Local News Briefs

Shaving head was voluntary, Human Rights Commission says

University of Winnipeg’s Stephanie Lozinski’s termination from her job for shaving her head does not warrant a hearing, the Manitoba Human Rights Commission decided. Lozinski was let go from her serving job at Sawatdee Thai restaurant for shaving her head to support her uncle’s battle with cancer. The commission said that because Lozinski shaved her head voluntarily, she did not qualify for a hearing. The Winnipeg Free Press reported that the commission said dress codes can generally be set by employers, but special circumstances, such as shaving one’s head for chemotherapy, would warrant the employers to accommodate that employee in their workplace.

Smoking on athletic fields hot topic

Whether or not smoking will be banned on athletic fields is up to the province, says the City of Winnipeg. The city’s community services department recommended city council ask the provincial government to handle the issue, as it’s in the province’s authority. The subject came up after St. Charles Coun. Grant Nordman was approached by a soccer group. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority had a say in the report as well – though it’s difficult to gauge the effects of outdoor smoking, protecting the public from a known hazard is a step in the right direction, they said. The issue will come before the city’s executive policy committee mid-February, the Winnipeg Free Press reported.

Winnipeg author dies from heart attack

Michael Neelak Van Rooy died unexpectedly last Thursday, Jan. 27 while touring to promote his novel A Criminal to Remember. Van Rooy, 42, won the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer in 2009, and was shortlisted for both the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction and the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. Van Rooy died of an apparent heart attack while in Montreal. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Wal-Mart to open three Winnipeg supercentres

Wal-Mart plans to renovate and relocate existing stores and build entirely new ones in order to open 40 supercentres over the next year. The supercentres will sell groceries and general merchandise, and the company says they could create over 9,200 jobs. Three Winnipeg Wal-Marts would be converted into the larger format: Winnipeg South at St. Mary’s Road and Bishop Grandin Boulevard, Winnipeg Central at Empress Street and Ellice Avenue, and Winnipeg West at Portage Avenue and Buchanan Boulevard. The first Canadian Wal-Mart supercentres opened in Ontario, Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan, CBC News reported.

No problem hailing cabs

Cabs from Unicity Taxi and Duffy’s Taxi almost disappeared from the streets last Monday, Jan. 24 as a dispute brewed between the taxicab companies, the producer of taxi protective safety shields and the Taxicab Board. The companies had until Monday evening to prove they had paid for the now mandatory safety shields, which protect the cab’s driver. CBC News reported transport minister Steve Ashton became involved to prevent a stoppage in service and a government press release said all parties had reached a payment agreement. In the end, neither company experienced any service interruptions, the press release said.

Published in Volume 65, Number 18 of The Uniter (February 3, 2011)

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