased awareness in order for more victims to feel comfortable or at least improving that level of comfort to come forward.
By working together, we can highlight sexual violence as a major issue in our communities and reinforce the need for prevention efforts. We must speak up to prevent sexual violence in our neighbourhoods, communities, workplaces and schools, and I think there's a lot of work that needs to be done to move forward in that area. But, certainly, this is a step forward in order to do that.
Now, in doing the research for this, I certainly found out that there are numerous jurisdictions across North America that have taken a lead when it comes to sexual assault and sexual violence awareness and education. I would note that communities and women's organizations in Ontario have recognized May as Sexual Assault Prevention Month since 1988, and during this month, public awareness of the seriousness of sexual violence against women and girls is raised.
For years, Saskatchewan marked a particular week in April as Sexual Assault Awareness Week. Recently, however, they amended the proclamation to be more in line with other jurisdictions in Canada and in the United States and, as a result, Saskatchewan now designates the month of April of each year as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. I did have the opportunity to speak with the Minister of Justice in Saskatchewan, with his office, and explored a little bit more about what they were doing in Saskatchewan to address this.
In the United States, April is designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the goal being to raise public awareness about sexual assault and violence and to educate communities on how to prevent sexual violence.
Numerous universities and colleges in Canada and the United States also designate days, weeks or months in recognition of sexual assault and sexual violence. We know there are universities in Canada that address this issue in sometimes limited ways and some go a lot further in terms of what they are doing.
I think what we will see with legislation like this, it will give an opportunity to have a specific month where everybody will focus on creating this awareness. It will allow groups that are out there that work with sexual assault prevention and awareness and treatment. Whether it's of adults, women, men, children, it will put a focus on a certain time of year where we can concentrate a lot of effort on bringing more awareness to the issue.
And it doesn't mean that government has to drive the issue, but governments certainly could find a place for itself or a role for itself in all of this in supporting different groups or in encouraging some efforts or even providing some seed money for some of it. You know, there's so many options and so many opportunities, but certainly it's not something that this bill intends that government takes a central role. It provides the focus, though, with this legislation that would allow all of these groups out there to take some ownership of this issue and to be innovative in trying to address the issue and to move it forward. And, certainly, I would hope that government does have some, you know, opportunity that they want to take in order to try to also address the issue.
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I know that I had the opportunity, a while back, to introduce Bill 215, The Liquor Control Amendment Act, to help prevent date rape. And I was very pleased that this House agreed to support that legislation. And the reason I had brought that forward at the time is because I had heard of five people that had been date raped. Four were women, one was a man. And none of them reported it to the police because of the shame, the issue. And it had all happened in a bar where date-rape drugs had been put into their drinks.
And–so that was a real wake-up call for me. I learned, also, in this particular situation, that a number of paramedics were sometimes brought in to help these people that had been date raped, where they were taken to the hospital. But the people that were victims of this never felt comfortable taking the date rape to the police. And so, all of those went under-reported. So we have no idea how really prevalent this issue is, in terms of date rape or rape itself, or sexual violence of any type against women, because so much is under-reported. Nine out of 10 women don't report it.
So, I feel very, very strongly that we have to find some way to address this issue. And I think, certainly, with this legislation, it will give us an opportunity to raise awareness, and hopefully through raising awareness we can also help women to realize that they don't have to be stigmatized by this, because so many blame themselves. And I think we've really got to work very, very diligently to move beyond that. And with that is our hope that more victims will feel comfortable in coming forward and reporting the crimes against them.
And, Mr. Speaker, I was glad to hear the comments the other day from the Government House Leader (Ms. Howard) and–with her strong views on trying to improve issues for women in Manitoba, as well, to–and I appreciated the comments that she had put forward. And I look forward to this bill moving into committee, to see if there is any further public comment on it, and then I look forward to its passage. And I think this would be something, in a very non-partisan way, that we can all move forward, and try to address the issue and help to protect more women in Manitoba.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Ms. Sharon Blady (Kirkfield Park): Mr. Speaker, I'd like to just put a few words on the record regarding Bill 222, The Sexual Assault Awareness Month–bill, put forward by the member for Charleswood. I understand it will enact that every April will be a Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and I do think it is important, as the member opposite mentioned, as sexual assaults are dramatically under‑reported, and some estimate that up to nine out of 10 sexual assaults are not reported to police. And that's a very frightening statistic. And so much of that is often because there are other issues at play, as the member opposite mentioned, such as the use of alcohol, the use of positions of power and authority over a victim in a variety of ways. And even the idea that the victim is often meant to feel responsible for what happened, when no victim is ever responsible for their own degradation and harm at the hands of a predator.
I do believe that this bill compliments the government's strong record on prevention and support services for victims of sexual attacks, including domestic violence. And, while we continue to move forward with expanding victim services and prevention programs, again, even one sexual assault or domestic homicide is too many.
Manitoba is a leader in combating family violence. The Family Violence in Canada 2008 report calls 'manada'–Manitoba a pro-charging and pro-prosecution jurisdiction that causes increases in arrest rates. And, as far as our government record goes, well, as far as prevention goes, on November 1st we announced a cyberstalking awareness campaign, which will be delivered to 470 schools around the province. And we also launched a new domestic violence prevention website, called www.manitoba.ca/domesticviolence. And, we've also, since June, created the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, to review homicide cases involving domestic violence, and lessons learned will help prevent other families from being victims.
Since 1999, we have tripled the funding available to family violence prevention programs, and funding to external agencies has increased by nearly 90 per cent since 1999. Since 2006, the Domestic Violence Intervention Unit has also provided intervention and support for families where calls for emergency services show problematic family relationships that might escalate to criminal behaviour. But, most importantly, we've worked to support victims.
In 2005, we made more victims of domestic violence eligible for protection orders, including people who are dating and people who are suffering abuse within families even when they haven't lived together. These amendments also allow designated people other than lawyers and the police to assist victims to apply for orders, for example, things like women's shelter workers, and 90 designates have been trained across Manitoba. And I'm personally familiar with many of the designates and their professionalism, as a victim of domestic violence, so I really do appreciate the work that has been done from this side of the House.
And I would appreciate if members opposite would stop chuckling during such serious debate brought forward by one of their own members.
These amendments would also allow designated people other–as I mentioned–[interjection] to do this work and–Again, if members opposite do not find this a serious issue, I'm sure we could move on to something else, but I am trying to be supportive of a bill that I do think has some resonance as an issue that I've dealt with professionally for over a decade. [interjection] So–well, then maybe you should just keep your voices down and speak in the loges, then, members opposite. Sorry, Mr. Speaker, my apologies, but I do find it very distracting to try to speak on a serious issue when other members do not see the matter seriously.
Again, the work in the Family Violence Prevention Program, I believe, is very strong. And, again, it runs–funds 32 agencies across Manitoba to help people affected by domestic violence, including 10 women's shelters, nine women's resource centres, four residential second-stage programs, the Men's Resource Centre and other specialized programs.
But one of the things that we also recognize, and, again, I know from my own professional work, is that Aboriginal women are more victimized than any other demographic, that they show that their domestic use is higher among these women, and it also shows that these women are also dealt with–or victimized more severely. And the number of Aboriginal people reporting being victims was three times higher than that of non-Aboriginals in this area. And, again, they are less likely to report the most severe and potentially life-threatening forms of violence or of being sexually assaulted.
And, again, our record on sexual violence prevention, again, we have four specific programs operating in Manitoba which address this issue: the Sexual Assault Crisis Program at Klinic Community Health Centre; the SARAH program, the Survivor's Hope Crisis Centre in Pinawa; Families Affected by Sexual Assault, which is the New Directions for Children, Youth, Adults and Families in Winnipeg; and the Laurel Centre in Winnipeg. And there are a variety of other services for victims of sexual violence offered by other organizations or agencies that have a broader mandate, such as victim services in women's centres and hospitals and clinics.
I think most importantly, though, in terms of our record in this regard, is, very unfortunately, that we had a situation occur in this province where things occurred out in a public forum that caused people to have to rise up. And this government believes that there is nothing that a woman can do, nothing that she can wear, nothing that she can say that makes her responsible for someone sexually assaulting her. And back in February, we had the unfortunate situation where a federal judge commented about a sexual assault victim's clothes and makeup and called the offender a clumsy Don Juan at his sentencing hearing, and our government immediately spoke out.
And I would want to commend my colleague the Minister responsible for the Status of Women (Ms. Howard), who filed a complaint with the Canadian Judicial Council. In the complaint she wrote, and I quote: Most importantly, without repercussions, the behaviour of this judge will most certainly extend a chill on women reporting sexual assaults. As women hear messaging such as that clearly sent by Judge Dewar, they come to believe that their experiences will not be taken seriously and will thus be much less likely to report incidences of sexual assault. These beliefs are rooted in outdated gender stereotypes which suggest that female behaviour can be held responsible for the uncontrolled nature of male sexuality and that a woman's expressions of sexuality are part of the public domain and can and should be used to assess her integrity and legitimacy as well as imply consent.
And I think this is very important, Mr. Speaker, and I do believe that the issue of raising awareness is a significant one.
And on that note, I would like to close and thank the member opposite for having introduced this bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mrs. Leanne Rowat (Minnedosa): It's a pleasure for me to be able to put on the record my thoughts and my support for Bill 222, The Sexual Assault Awareness Month Act, which was brought forward by the member for Charleswood (Mrs. Driedger).
And I think that all members within this House believe that this is a significant issue and a very serious issue. It's unfortunate the member opposite was making comments with regard to comments in the House. Everybody was paying attention very seriously to this issue. And to raise political rhetoric during her debate is unfortunate and misdirected, Mr. Speaker.
* (10:30)
This is a very serious issue. All Manitobans take this issue very seriously, and we have a lot of work to do in this province and in this country with regard to sexual assault awareness, Mr. Speaker. And I think what the member for Charleswood has done is she has brought forward a piece of legislation I think will bring together various organizations within our province who work very hard to make sure that supports are in place for Manitobans who are either victims of perpetrators of sexual assault or family members who are looking for support so that they can provide the strength for victims who have been through a very serious incident.
Manitobans, and Aboriginal women in particular, face a significant challenge when it comes to sexual assault, as was mentioned by other members in the House. We see three times as many victims of sexual assault in the Aboriginal community. And I believe that the supports that are available to Aboriginal women are significant; they're doing great things with that community, but I believe that by having a Sexual Assault Awareness Month–will provide additional awareness and additional support for a sector of the population who are seeing a significant increase in sexual assaults compared to the general population.
I believe that the member for Charleswood (Mrs. Driedger) has been a leader in a number of ways within our caucus and has encouraged government-side support on a number of issues. Bill 221, The Domestic Violence Death Review Committee Act, was brought forward by the member for Charleswood, supported by our caucus and encouraged by our caucus as a significant piece of legislation. And this bill was recommended by the member–that a review committee would be established to examine trends, risk factors, and gaps in programming and resources available for victims of domestic violence.
And many of us have had a connection to domestic violence either through friends or family and otherwise, so we all know and realize the significance of providing supports for men and women who have been put in situations where they have been victims of domestic violence.
Creating awareness of warning signs and providing supports for those who need it is critical, Mr. Speaker, and we need also to focus on the root causes of abusive acts in order to stop them. And I believe that by providing The Domestic Violence Death Review Committee Act in conjunction with The Sexual Assault Awareness Month Act, it develops and moves towards a strategy, Mr. Speaker, of–and shows some leadership within this province that we are actually doing something about this very, very serious, violent act.
The Liquor Control Amendment Act (Helping to Prevent Date Rape) was another piece of legislation that was developed from the Conservative caucus, from this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, and supported by government side, and I believe, again, there is another opportunity where we are providing tools for people who may not otherwise realize that the risks that may occur when they are in a public place having fun, enjoying each other's company and not realizing that they are putting themselves at risk to be victims.
Domestic violence, sexual assault, all of these issues that occur to women and to men need to be taken to another level in awareness, Mr. Speaker. I think with–there's often a stigma attached not only to sexual assault but also to domestic violence that women may–they know they're the victims but they may feel that they are at–in some way, responsible for those outcomes. So I believe awareness–I believe providing supports will provide strength to not only the victims but to the families to ensure that when they move forward and try to heal, that we are providing them with the best possible supports available.
So I want to commend the member for Charleswood for bringing forward what I think is an excellent, excellent idea, an excellent support and resource for Manitobans who have been victims of sexual assault, and I believe that by implementing this and recognizing in this–recognizing this bill and encouraging April as being the month for awareness will play very well out–play very well into the community and will provide the supports necessary to move forward.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. Jennifer Howard (Minister of Labour and Immigration): Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to thank the member for Charleswood not only for bringing forward this bill but for her long-time interest and her long-time work on this issue. And, you know, I think that it is perhaps a testament to how far our society has come that an issue like this truly is an issue that all parties and all sides of the House want to move forward on, and want to look for ways to make laws better, which is what ultimately we're sent here to do.
And, you know, it's–I say that because it wasn't that long ago, certainly within my lifetime, I think it was 1980, when, in the House of Commons, there was a discussion going on about violence against women that was raised, and at that time, you know, it was domestic violence. I think at that time there was still attitudes that what went on in the home isn't something that you talk about in public and that discussion was not taken seriously. And today we can't really conceive of that happening.
So I think that there–it's important occasionally in the struggle for equality and justice that you take a moment to realize that time and work and leadership does make a difference.
I wanted just to share briefly with the House a story about a woman that I worked with when I was working for the Manitoba Action Committee on the Status of Women. And that job was really I think my first real job and I was quite young when I started there and probably a lot more sure of everything than I am today. But part of that job was helping to raise awareness about things like sexual assault and violence against women.
And in the course of that job I met a woman who had a horrendous experience of being raped while on a date with someone and she was going through her own healing process about that, going through the court system, and for her part of her healing process is she wanted to use something to raise awareness. I think, for her, she wanted to do something that would channel that terror that she had experienced into something positive for other women.
So she came to our office and we talked about what she wanted to do, and she wanted to put together a petition that would talk about raising awareness of sexual assault and changing laws. So we did that, and she wanted to sit in the shopping malls and gather signatures and so we did that. And we even perhaps made not a great choice: We went and brought this petition to a boulevard to gather signatures, and we had these signs that were in the shapes of stop signs that said stop rape. And after about the fifth car came to a screeching halt on the road in front of us, I realized that that–the message was perhaps getting lost in the signage that we had chosen, and so we picked something else.
But, you know, and I went with her–accompanied her to court and sat in the courtroom and listened to the discussion and listened to, you know, the counsel for the defence tear apart her story and ask her about what she was wearing and what she had said to this gentleman the day before, and sat with her and held her hand through that experience. In that instance, the verdict was not guilty and that was really devastating to her, and so we talked a lot about how, you know, sometimes we have to look beyond the courts for healing when things like this happen, and so she stayed involved in the Action Committee on the Status of Women and continued to do work.
It's interesting to note that that gentleman, several years later, was finally convicted of sexual assault for doing something similar.
And, I guess, unfortunately, the story does not end well because a few years ago there was stories in the newspaper about someone who had–a woman who had been killed in a domestic violence incident, and those stories are too common and they're always heart-wrenching. But I was shocked to find out that it was this woman who I had worked with, who had gone through this horrible sexual assault and had tried to turn it into something positive, who now, a few years later, was the victim of domestic violence and had lost her life to that.
* (10:40)
So I want to just–I just wanted to share that story in this House today because it's something that has stayed with me for many, many years, and I think what has stayed with me, particularly, is the strength and courage that she showed. I think that, you know, she knew that going to court, that pursuing that remedy, she knew what would happen in that court. She knew that her character would be questioned and she knew that the outcome wasn't certain. But even knowing that, she pursued it because she wanted to protect other women and she wanted to raise awareness to help other women, even if that meant that she was going to come forward herself and talk about being a victim of sexual assault. And so I think it's to her memory today that I want to speak about the importance of continuing to raise awareness, so that some day in the future our daughters and our sisters and our mothers and our loved ones never have to face the needs to have awareness of sexual assault because it's just something that we don't conceive of anymore. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I rise to talk briefly on this bill to create a–the month of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Certainly, sexual assault is a very serious crime. It is a very serious activity in the sense that it is one of the very significant violent crimes that happens too often in Winnipeg at the moment; that, unfortunately, as I was pointing out the other day, that the incidents of sexual assaults in Winnipeg has gone up this year, and not only in Winnipeg, but particularly in the Fort Rouge-Osborne Village area. And we clearly need to have much greater awareness of the problem of sexual assaults and much greater awareness and consciousness that we have to do everything we can to prevent this problem. And, you know, sadly, it can have very long-term adverse effects on people, and that's, you know, one of the reasons why this is such a horrible crime.
And, I mean, it is certainly one of the things that we need to do is to change the approach here in Winnipeg and in Manitoba so that we have, you know, more respect for individuals, that we have a greater ability of people to work together without having to feel that they're under threat of sexual assaults. We need to be able to have a Winnipeg where people feel that they can walk comfortably wherever they are in the city at whatever time of day or night. And, certainly, that's not the case now, and that's one of the reasons why we need to change things in Winnipeg and improve the situation.
And, of course, it affects particularly women, but not exclusively. And, certainly, we want to make this city, our city and our province a much safer place for women, where women can feel comfortable and not threatened that that they may be the victims of sexual assault.
And so I would thoroughly and fully support this legislation, Bill 222, and I hope it passes through committee and becomes law. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: Is the House ready for the question?
Some Honourable Members: Question.
Mr. Speaker: The question before the House is second reading Public Bill 222, The Sexual Assault Awareness Month Act.
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]
Bill 300–The Winnipeg Foundation Amendment Act
Mr. Speaker: Okay, now we'll move on to second reading, private bills. We'll deal with Bill 300, The Winnipeg Foundation Amendment Act.
Ms. Marilyn Brick (St. Norbert): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable member for Burrows (Mr. Martindale), that Bill 300, The Winnipeg Foundation Amendment Act, be now read a second time and be referred to a committee of this House.
Motion presented.
Ms. Brick: Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to stand and put a few words on the record in regards to Bill 300, The Winnipeg Foundation Amendment Act. This bill proposes to increase the number of Manitoba residents on the board of directors of the Winnipeg Foundation from the current maximum of 12 to a maximum of 17.
Mr. Speaker, I'm very proud to be sponsoring Bill 300, The Winnipeg Foundation Amendment Act. As many members are aware, the Winnipeg Foundation was established in 1921 and is Canada's oldest community foundation.
The mission of the Winnipeg Foundation is to be a catalyst for strengthening community well-being now and for future generations by promoting philanthropy, creating partnerships and supporting diverse and charitable organizations.
It fulfills this mission by being a grant-making organization that makes wise and effective distributions in regards to meeting community needs. It provides leadership to serve the public and support the local needs that are identified by charitable organizations.
It provides stewardships of the funds that are–that it is entrusted to ensure that are–there for community needs with prudent investments and assuring sound financial management. And it ensures that communication takes place to provide information about the services that it provides, and that it is publicly accountable for the decisions that are being made.
Mr. Speaker, in terms of looking at some of the programs and projects that the Winnipeg Foundation itself supports, there are a number of special programs and projects that the Winnipeg Foundation supports. They include things like Nourishing Potential Fund, Youth in Philanthropy, Camp and Summer Programming Grants, EnviroGrants Program, Legacy Circle, Literacy for Life Fund, Downtown Green Spaces Strategy, Will Week and Philanthropy and Law Symposium.
Throughout its history, the Winnipeg Foundation has distributed more than $200 million to hundreds of projects and organizations. In addition to managing a collection of charitable endowment funds that support the needs of our community, the foundation also provides a variety of services to 47 other community foundations across Manitoba.
Currently the Winnipeg Foundation has more than 2,250 permanently endowed funds that are pooled together and used to support a diverse range of local charities. Mr. Speaker, in terms of what happens here in Winnipeg and Manitoba, we are really blessed to have the Winnipeg Foundation working with all the charitable organizations that we have here in Manitoba.
Last year they distributed a total of $21 million in grants to almost 700 charitable organizations, nearly half of which were community organizations. Since 1921 the Winnipeg Foundation has been making a difference in the lives of all Winnipeggers, and this amendment will help ensure that they continue to grow and succeed as an organization.
I know as an MLA, Mr. Speaker, that I have been really pleased to be able to point people in the direction of the Winnipeg Foundation, because I know that when they get involved they are going to be professional in the approach that they use and that they're going to be there in supportive manner to work with the charitable organizations that we have in our community.
So, once again, Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to be able to support this bill and bring it forward, and I would like to make sure that it goes to committee and that people are able to come and speak to it.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Introduction of Guests
Mr. Speaker: Could I have the indulgence of the House before I recognize the honourable member for Steinbach?
We have some guests in the gallery from Clifton School, who are accompanied by Antonio Di Geronimo. We have 55 grade 4, 5 and 6 students, and the school is in the constituency of the honourable Attorney General (Mr. Swan).
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On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome you here today.
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Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach): Yes, Mr. Speaker, good morning. I want to thank the member for St. Norbert for bringing forward this bill, and in her kind words about The Winnipeg Foundation, which is the first community foundation established in Canada, back in the 1920s and, I believe, has grown to the extent, it's now the second largest foundation in the country, bringing forward a number of different endowment programs, I think, ranging in the thousands of the different program endowment funds that they've established since their initial establishment in 1921, I believe.
And there's a lot of different programs that they bring forward. I'm glad the Speaker recognized the youth that are here in the gallery this morning. Because there's a lot of programs The Winnipeg Foundation has that benefit youth, in terms of literacy and supporting young people in literacy, and adults in literacy, and also in philanthropy. And their program to encourage young people to give to the community, where they have the opportunity, they provide the funding, and then they can choose the charity to give to, and it teaches them the skill, in a way, Mr. Speaker, of generosity. And it is, in some ways, both a skill and an act of the heart.
And I know that in Manitoba we often see the statistics that shows we are one of the most generous provinces, if not the most generous province in Canada, on a per capita basis. And a large part of that is through organizations like The Winnipeg Foundation, who ensure that people have an outlet to give back to their community, and also have the motivation to give back to their community.
So, I want to thank the board of directors of the foundation, those who give to it each and every year, and thank the member for bringing forward this bill, and look forward to it going to committee and, ultimately, passing this House.
Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Yes, Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak briefly on this bill dealing with The Winnipeg Foundation. And, certainly, The Winnipeg Foundation has done an extraordinary job for people in Winnipeg, and in many–so many different ways, from facilitating groups who are addressing issues like poverty, to learning to–helping community activities and the contribution of The Winnipeg Foundation, they're certainly enormous. And I'm certainly in support of this request from the foundation to increase the maximum number of directors, 17 Manitoba residents, and certainly wish The Winnipeg Foundation all the best in the future. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: Is the House ready for the question?
An Honourable Member: Question.
Mr. Speaker: The question before the House is second reading of Bill 300, The Winnipeg Foundation Amendment Act.
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]
Bill 301–The Providence College and Theological Seminary Incorporation Amendment Act
Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the member for Rossmere (Ms. Braun), that Bill 301, The Providence College and Theological Seminary Incorporation Amendment Act; Loi modifiant la Loi constituant en corporation le « Providence College and Theological Seminary », be now read a second time, and be referred to a committee of this House.
Motion presented.
Mr. Martindale: This bill, while short, will greatly benefit an important post-secondary educational institution in our province. This amendment will include the word "university" in the name of Providence College and Theological Seminary, making it Providence University College and Theological Seminary, as well as give the college expanded investment powers. The name change will more accurately reflect the educational credentials of the school, since Providence has offered accredited undergraduate degree programs in the liberal arts and professional studies since 1963.
Providence College, the largest, self-standing, Christian educational institution in Manitoba, is a very reputable school, and I hope we can pass this bill with unanimous support. Providence is an interdenominational university, which seeks to create an open and accepting Christian community, and it offers undergraduate, master's and doctoral degrees.
Including the word "university" in its name, especially for promotional advertising, is very important when attracting prospective students, especially because a large portion of Providence's student body is out-of-province or international. The word "college" may mean different things in different jurisdictions. The name change will make it absolutely clear to interested students that they will receive a post-secondary university degree. This short bill will be very beneficial to Providence and will make their academic accreditation official.
Providence College began in Winnipeg in 1925 as the Winnipeg Bible Training School, soon updated to the Winnipeg Bible Institute. A Manitoba charter gave the school the ability to grant theological degrees in 1949, and it was given a full degree-granting program in 1963. At this time, it was also renamed the Winnipeg Bible College, which it kept until 1991. In 1970, the school moved to a much larger location outside of the city. With 70 enrolled students, it took over an old Roman Catholic high school in Otterburne and set up shop. A few years later, the school grew to 300 full-time students, an enrolment it roughly maintains today. The school changed its name to Providence College and Theological Seminary in 1992 to reflect its theological background as well as its broader academic mandate. Providence College still maintains that academic excellence and spiritual vitality should go hand in hand, as its president, Reverend Forsberg, stated in 1931.
Currently, about 180 of Providence credits are transferable and recognized at other educational institutions, mostly at the University of Manitoba. The University of Manitoba accepts Providence four‑year undergraduate degrees to get into its graduate studies, and the Province recognizes Providence three-year degrees toward teacher certification when they've coupled–when they're coupled with a Bachelor of Education from a public university.
Providence's theological seminary trains people in pastoral care, counselling, educational ministry, and is accredited as well by the association of Bible higher education. Its arts and professional studies include Biblical and theological studies, youth leadership, communications, business administration and aviation, amongst others.
The school is always evolving, and cross‑cultural diversity has grown into a major focus of the school. Even within a Judeo-Christian tradition, Providence recognizes and is enriched by faith diversity. Over 20 per cent of the students enrolled are from outside Canada, and the students and faculty represent over 15 different Christian denominations.
Providence has an English language institute which is accredited by TESL Canada for international students from all over the world. Providence College also has an eProv program, which is an interactive, two-way video classroom study program for distance education students.
One of Providence's recent highlights is the construction of their Reimer Student Life Centre, and I had the privilege of representing the government at the official opening. This new building, with a dining room and two large multi-purpose rooms, opened its door in 2009. The realization of this project was largely due to dedicated people who gave both their time and money, including the Reimer family for whom the building is named.
In closing, I'd like to acknowledge my friendship with and appreciation for the president of Providence, Dr. Gus Konkel. I have shared meals with him, attended an official opening and had a tour of the campus. If all goes well, I look forward to teaching a course on politics and religion at Providence beginning in January 2012.
Mr. Speaker, Providence College is an excellent institution, and passing this amendment will be incredibly meaningful for them and will officially recognize their educational contribution to Manitoba. I wish them all the best as they continue to develop their school and continue to foster dedicated, hard‑working young people.
Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach): Mr. Speaker, before I begin my comments, I wonder if you could seek leave of the House to not see the clock until debate on Bill 301 is concluded.
Mr. Speaker: Is there agreement for the Speaker to not see the clock until we have concluded with Bill 301? [Agreed]
Mr. Goertzen: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank the indulgence of the House. I know there'll be other speakers on this bill as well.
I want to commend the member for Burrows for bringing forward this bill and his support of Providence College. I joined with him at the opening of the student life centre some time ago, and I enjoyed the event very much and the different visits that I've had at Providence College. I know other members of this House, including the member for Morris (Mrs. Taillieu), who represents the college in the Legislature, have also visited many times and have enjoyed our interaction with the students and the staff at Providence College.
I know the member has a specific interest. He's always had an interest, but even–it's even more developed now in terms of Providence College and support of it. He'll be going on to be an instructor at the college. Last week, I spoke with Gus Konkel. We met each other in Steinbach. He's looking forward to having the member for Burrows join the staff, that he'll be a strong contributor. I know he's going to be teaching on politics and religion. I offered my services to Mr. Konkel; if the instruction on politics veered too much one way or the other, I'd be happy to come in and veer in another direction, if needed be, but, of course, he knows that the member for Burrows (Mr. Martindale) will be an asset to the institution and I know he will as well. And maybe I'll have the opportunity to come and sit it on a class and just observe and, you know, he might think I'll learn something; I don't know. And maybe I will and I'm always open to learning. Nobody has the monopoly on good ideas.
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The college certainly is an asset and not just to the region of southeastern Manitoba, but, indeed, to the entire province and, I would say, to the world because there are graduates of Providence College and Seminary who've gone throughout the world and have made an incredible difference in the lives of individuals, taking the knowledge that they've learned from an academic and from a Christian perspective to different parts of the world. There are some who don't go and do missions abroad or don't do things internationally, but stay within their own home communities and make a difference there.
But wherever they end up, the graduates of Providence really do make a difference, and I know that they're going to continue to do that. The accreditation process, which it went through more recently and was able to get that status, I know has been a benefit to the college. I've spoken with Mr. Konkel there about that as well. And I know this bill they consider to be important to increase the status of the college and the understanding of what it is that it does, and that there'll be a better understanding because of the changes through this particular piece of legislation.
I noted that Mr. Konkel, I believe, has indicated that he'll be staying on as president for another year and then be moving on to other pursuits, and so I want to certainly say, on behalf of all members of this House, thank you to him for the work that he's done at Providence College and the development of it.
I know we'll have other opportunities over the next year, I'm sure, to celebrate his contribution to Providence College, but for today, we look forward to seeing this bill move on to committee and ultimately passing the House before the session rises, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to this bill which will change the name of the Providence College and Theological Seminary to the Providence University College and Theological Seminary and expand its investment powers.
Certainly, I, too, have been to Providence College and am very supportive of this legislation. I have met with and know teachers, students, graduates of Providence College, and it looks like I may shortly know one of the up-and-coming teachers to start next year.
I think it says something important when you've got 20 per cent of the students coming from outside of Canada, and I look forward to this measure passing.
I would just hope that the member from Burrows, when he starts teaching there, you know, and leaves his political life, that he presents a balanced perspective on the political scene in Manitoba, but I'm sure, once he's retired, he will be more willing to do that. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: Okay. Is the House ready for the question?
Some Honourable Members: Question.
Mr. Speaker: The question before the House is second reading of Bill 301, The Providence College and Theological Seminary Incorporation Amendment Act.
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]
Okay. The hour now being past 11 a.m., we will now move on to resolutions and we'll deal with Resolution No. 17, Government Failure to Address Violent Crime.
House Business
Mr. Speaker: Oh, I'm sorry. The honourable official opposition leader, on House business?
Okay. We'll deal with that first. Go ahead.
Mrs. Mavis Taillieu (Official Opposition House Leader): Yes, Mr. Speaker, on House business.
Mr. Speaker: On House business.
Mrs. Taillieu: In accordance with rule 31(9), I'd like to announce that the private member's resolution that will be considered next Thursday is the resolution on apology for per vote subsidy, sponsored by the honourable member for Lakeside (Mr. Eichler).
Mr. Speaker: In accordance with rule 31(9)–order, please–it's been announced that the private member's resolution that will be considered next Thursday is the resolution on apology for per vote subsidy, which will be sponsored by the honourable member for the Lakeside.
Okay. Now we will deal with Resolution No. 17, Government Failure to Address Violent Crime.
Res. 17–Government Failure to Address Violent Crime
Mr. Blaine Pedersen (Carman): I move, seconded by the member for Russell (Mr. Derkach):
WHEREAS Manitoba's violent crime victimization rate is the highest in Canada at 175 per 1,000 Manitobans, up by 53 per cent since 1999; and
WHEREAS since 2000, Manitoba has been the murder capital of Canada every year except for three, when the province ranked second; and
WHEREAS since 2001, Manitoba has led the nation or been in the top three in gang-related murders; and
WHEREAS Winnipeg is once again the violent crime capital of Canada and Winnipeg Police Service's statistics show that violent crime was up 14 per cent in 2009; and
WHEREAS according to Statistics Canada, violent crime among youth climbed 10 per cent from 1999 to 2009.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly urge the provincial government to acknowledge its failure to keep its election promise to make communities safer by tackling the causes of violent crime and ensuring immediate consequences for gang violence and home invasions.
Mr. Speaker: It's been moved by the honourable member for Carman, seconded by the honourable member for Russell:
WHEREAS Manitoba's violent–dispense?
Some Honourable Members: Dispense.
Mr. Speaker: Dispense.
Mr. Pedersen: Mr. Speaker, and certainly very timely resolution, given that just earlier today we were dealing with a bill to raise awareness about sexual assault in Manitoba. And so now this resolution deals with recognizing the victims of violent crime here in Manitoba. And I'm–on my most optimistic day, I'm not sure that the government is going to support this resolution because they'll be into their party mode and they'll have their party lines down pat and they will trump out their tired and desperate lines in regards to this resolution.
But really, what I want them to–what I would like all members of the Assembly to do here is to acknowledge violent crime and that it's on everyone's mind, and we're talking about the victims here. And whether you're walking the streets in Winnipeg or in Brandon, Thompson or our rural communities nowadays, violent crime and becoming a victim is on everyone's mind.
And this–ironically, this whole subject is–comes right in the Legislature here, because a number of nights I have–we've had committees late, and I've walked back to my apartment down Broadway. And, you know, you can say that you're not afraid, but you are looking around even–you walk down the street, you're aware of violent crime out there, and you don't want to become a victim. And that's the mindset that Manitobans have got now. And it's unfortunate because the criminals have the upper hand here. Instead of being able to walk down the street–everyone needs to be aware at any time when you're walking down the street, but now you're thinking, am I going to be a victim of crime? Am I going to become a victim?
And I know how ironic it is when we're in this Legislature and we're doing–we're passing laws for the better of–betterment of this province, we've had late committee nights, and we've had some of our female staff ask us, late at night, if we could walk them from the House out to their vehicle in the parking lot here at the Legislature because they don't want to become a victim of crime. That's shameful to have that happening in a province as good as this potential that Manitoba has.
And I want to–I want all members, government members included, to consider that when they're–when they talk–when they bring out their tried and true party lines and their tired and desperate talk about this and they'll bring–I am sure they'll bring out to talk about how we voted against the budget. But, you know, we voted against giving Slurpees to criminals and we voted against cancelling 15,000 outstanding warrants. That's what we were voting against.
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We voted against giving welfare to people with–who were outstanding–[interjection] Well, apparently it's not the same in this House, because earlier when there was a bill being debated, members–myself and the member for Russell (Mr. Derkach), we were chastised for speaking out–for speaking to each other. We weren't even talking about the bill, but apparently that doesn't work the same for government. Perhaps they could have the same courtesy here, but I'm sure the member for Brandon East (Mr. Caldwell) will get his time.
We also voted against giving MPI compensation to convicted car thieves, because these–because what we're doing here is we're standing up for the victims of crime and we want to see victims protected in Manitoba. We don't want to continue to protect the criminals.
We know that this government has a soft‑on‑crime record, and we know that this government is great for photo ops and press releases, but the follow-through is never just quite there. They're very good at doing the photo ops and press releases, but that's not what the victims have on their mind. What the victims want is compensation for becoming a victim. They want to prevent becoming a victim in the first place, and that's what government's role is. It should be to protect–protect–their citizens so that they don't become victims.
Well, Mr. Speaker, Manitoba is a great place to live. We all recognize that within Manitoba. But we shouldn't be afraid to be in our own communities, and we have a mentality out there is that we should be afraid. We're not sure what's out there.
The criminal elements have the upper hand because there's a lack of consequences to the criminal element. They're not afraid. They're not afraid to move as–at will throughout our cities, throughout our rural areas, and this is not an event that happens only in our cities. We have violent crime happening out in our rural areas now, in our small communities, which very rarely happened before. But it's becoming a constant thing now and that's–that shouldn't be, and it doesn't have to be, because if you had the consequences–if the criminals had the consequences for their crimes, perhaps they would think twice about before they did this.
And this is what we're looking at, this is what we want, is that they–we have–we need to find ways to make our community safer by tackling the causes of violent crime and ensuring that immediate consequences for this violence that's happening–and, again, it's the victims that are always–the victims are always the one who pay the price in this, because while you can become a crime statistic and–fine, you–it's–the crime is reported or perhaps not even reported, but when it's reported–but the–the victims always have that in the back of their mind as to what happened to them. We shouldn't be–we should be out there to support them.
But we should be out there also to prevent this so that we have less violent crime in this great province of ours, and it's a sad day when we become the violent–the murder capital of Canada and the violent crime capital of Canada. That's–and we know just a few weeks ago, when–the NHL announcement, people were feeling very, very happy to be Manitobans, and for once, just for once, we were on the front page of the national papers for a good reason. [interjection] Apparently, the same courtesy doesn't come across the House, Mr. Speaker, so we'll–I'm sure they'll have time to give their tried and true, tested lines here of desperation and–[interjection] Well, we realize that.
But, I would urge all members, including government members, that when they do speak to this resolution, when–should it come to a vote before noon, Mr. Speaker, that they remember that this is about the victims. This is not–this resolution deals with the victims of violent crime and how we can avoid having more victims in–of violent crime in this province, and it's a goal that we should all be working for. We shouldn't be walking out of this building looking behind our shoulder wondering whether we're going to be the next victim of violent crime.
And that, Mr. Speaker–so I urge all members that when they speak to this resolution, when they vote on this resolution, that they remember the victims that have–that we've had in Manitoba and how we can prevent them in the future. Thank you.
Hon. Andrew Swan (Minister of Justice and Attorney General): Mr. Speaker, and I'm pleased to speak to this resolution.
You know, I read over the resolution, and it talks about causes of violent crime, and I was actually listening very closely to the member for Carman, because I thought, for once, somebody on the other side was going to discuss some of the causes of violent crime. And, Mr. Speaker, I listened very carefully, I didn't hear a single word in his 10-minute speech about what the causes of violent crime really are, and that would be in keeping with the way the opposition has dealt with crime and with violence in our community. And it is disappointing that they maintain a one–they're one-trick ponies, I suppose, on their views on what we can do to continue building safer communities here in Manitoba.
Now, of course, building safer communities requires a number of things. It includes prevention, which means getting at the causes of crime. It means support for police and law enforcement and, of course, it means having the right laws and the right policies in place. But I really hoped that we'd be able to talk today about the different visions of how you actually prevent crime from happening in the first place.
And we believe that crime prevention has to be a central component of any crime reduction strategy. Yes, we want more police on our streets. We want police to be part of crime prevention efforts, not just coming and–not just driving up in their car after there's been a crime committed, after there's an offender, after there's a victim and after there's loss and damage. And we've done that, Mr. Speaker, in a number of ways as a government. First of all, by providing positive options for young people. And this government invests year after year after year in giving opportunities the young people need to be successful, to do the best they can to resist the lure of gangs, to remain out of illegal activities.
And I know the past couple of days in question period, we've heard an interesting comment from some members opposite talking about this government's agenda. They seem to believe we have a secret agenda. We do have an agenda, but it's not secret, and that's supporting Manitoba families, supporting Manitoba neighbourhoods and supporting Manitoba communities.
And it's interesting, just in the past day or two, members opposite have decided to criticize the Triple P program, the Positive Parenting Program, which has been proven in other jurisdictions to be greatly successful at coming up with better outcomes for young families, for supporting our communities, for getting better outcomes for young people. I'm sorry they don't agree with that.
We've also heard comments in the past–just the past couple of days about daycare. And our government's record on increasing daycare spaces, providing more daycare opportunities–well, that's all a long-term strategy to building a stronger community. And I know the members opposite–I know the member for Morris (Mrs. Taillieu) one time famously commented that, you know, everyone should just have a nanny and you wouldn't need daycares. That is how out of touch these opposition members are with the needs and the wants and what average Manitobans are entitled to.
That's why we're investing in education. There's no question that one of the best ways to inoculate young people from getting involved in gang activity is by getting them through school, getting them on so they can see that there's a positive path, and we've done that by improving graduation rates. Graduation rates have–which have increased by more than 10 per cent in the past decade with this government's investment, year after year, in our schools all the way from K to 12 in addition to the early childhood education I spoke about.
We're adding Lighthouses. We're giving young people safe places to go at night so they can resist the lure of the streets and be in a safe environment with their peers and actually do something productive.
We've been investing, across this province, in the community resource officer program, providing police in schools, which has been shown to reduce school suspensions, reduce graffiti, loitering, bullying and also give young people more of a connection with law enforcement, which, unfortunately, for various reasons, many young people have not had.
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We've also supported community schools to engage parents in areas that maybe need a little bit of assistance to make sure parents are engaged in their children's education. We know that when children have supportive families, when they're doing well in school, when they're active, when they're involved in recreation and other extracurricular activities, they are far less likely to become caught up in crime.
And there's many other ways that we've been investing to give our young people better options. In the past four years, we've invested around $78 million in recreation opportunities across the province. We introduced the Spotlight program back in 2006 to work with highest risk gang youth and their families, to provide supervision and services to help them deal with substance abuse, stay in school or find a job. Well, guess who commented on that? The member for Steinbach (Mr. Goertzen), who stood up at that time and said Spotlight would never work. But, once again, the member for Steinbach is wrong; we are getting great results in this program. We're keeping young people out of illegal activity.
We keep investing in recreation directors, to give young people in our inner city more opportunities to be involved. This year, we're adding additional Lighthouses. We're going to bring that total to 71, and we are going to continue to support this program.
And just tomorrow, of course, I'll be at Red River College as we celebrate the graduation as young people who want to work in our inner cities providing recreation to young people, and I'm really excited that our government has invested in the downtown campus of Red River College, to give people more pathways to being involved in those kinds of activities.
I could talk about the Bright Futures program. I could talk about the Turnabout program, the only province in the country that thought that it was necessary to start dealing with young people under the age of 12 who get in trouble with the law. Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, under-12s cannot be charged. Other provinces that don't do anything, we do; we work with the families, we work with their guardians to try and get those children turned around so they don't engage in criminal activity.
Now, again, the member opposite, the member from Carman, stood up, didn't say a single word about preventing crime in the first place. But you know what? There was nothing in his script to talk about that because there is nothing on the other side to talk about preventing crime. Their short-sighted approach to crime ignores prevention altogether.
You know, two years ago, now we call it policy conventions for New Democrats because we get together and we do talk a lot, as New Democrats. Conservatives call them annual general meetings because I guess it sounds more corporate. Two years ago was the last year they actually let the media–they let visitors in to see, and in the course of that annual general meeting, they didn't discuss one single resolution dealing with preventing crime. They want to ride in on the white horses after there's been a crime committed and, oh, they want to be really tough then. But you know what? Once the crime's been committed, we've got a victim, we've got an offender we have to manage, we've got loss and damage. And that's why we have a balanced approach to dealing with crime in our communities.
And, of course, last year, when they had their annual general meeting, boy oh boy, they wouldn't even let people in. They closed the doors to media, the first time any political party in Manitoba has done that. They wouldn't let visitors in. They just pushed their leader out the door for about 20 minutes to give a little speech to the media and in he went back in. And why is that? Because they know they have no ideas that interest Manitobans. They know they have nothing when it comes to preventing crime, and they know how extreme their true policies and their true agenda is when you compare it to what ordinary Manitoba families believe in and what they need.
And, of course, not only do they not support the programs that are outstanding. They would be cutting them, and these are the members who, just a couple of months ago, wanted to cut half a billion dollars out of the budget. And we know which programs would be the first to go. It'd be the programs keeping young people in the inner cities, in our rural communities, in our northern communities engaged. They'd be the first ones on the chopping block if, God forbid, the members opposite ever had their chance to make those choices.
And, you know, my wife reminded me about a dark day back in the 1990s when, in one day, with one stroke of a pen, 130 agencies in this province lost their funding from the provincial government. Some organizations like Indian and Métis friendship centres, keeping our young people in some of our most challenged communities engaged, gone with a stroke of a pen by the Conservative government of the day.
What else lost the support? Supports for FASD. Back in the 1990s, the Conservatives didn't think this was something that was worth funding. They cut support. They struck out funding to important agencies in communities and neighbourhoods across this entire province. And you know what's obvious, Mr. Speaker, and what's sad? It's clear they never learned those lessons. They can't wait for the chance to cut those programs again and that's why we stand here, to make sure they never get that opportunity.
Now, I wish I had more time so I could talk about many other things. You know, I've talked many times about the paradox of the supposedly tough-on-crime bunch across the way, who vote every single time against more police officers. They vote against more Crown attorneys. They vote against more probation officers. They vote against more correction officers. They will say anything that they think will help them, but when it actually comes to standing in their place and supporting safer communities and standing up for Manitoba families, well, they're just no where to be found.
And the last piece I'll talk about very briefly, of course, our laws and the member for Carman's (Mr. Pedersen) resolution speaks about home invasions. Well, indeed, I was in front of Minister Nicholson, just before the federal election, with the Brandon Police Chief, Keith Atkinson. I had written to the minister but I went in person because I thought it was important enough for the federal government to know that we believe that home invasions are a serious threat across this entire country. They should be a stand-alone provision in the Criminal Code. There's no reason why we can't go there.
In fact, the New Democrats, who now form the official opposition in Canada, proposed that as part of their platform. I hope Minister Nicholson agrees. We support that and we'll stand with him if he's prepared to do that.
Mr. Speaker: Order. The honourable member's time has expired.
Mr. Leonard Derkach (Russell): You know, I am pleased to stand in support of this resolution with the member from Carman who has proposed the resolution, and, Mr. Speaker, I do that at the same time that I listened very carefully to the words that were just spoken by the Attorney General. And I can't help but think about the fact that we had a minister who was responsible for justice in this province, that just stood in his place and has spent more than half of his time talking about the shortcomings of the opposition.
Mr. Mohinder Saran, Acting Speaker, in the Chair
But, Mr. Acting Speaker, this resolution is filled with facts. This resolution is not simply rhetoric. It's filled with facts that are, in fact, taken from the records of Manitoba. It talks about the fact that in Manitoba the violent crime victimization is the highest at 175 per thousand Manitobans, and that is up 53 per cent since 1999.
Now who's been in government since 1999? Well, it's the members opposite. It's the New Democrats and this is their record. This is not the record of the Conservative Party nor is it the record of the government of the '90s. This is the record of the government that took the role of government in 1999. And since that time, violent crime in Manitoba is up 53 per cent.
Now, Mr. Acting Speaker, the Minister of Justice can talk about all of the programs in the world, but if these programs are not meeting the mark and they're not having an impact and an effect on the rate of crime in Manitoba and in this city, then he has to reassess those programs. He has to reassess whether, in fact, those programs are meeting the mark because, obviously, they are not.
The other statistic that is quite horrible in relation to Manitoba's crime is the fact that Manitoba has been the violent crime capital every year except, Mr. Acting Speaker, in the last three, when it ranked second. Now, this is a pretty sad statistic and no one wants to hold this up as a symbol of Manitoba. But indeed, it is an issue that all of us should be concerned about and should address in a serious way, and that's why the resolution is before us. It is not to point out simply the failure of the government, and, indeed, this is a major failure of this administration since 1999. You can't describe it in any other way. You can't say that because violent crime is up by 53 per cent in Manitoba we have done a good job in terms of addressing violent crime and murder in Winnipeg and in Manitoba.
* (11:30)
Mr. Acting Speaker, when you talk about home invasions–I listened to the Minister of Justice a few minutes ago talking about his petitions to the Minister of Justice, federally, with regard to making some of these under the Criminal Code. But the fact remains that other provinces have to live under the same rules across Canada. Why is it that it is under an NDP government in Manitoba that these failures are occurring? Obviously the programs that they are putting in place are not working.
Now, I'm not going to blame any individual minister over there. I'm not going to blame any individual member of the NDP Party as that being, you know, a characterization of how they conduct themselves in society. Rather, Mr. Acting Speaker, as a party and as a government, they have been soft on crime, and the results speak for themselves. You can't be soft on crime and expect that, in fact, your statistics are going to be any different than what we read about today.
You know, Mr. Acting Speaker, they talk about the Lighthouse programs. They talk about the programs that they've implemented. I listened to the Minister of Justice (Mr. Swan) talk about the myriad of programs that they have put in place that were supposed to–were supposed to curb the violent crime in Manitoba and the gangs and all of the other crimes that are happening in this province, but they are not working.
Yes, they're having a effect of some kind but, Mr. Acting Speaker, when you look at the statistics and you see where we are in relation to other jurisdictions, something is wrong. So you can't help but accept the fact that your policies, as a government, the New Democratic policies as a government in the province of Manitoba since 1999, have been a dismal failure. And that's your record on justice in this province. You can't but accept the fact that these are true facts that are coming out in front of you, and they have to be addressed.
Mr. Acting Speaker, the Minister of Justice talks about and criticizes this side of the House, but we are not the party that has been responsible for the policies of the government in the last 10 years. We are not the people on this side of the House who have had any input into how the programs and how the suppression of violent crime has taken place over the course of 10 years, and it's a dismal record.
You know, last week we had an opportunity to celebrate because a good thing happened in this city. But when you look at that in relation to the statistics on crime, you have to say that Manitoba has a long way to go when it comes to addressing crime. The member from Carman has put this resolution forward, and in it he has had: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislative Assembly urge the provincial government–urge the provincial government. That's all we can do on this side of the House is urge the government to acknowledge that, in fact, it has failed, and we would like to say that the government has succeeded, but when you look at the statistics where violent crime has increased by 53 per cent since 1999, how can you congratulate a government for doing anything positive? You have to say that you, in fact, have failed, because the statistics show you have failed.
So what we're trying to do is tell the government to wake up, wake up to the fact that, in fact, you need to acknowledge a failure, and you need to change the policies that you have been trying to put into place that have not been working. And you had and you made an election promise in 2007. You, as a government, said in your election promises that you would make communities safer and that you would be tackling the causes of violent crime, what is causing the violent crime in our city and in our province, and you would ensure that immediate consequences would be levelled against those who commit gang violence, home invasions and violent crime. And so what have you done?
And, Mr. Acting Speaker, this is an opportunity to assess how well this government has performed its duties in relation to violent crime in Manitoba, and I dare say and I'm joined by many Manitobans who say that this government has failed miserably in addressing violent crime, home invasions and deaths in this province, because of its failed policies and its inability to effect any positive change.
Despite the myriad of programs that they have been putting into place, the fact is violent crime has increased exponentially in this province, and it is all on the heads of this government. Thank you, Mr. Acting Speaker.
Mr. Matt Wiebe (Concordia): Mr. Acting Speaker, and I appreciate the opportunity to rise and speak to this particular resolution and just put a few words on the record and, really, further the discussion that we've started here today. And I do appreciate the–that there is a discussion and that there is an acknowledgement, I think, by all sides, that this is a very complex issue and not something that can be boiled down or reduced down to a very simple tough-on-crime or not-tough-on-crime sort of argument.
And I do appreciate the Minister of Justice (Mr. Swan), in his remarks, in bringing up some of the points on prevention and some of the things that this government has done in that regard. And I think what the Minister of Justice had said, and I want to echo that, is that this government is taking–or looking at a holistic approach to crime and, in particular, violent crime.
So not to simply focus on the tough-on-crime aspects, although that is a very important part of the overall strategy, but to look at all aspects, and I think prevention and innovation are two of those things that this government has been particularly successful in bringing forward and in leading in this country with regards to, and not just using that old fearmongering and that old, you know, tough‑on‑crime or not-tough-on-crime sort of dichotomy.
So I appreciate that there's a larger discussion here and, again, I appreciate the opportunity to put a few words on the record. And for me, this is something that, coming from an inner-city community, and somewhere that I live, you know, is not unaffected by crime as, you know, all communities, of course, in this province are–you know, it's something that's particularly oppressing for me and for my constituents, and so–and it's something that I've put a lot of effort into in my career, both before this–coming to this Chamber and since that time.
And what I've found, just from talking to people and from my own experiences in dealing with my neighbours and in my own life and, again, knocking on doors and talking to my constituents is is that I think Manitobans are smarter than sometimes some members give them credit for. And I think that Manitobans realize that this is a large, complex issue. It's not something that we can simply say one solution or another solution would remedy.
And I think that Manitobans realize that simply, you know, locking criminals up, throwing away the key, isn't the answer, but that there needs to be a more holistic approach to that. And that's something that they've appreciated that this government has undertaken and has been, as I said, very successful in.
One of the things that I'm most proud of in this government is is that we've put a lot of effort into our education policy in providing the best possible education for youth. And that's a big part of what we do to help eliminate some of this violent crime and to help mitigate some of the potential for young offenders to become violent or to commit crimes.
We've done–we've come up with a myriad of different programs that I think address that, and many of these are present in my community and in communities across Manitoba. And I think it's something that we can be very proud of and we can be, as a government, very, very proud that we've been able to bring this–these sorts of innovative programs together.
So we've had some talk of the Spotlight program, and I think this is one of the most interesting and innovative programs that we've had here in this province, taking the highest-risk gang youth and their families and providing supervision and services to help them deal with the substance abuse, which is such a big factor in violent crime, in many cases, and to stay in school or to find a job which is, again, just key to getting those youth engaged in society.
We announced in 2008, of course, $500,000 to hire seven recreation directors to expand recreation opportunities for youth in the inner city and other Neighbourhoods Alive! communities, which my community is one of. This year we're adding an additional five Lighthouses for a total of 71 in the province, and this is something that has been a very successful program, again, I can say from a personal standpoint, from a on-the-ground, grassroots perspective, having worked with many of the organizations that participate in the Lighthouses program. And it provides our youth with a safe and a fun place to go at night, which is so key to keeping kids occupied and getting them off the streets.
* (11:40)
We've placed significant investments in programs like Bright Futures, Mr. Acting Speaker. Our government has tripled funding for Bright Futures since it was introduced in 2008 because we see positive results when students stay in school, graduate, plan for a post-secondary education.
And, again, this Premier and this government has made education a top priority, and I'm very proud of that fact. Premier Greg Selinger recently announced $3 million in funding for this Bright Futures program, and that includes $425,000–
The Acting Speaker (Mr. Saran): Order. Member's name should not be mentioned. It should be by the constituency or the minister's portfolio. Thank you.
Mr. Wiebe: Thank you, Mr. Acting Speaker, I apologize. The First Minister announced $3 million in funding for Bright Futures, including $425,000 for Pathways to Education.
So these are just a few of the examples of incredible programs that, as I said, are innovative and are really looking at what are the root causes and what are the some of the approaches that we can take to address them.
Now, having said that, we don't ignore the other aspects of crime and some of the ideas and some of the theories and some of the practices that are best suited to dealing with that. And so we do see tougher punishment as one of those aspects. And we have added 564 beds to adult jails since 1999, and we are expanding existing facilities by adding another 329 beds within the next two years. So we acknowledge that there is a place to having a proper facilities for people when they have committed violent crime and to ensure that the public stays safe.
We've also introduced tougher penalties for breaking the law in Manitoba, so we suspended driver's licences for people convicted of drug trafficking and we've prevented the introduction of body armour and fortified vehicles, which is just key when we're talking about the most violent of offenders.
And we've realized that we can't do, of course–we can't do this alone. We need to create a good relationship with the federal government and in the laws that they're able to enact which impact this province. And so we've created that good relationship. We've–I know, you know, from talking to the Minister of Justice (Mr. Swan) and just going over some of the ways in which that he's been able to and the First Minister has been able to deal with the federal government and create those relationships has been very encouraging.
Mr. Speaker in the Chair
So we've had several successes in this lobbying and in this working together. For instance, we've eliminated the two-for-one remand credits; we've cracked down on gun crimes, including making it harder for people who commit crimes with guns to get bail; we've increased sentences for smuggling firearms; we've created an offence for using the Internet for the purposes of luring children; and, again, using or looking at cutting-edge laws to deal with the crimes of today and the way that criminals operate in today's society; making gang-related homicides a first degree murder, which is a key change, I think, in terms of dealing with gangs and those gangs who target our most vulnerable youth; creating offences for drive-by shootings and shooting at buildings, which, again, dealing with gang pressures; and make auto theft a separate offence, which is a key to keeping our Auto Theft Suppression Strategy moving forward.
So these are just a few of the ways that we're using, not only, as I said, our innovation and our prevention side of things, but also looking to make things–make tougher laws, to work with the federal government, to deal with those most violent offenders. And, as I said, I think it's something that our citizens–that we need to give them the credit in that they understand that crime isn't a simple black or white issue, that it's actually a multi-faceted issue and that, if we only focus on one aspect or over another, that we'll never be successful.
We need to look at all aspects of crime. We need to look at all ways that we can help children and our youth and all people in our society escape that cycle and that trap that violent crime presents, and that we need to create positive opportunities for them and to also deal with the most violent offenders in the most appropriate way.
So, with those few words, I take my seat, and I appreciate the time, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to this resolution, and it's very sad what has happened under the NDP with the increase in violent crime and Winnipeg becoming the violent crime capital of Canada.
You know, The Globe and Mail recently talked about crime in Canada, and most of the country, the numbers or the incidence of crime is decreasing, and here is what The Globe and Mail says: "Canada's crime problem is hardly an out-of-control epidemic. It's not even a crisis, except in a few places such as Winnipeg."
Winnipeg is going the wrong direction under this government, and the outcomes are there for everyone to see. Look at the StatsCanada Crime Severity Index. Manitoba's has been going up, and other provinces, like BC, have been going down. It is a very sad testament to the poor government that we have had under the NDP in this respect for the last 12 years, and it is typical of the NDP to say, oh, but it's a complex issue. It can't really be solved. We're not at fault. Well, the matter is that this is an important issue, and governments have an important role, and governments need to figure out how to get better results, and this government, the NDP government, has been spending lots and lots of money, but they have not been getting good results, and that is a problem.
And we can ask a lot about, you know, why that should be. One of the reasons, pretty clearly, is that they've not been paying much attention to inner Winnipeg. The graduation rates in the inner Winnipeg are 55 per cent; way, way down from other areas. What's the matter? They're–I know what's happening. The NDP are 'soo' concerned about suburban seats, which they want to win, and so they've forgotten about inner Winnipeg, and the inner Winnipeg is suffering under this government because they're not paying attention. And it's very sad and it's one of the fundamental reasons that we've got an increase in violent crime in Manitoba. And other US cities have paid attention and been more effective in their drug and alcohol use approaches, and their approach to sexually oriented businesses, and so on.
And, certainly, one of the big problems here is that the NDP have not really been very effective when it comes to addictions treatment: huge, long waits, the absolute opposite of what should be happening, that people who have addictions problems need to be able to get the treatment they need when they need it. And this government has not been able to provide either the treatment that people need or when it's needed. And the result is that people are not getting their issue of addiction addressed, and it becomes compounded because during that period of wait, they're not getting treatment and they continue to have problems. So, one thing after another.
I mean, it's not as if this problem was, you know, improving this year. The reality is that this year, you know, we've had already 14 homicides in Winnipeg. That's on a rate to even be higher than the record 32 homicides in Winnipeg and suburban Winnipeg area that happened in 2009. You know, it's a very poor record under this government, and very sad. And for a government which has, you know, talked a lot, they've been remarkably ineffective and it's a sad testament and it's a sorrowful that–and very unfortunate that we haven't had a more effective government these last 12 years when it comes to one of the areas which, of course, is very, very important.
* (11:50)
And so, I'm here on this occasion to support this resolution. The–it is important that when you're–have a problem that you recognize it exists, and this is part of the issue here. The NDP will not recognize that this problem exists and they continue to pretend that it's not their fault, that it's too complex, they can't do very much about it, and until there's some recognition, then we're not going to make progress. And we should be making progress and we should be doing much better and we should have much better approaches implemented than we have at the moment.
So, Mr. Speaker, with those few words I will sit down and let others comment as well.
Mr. Doug Martindale (Burrows): Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to also speak on this so that I can talk about the government's record, because there are many things that we have done that are not mentioned in the resolution, and in particular I would say there's nothing about prevention and how important that is and I know that the Attorney General (Mr. Swan) talked about that. But I would like to talk about that as well and in particular highlight some of the things that we have done in the area of prevention that have benefited my constituents.
And I would begin with the North End Wellness Centre, also known as Win Gardner Place, named after the mother of a former MLA, in fact, a former Conservative MLA, John Loewen, and the reason that that honour was given to his mother is that he was very successful in raising money to help build the new North End Wellness Centre.
It really began, though, in the year 2000. I remember Jean Friesen was the minister responsible at the time, having an announcement on–actually, in the former North YM-YWCA building before it was torn down, saying that our government would contribute a million dollars, and that got the ball rolling because then, just before a federal election, Dr. Rey Pagtakhan announced that the federal Liberal government would donate a million dollars, and then–and John Loewen was involved in raising money from the private sector very successfully. In fact, it was John that I think shamed the City of Winnipeg into actually contributing cash, because before that all they were contributing was the land and waiving fees and waiving the back taxes. But I think he convinced them to contribute $250,000 in cash, and the result was we got this beautiful new facility that includes a child-care centre and a gymnasium and space for organizations and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority on the second floor.
And it's made a huge difference to the community because we know that when the North Y closed down in 1995 and the Filmon government refused to put any money into rebuilding, that there was a lack of things to do for kids on the street. And we know that in the 1990s there was a problem with kids getting into trouble and setting fires in garbage bins and that sort of thing, and so we were absolutely thrilled and absolutely delighted when the North End Wellness Centre, also known as Win Gardner Place, opened several years ago. I was actually sorry that I couldn't stay for the whole ceremony and ribbon cutting because I was sitting in the front row and my BlackBerry vibrated and I had a message that we were having a recorded vote and I had to rush back to the Legislature to vote, so I missed a big part of this exciting occasion.
Now, that was just the first project in the North End, and actually it's in Point Douglas. It's two blocks out of Burrows, but there are some important projects that are in Burrows, and the next one was the North End centennial recreation centre, and their beautiful new facility has opened, and it is also being very well used and is also keeping kids off the street, and one more part of our strategy of prevention so that people have an alternative to the street and getting into trouble.
And in the same neighbourhood, in old Ex park, as we call it, is WASAC, Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre, and their offices are there and they use the hockey rink in the summer for their programming. And one of the most important things that the–I think his title is executive director–that Kevin Chief and his staff of WASAC are doing is hiring about 100 Aboriginal youth every summer, and that's a wonderful opportunity for them.
Certainly, the member for St. Norbert (Ms. Brick) knows how important it is to hire recreation staff in the summer; I think that was part of her job. And I know that our daughter worked for the City of Winnipeg two if not three summers as a wading pool supervisor. And, unfortunately, those jobs aren't available anymore because what the City is doing is taking out wading pools and wading pool supervisors and putting in splash pads, and these splash pads look great but they probably save the City of Winnipeg a lot of money on hiring–not hiring recreation staff. However, as long as they're being built, we are happy. In fact, one of them is in the Shaughnessy Park area, and it is providing recreation for children, which is a good thing, but it's too bad that the jobs are gone.
So North End recreation centre: improvements to the swimming pool, a new gymnasium, a cooking classroom, wonderful facility.
And then there's Sinclair Park recreation centre, and I actually had a hand in this, and I don't think I mind putting this on the record because I'm not the only one that is trying to take credit for this. But I said to the minister responsible for the funding at the time, I said, instead of putting $7 million into North End centennial recreation centre, let's put only $6 million into the recreation centre and put a million into Sinclair Park, because Sinclair Park was a very old community centre. The City wasn't willing, at the time, to put money into it, and they wanted–they had some pretty big ideas. They wanted an indoor hockey rink and a whole bunch of things, but they weren't getting any money, and they desperately needed it. It was a very old facility. It first began, I understand, as a boxcar from the railway in 1947, and it had been added to in various stages, but an old rundown building, not really very accessible. And so it needed–well, either a whole new renovation or torn down and start again. And I said, you know, if the Province gives them a million dollars, the City's going to put money into it. We could probably get federal infrastructure funding–which they did–and they could have a wonderful new facility.
And that's what happened. They tore down everything except the gymnasium. It was retrofitted and they added a new much larger gymnasium on it. And so Sinclair Park which was supposed to open in June–now I understand it's opening in July and I hope that I will be there for the official opening–is almost ready to go, and another facility, another means of prevention, of giving kids something to do, keeping them off the street, which is part of our strategy.
And then there are programs. So, for example, we've added five additional Lighthouses, for a total of 71, and the Lighthouses, the idea is to keep the lights on in school houses evenings and weekends, and there are three sites now in Burrows constituency, one at King Edward School, one at Gilbert Park and now one at Burrows central Resource Centre. And so this is a great way of providing youth with a safe, fun place to go at night. And in 2009-10, there were over 167,000 visits to Lighthouses, and since its inception in 2001, there have been nearly one million visits. So this is a wonderful program.
And, then, another part of prevention is funding for Bright Futures, and our Premier (Mr. Selinger) announced $3 million in funding for Bright Futures on October 19th, 2010, including $425,000 for Pathways to Education. And I have been to a couple of locations, one when Bright Futures was at Children of the Earth School, and then I was at the official opening with our government represented there at their new location on Selkirk Avenue. And there's a site, as well, in Seven Oaks School Division, and I was at their site as well.
And, now, I understand that Pathways to Education is moving to North End Community Ministry, where I worked for 10 years, and where the member for Elmwood (Mr. Blaikie) worked for a couple of years before he got elected to Parliament. And so it's good to see this building being used, because it's a hundred-year-old building, it's expensive to maintain, and I think this will give it a new lease on life. In fact, I know they have hired an architect Dudley Thompson to renovate the building. But there are going to be something like 400 students and 20 teachers and tutors and volunteers working with the students, and it's targeted at a neighbourhood with a lot of high-risk youth, and the idea is to keep them in school, and we know that if they're in school they're not going to be getting in trouble.
So this is a very important kind of prevention which, you know, it would have been good to hear the member for Carman (Mr. Pedersen) talk about prevention and the things that prevent crimes, so that we don't need all these other things in terms of punishment down the road, because kids don't get involved in crime in the first place. I think that's just a good idea. It's logical, it's common sense, and these are all good things that I've been talking about.
And, you know, my constituents raised the issue of children under 12 not being charged, and it's a legitimate issue because we know that sometimes they get used by gangs and others, so we brought in the Turnabout program, and it's been very successful. I read an evaluation of it and we know that–
Mr. Speaker: Order. When this matter is again before the House, the honourable member will have one minute remaining.
The hour now being 12 noon, we will recess and we will reconvene at 1:30 p.m.