Local News Briefs

Tim Hortons’ kids will find new site

Plans to build a Tim Hortons Children’s Foundation (THCF) leadership camp at Meditation Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park have broken down due to a lack of water quality, according to the province.

The environmental criteria for THCF, which would provide year-round camps for Manitoba youth, has always been high. Even though Meditation Lake did not pass the test, both the provincial government and THCF members are confident a new site will be found in the Whiteshell area.

The area at Meditation Lake will still provide a camping experience and access to the backcountry for the public, with no development planned.

CBC News: Winnipeg goes late night

Only a few months after moving their supper hour newscast up an hour to 5 p.m., CBC News is expanding its local coverage further with a new program, CBC News: Winnipeg Late Night. It will air for an hour starting shortly before 11 p.m.

According to a press release by CBC, the new show will start right after CBC National News and be hosted by Adrienne Pan starting Nov. 2.

“We are excited to showcase a new and improved CBC News,” Jennifer McGuire, editor-in-chief of CBC News, said in the release.

These changes were preceded by the largest audience research project in CBC history.

Israeli exchange students arrive in Winnipeg

Local teenagers in Winnipeg’s Jewish community are about to get a chance to see what life is like for members of their religion in Israel. According to the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, six high school students and one teacher have arrived from Daniger School in Israel as part of the Partnership 2000 program.

The students will be here for 10 days. In that time they will appear before high school audiences to explain how life for a teenager in Israel is not so different from life in Canada.

Partnership 2000 has worked since 1997 to develop Jewish values and foster partnerships between Israeli and Canadian students.

Women judges honoured during Women’s History Month

With half of the provincial court judge chairs now being filled by women, the province recently took an opportunity provided by Women’s History Month to honour these outstanding individuals for their hard work and determination.

“Having a woman in the ultimate decision-making role in the courtroom … reflects the diversity of our society,” keynote speaker Susan Devine said in a release. In 1988, Devine became one of the first women to be appointed provincial court judge.

Manitoba has one of the highest percentages of women judges at any court level across the country.

Manitoba Hydro to submit to special audit

Allegations of poor risk management at Manitoba Hydro has led the minister responsible for the company, Rosann Wowchuk, to call for a special audit.

This follows a report by the Office of the Auditor General in summer 2009 that promised a review of Manitoba Hydro in the near future. Wowchuk hopes that the process can speed up and noted that the next meeting of the Legislature’s Standing Committee on Crown Corporations dealing with Hydro will be called as soon as possible.

Published in Volume 64, Number 9 of The Uniter (October 29, 2009)

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