60's Scoop Apology Expected Next Week
An apology will soon be offered to Manitoba aboriginals who were taken from their parents and placed with white families in the 1960's.
The apology, which is expected next week, is thought to be the first in Canada.
Premier Greg Selinger says the step will acknowledge the damage done to those aboriginals taken from their homes and their culture.
The practice, known as the ``60s Scoop,'' has been compared to Indian residential schools.
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Yorkton School Lockdown Suspect Pleads Guilty
A man whose actions caused every school in Yorkton to be locked down has plead guilty.
Tanner Edward Lingel admitted in provincial court that he was wearing a bandana over his face and rummaging through unlocked vehicles at Yorkton Regional High School last week.
He also admits that he flashed a gearshift handle after being confronted by students.
RCMP received a tip that a man was possibly carrying a handgun, so the high school and elementary schools were locked down briefly as a precaution.
Court was told Lingel, who is 20, has some mental-health issues.
He was given 12 months of probation.
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Province Proposes Laws To Protect Whistleblowers
The Manitoba government is proposing new laws that it says will increase transparency, both provincially and at Winnipeg city hall.
One bill would increase identity protection for so-called whistleblowers - people who want to report government wrongdoing but also remain anonymous.
The bill would also give more power to the provincial ombudsman to investigate and report on complaints.
The second bill extends whistleblower protection to municipal employees in Winnipeg.
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Canada Post Wins Super Mailbox Court Battle
The city of Hamilton lost a legal battle with Canada Post over the placement of new group mailboxes.
Hamilton passed a bylaw that required the Crown Corporation to get a $200 permit per site to install the boxes on municipal land.
However, the Ontario Superior Court ruled the bylaw does not apply to Canada Post, which cites federal rules that give it final say over the boxes' location.
Canada Post is installing more group mail boxes as it phases out door-to-door delivery across the country.
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Saskatchewan Ups Minimum Wage
Minimum wage earners in Saskatchewan are getting a raise.
The provincial government has announced the mininum wage will go up 30 cents to $10.50 an hour effective October 1st.
But Peter Gilmer with the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry says the province needs to do better than this, especially when combating poverty within Saskatchewan.
He says the province isn't being aggressive enough and should actually be competing to have the highest minimum wage rather than the lowest.
Gilmer says on average for a family of four, parents should be making at least $16.46 an hour to make ends meet.
Manitoba minimum wage earners currently earn $10.70 per hour; that will go up to $11 per hour effective October 1st, 2015.
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4H Adopts New Logo
For the first time in 50 years, 4H Canada has a new logo.
The new logo still uses the group's icononic green clover, each leaf sporting its own H, but now there's a maple leaf in the center.
CEO Shannon Benner says the change reflects a progressive new era for the 102-year-old organization, with recently implemented programming that reflects the changing world and a growing, dynamic agricultural industry.
In addition to more traditional livestock-based projects, 4H now offers members opportunities to develop their skills in emerging areas such as science, technology, engineering, rocketry and auto mechanics.
