MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

10th Annual Soldiers Run

Children's Hospital Research Foundation

Mr. Gerry McAlpine (Sturgeon Creek): Madam Speaker, a very special anniversary was celebrated today. It was the kickoff of the 10th annual Manitoba's soldiers run for Manitoba's children.

Over the last 10 years, soldiers from the Lakehead Manitoba Army Reserves have run over 12,000 kilometres and raised over $200,000 in support of the Children's Hospital Research Foundation. In particular, this morning, I joined the Manitoba Lakehead District Army Reserves under the direction of Captain Mike Lagace and Captain Chuck Howard.

The event was kicked off today at the Children's Hospital at ten hundred hours. I was there and I was proud to join the legion of soldiers and school children from École Assiniboine, as we ran through the city to Portage Avenue and eventually to the Perimeter Highway. Over the next six days, the soldiers will run day and night. In the process they will reach over 65 communities throughout Manitoba, and they will take this time to meet the children from these various towns.

The camaraderie of this event is of course very contagious. As the soldiers encounter these villages they will be joined by thousands of students and teachers who will temporarily join the run to demonstrate just how much kids count in the province of Manitoba.

This year alone it is expected that the run will generate over $30,000, and the runners will present their donation to the Children's Hospital Research Foundation at the Winnipeg International Air Show on Sunday, June 9. The presentation can be seen during the Children's Miracle Telethon, June 9, on CBC television.

I was proud to be a part of the kickoff celebrations for this most worthy cause. For the soldiers and those who joined them in this running, I wish for you that the wind will always be on your back and may God bless your efforts.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Louisiana-Pacific Forest Management Activities

Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Madam Speaker, last week the government made an announcement that they would be issuing the licence to Louisiana-Pacific on its forest management activities in the Duck Mountain. I want to put clearly on the record how disappointed I am in the government that they refused to deal with the serious issue, that they have refused to deal with when this agreement was first announced. First of all, treaty land entitlement and then wood allocation for independent loggers.

From the time of the initial announcement bands in my area, namely Wuskwi

Sipihk First Nations and Sapotaweyak Cree Nations said that they wanted their treaty land entitlement addressed, that they would know how they fit into this agreement. However, the government has refused to address this issue.

There is also the concern from the independent loggers, who have said time and time again that they want to be assured that their sawmill operations can continue to operate. The Minister of Natural Resources (Mr. Driedger) promised during the election that this would be addressed. Unfortunately, it has not and timber permits which is the way they have been getting their wood till now have been cancelled.

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I am also concerned that the government has weakened the recommendations of the Clean Environment Commission on this, and now the very vulnerable areas in the park of the Roaring River valley and the Shell River valley are in jeopardy. If the government really believes that there is as much wood and that there is an adequate wood supply in the area, why would they even consider allowing cutting in these vulnerable areas? The government likes to play it both ways when they say that I say one thing in this House and another thing out in the constituency. Nothing can be further from the truth. It is the government that is playing games with this issue and has tried to play games with it before the last election.

We want jobs, but we want a sustainable harvest and we want to ensure that the workers have a safe environment to work in, and we want a space set aside for recreational areas and protection for unique areas. It is the Premier (Mr. Filmon) who is wrong when he says you cannot have it both ways. Madam Speaker, you can have jobs and economic development, but it can be done in a sustainable way and that is the assurances that we are looking for from this government and they have failed to provide in this licence.

Youth Drop-in Centre

Gimli, Manitoba

Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to rise this afternoon and tell all members present about a true community leader from the Gimli constituency. Usually when one thinks of a community leader, the image that comes to mind is an older man or lady, someone who is to be referred to as either Mr. or Mrs., someone who has spent their life to improve the area in which they live. However, in this case, the community leader is a fresh-faced, 17-year-old young lady named Lindsey Troschuk.

Lindsey presents in a manner completely opposite to what one would originally envision. Do not, however, think for one moment that she is anything but a determined community leader, a community leader with a vision. This 17-year-old Gimli high school student has for the past year consistently tried to increase public support and awareness of the need to establish a youth drop-in centre in the town of Gimli. Armed with the belief that area teenagers require a place to call their own and given the fact that most stores and businesses close at 10 p.m., she took the initiative to make a difference and ensure there was such a place. Lindsey was of the opinion that with no place to hang out and be together, especially during the evening, teenagers may be more inclined to be involved in trouble. An alternative for teens was necessary.

Like all community leaders, Lindsey realized that no one can do it on their own. Community leadership requires community involvement so Lindsey has gathered approximately 20 fellow students together and co-ordinated with members of the New Horizon Seniors Club as well as Gimli Healthy Communities committee. The youth drop-in centre will be located at a site given to the teenagers by the Gimli New Horizon Seniors Club. Locating at the seniors complex is beneficial because many of the programs the youth want to develop involve learning from and helping seniors.

The drop-in centre will be run by the students, and once the centre is fully running these youth intend to offer a number of programs. The centre may one day support a youth volunteer service which would match youth volunteers with worthwhile community projects. Also in the works is an adopt-a-grandparent program, sports fundraisers and an arts program. Lindsey's effort to work for the community good does not end with the drop-in centre. She is also a member of the Gimli and area RCMP consultative group and a member of the Ukrainian dance group, Barvinok. Community leaders are an important--

Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member's time has expired.

User Fees

Legal Aid Applications

Mr. George Hickes (Point Douglas): The former Conservative government of Sterling Lyon and Gary Filmon imposed a user fee on applications for Legal Aid which a study then found did not work. As applications dropped 48 percent in the first month and then on an average of 112 applications a month thereafter, it was scrapped.

As a representative of one of the poorest constituencies in Manitoba, I cannot understand why this government has not learned from the mistakes of the former Conservative government. I am appalled that this government is imposing a $25 user fee on all applications with no exceptions for hardship cases except for those on welfare. This government is, once again, attacking the poor in this province. This regressive tax which has been imposed on the working poor will affect about 50 percent of Legal Aid clients. Legal Aid officials themselves sent out a memo expressing concern over this initiative. Many people will simply give up and go to jail or pay fines even though they are innocent but cannot afford a lawyer and that the current Minister of Justice (Mrs. Vodrey) would bring in such a fee comes as little surprise.

This minister who likes talking tough while doing nothing has cut Victims Assistance grants by 40 percent. Her convict cleanup crew worked a total of 12 minutes in three weeks dusting the buildings not affected by the riot. In-your-face corrections, to use her phrase, is another excuse to hit the seniors, the poor and those on low incomes. This cut is another tax on the poor like the cuts to Pharmacare, the ending of eye examinations and other cuts to services used by the poor.

Conservative Party Charitable Barbecue

Mr. Mike Radcliffe (River Heights): Madam Speaker, I had the occasion on Thursday of last week to host a community barbecue jointly with Premier Filmon and the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs (Mr. Ernst).

We extended the invitation to people of all political stripes in our area to give them the opportunity to meet their elected representatives on a more casual level than is often in the case in the rarefied atmosphere of the Legislature. The proceeds from the barbecue were donated to the Foundations for Health which seeks to construct a state-of-the art medical research facility in Manitoba.

I would like to pay tribute today to all the people from the community who worked so hard over the last couple of months to make this event such a success. Unbeknownst to those of us whose only involvement in the barbecue was to attend and enjoy the evening, there was an unbelievable amount of work put in behind the scenes to make everything run like clockwork.

In addition to all the volunteers from the community, I would like to thank my own constituency worker and those of Premier Filmon and Minister Ernst for their tireless efforts to make this event a success.

I would also like to thank all the people from southwest Winnipeg who came to the barbecue and helped make it such an extraordinary success. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Committee Changes

Mr. George Hickes (Point Douglas): I move, seconded by the member for Broadway (Mr. Santos), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Law Amendments be amended as follows: Burrows (Mr. Martindale) for Selkirk (Mr. Dewar); St. Johns (Mr. Mackintosh) for The Pas (Mr. Lathlin); Wellington (Ms. Barrett) for Flin Flon (Mr. Jennissen); Osborne (Ms. McGifford) for Transcona (Mr. Reid) for Monday, June 3, 1996, for 7 p.m.

Motion agreed to.

Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the member for Sturgeon Creek (Mr. McAlpine), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Law Amendments be amended as follows: the member for River East (Mrs. Mitchelson) for the member for Springfield (Mr. Findlay); the member for St. Norbert (Mr. Laurendeau) for the member for Gimli (Mr. Helwer).

I move, seconded by the member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections be amended as follows: the member for Niakwa (Mr. Reimer) for the member for Ste. Rose (Mr. Cummings); the member for River East (Mrs. Mitchelson) for the member for Charleswood (Mr. Ernst); the member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck) for the member for Gimli (Mr. Helwer); the member for Rossmere (Mr. Toews) for the member for Riel (Mr. Newman); the member for River Heights (Mr. Radcliffe) for the member for Morris (Mr. Pitura).

Motions agreed to.