Pallister To Take Part In Pride Parade
Manitoba's new Progressive Conservative premier, Brian Pallister, says he plans to attend the annual pride parade in Winnipeg next month.
Pallister says he will participate in the celebration of gay and lesbian rights, barring a natural disaster or other emergency that would require his attention.
He would be only the second Manitoba premier to do so.
When first asked last month, Pallister said he would have to check his schedule, but he now says he is committed to attending.
Pallister was accused by former N-D-P leader Greg Selinger of being homophobic for opposing a 2013 law that requires schools to allow students to set up gay-straight alliances.
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Transgender SIN
The federal department tasked with overseeing every Social Insurance Number in the country says it is working to loosen rules to make it easier for transgender Canadians to change the sex designation on record.
Employment and Social Development Canada says for example, SIN holders would no longer need a new birth certificate to change the gender identity.
The agency's announcement coincides with the Liberal government's tabling yesterday of a landmark transgender-rights bill that would make it illegal to discriminate against trans people.
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Indigenous Health
Aboriginal leaders are calling for more government action, citing a new report yesterday on debilitating poverty in First Nations communities.
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says Canada's indigenous children are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than their non-aboriginal counterparts.
Isadore Day, the Ontario regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations, says poverty is often a key reason why people flee their communities, only to end up in ``gateway'' cities where things only get worse.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett says the Liberal government's recent budget makes investments that will raise aboriginal children out of poverty.
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Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is honouring Canada's national heroes with a series of silver collector coins.
Firefighters, paramedics, police and the military are featured on the coins which were unveiled at the Mint's production facility in Winnipeg.
The Mint is also donating 10-thousand dollars to the Red Cross Alberta Fires Appeal as well as five dollars from the sale of each firefighters coin, the first in the series to be released.
Each coin sells for 70 dollars.
The paramedics coin debuts June 7th, the police coin on August 7th and the military coin on September 6th.
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