Posted: 18/04/2019 7:00 PM
Thompson — In the basement of a government building, a small black-and-white sign points around a corner to Manitoba’s northernmost law courts.
Through an unsecured, 1970s-era lobby that serves as a public waiting room and makeshift lawyer workspace, a set of double wood doors opens into a beige, 48-seat courtroom. Here, atop a wood-panelled dais, a judge is drawing the line.
Manitoba spends about $1.5 million annually on transportation for the northern court system
Sheriffs vans are parked outside the provincial court office in Thompson.
Posted: 22/04/2019 6:47 PM
In Manitoba's North, where 15 circuit courts dot the vast and remote geographical area, a single delay costs the province an average of $10,000.
The delays happen all the time and for many reasons: weather that's too cold or too stormy, airplane mechanical issues, a lack of heat or running water in public buildings on the ground. Back-to-back delays have resulted in cases being thrown out of court.
Fewer restorative jail alternatives available to northern Manitobans
The Provincial Building in Thompson is home to northern Manitoba’s justice services, which struggle to uphold rights most Canadians take for granted.
Posted: 24/04/2019 7:00 PM
On the other end of the phone line, from her office in Cross Lake, Louann Flett sighs.
The community restorative-justice worker has heard it all. Amid the catalogue of concerns that crop up over and over again anytime someone mentions Manitoba’s northern justice system, one rises to the top of her list.