Unanimous call from Manitoba MLAs for bail reform in wake of Portage la Prairie woman’s death

Manitoba MLAs unanimously passed a motion calling on the province to lobby Ottawa to appeal provisions of the Criminal Code.

A motion calling for enhanced bail enforcement within provincial law enforcement agencies was unanimously passed at the Manitoba legislature.

The motion calls on the provincial government to lobby Ottawa to immediately appeal provisions of the Criminal Code that “allows continued victimization of law-abiding Manitobans by granting repeat offenders additional rights.”

The motion said immediate action is needed to address deficits in enforcement by strengthening warrant enforcement, increasing bail supervision, opposing the release of offenders, and prioritizing public safety.

“We need to do better. Manitobans are afraid. The criminals shouldn’t be running the justice system in our province,” said Portage la Prairie MLA Jeff Bereza, who introduced the motion.

The initiative was sparked by the tragic death of Kellie Verwey, a Portage la Prairie woman killed on Jan. 15 in a three-vehicle crash on Highway 26 just outside the city.

James Lorne Hilton, 24, was charged with several offences, including dangerous driving causing death and impaired driving.

He had an active arrest warrant for failure to comply with conditions at the time of the collision. None of the charges have been proven in court.

Verwey’s death sparked calls for systemic change from Portage la Prairie Mayor Sharilyn Knox.

Knox wrote a letter to Justice Minister Matt Wiebe urging bail reform measures, like public safety prioritization in sentencing and parole decisions.

The mayor told CTV News Winnipeg she has been pushing for reform since her days as a city councillor starting in 2018.

However, the loss of Verwey, who worked in the city’s tourism department, became a very personal one.

“We had a name, a face to the issue. We knew Kellie well. We knew what a loss she is to the community, and we knew what a completely senseless loss it was,” she said.

The motion was passed Monday on Verwey’s birthday with her family in the gallery.

Her mother Meechelle Best hopes it will serve as a stepping stone towards long and lasting change.

“The legacy of my daughter, as we heard in the house today, has been one of change. She’s always been a fighter, right from the time she got here 29 years ago,” Best told reporters.

Motion passed after NDP amendment

Bereza noted while the Criminal Code falls under federal jurisdiction, provinces have the responsibility to administer justice, allowing for meaningful provincial action on bail reform to ensure public safety.

“Other provinces have taken proactive steps to strengthen bail enforcement, but Manitoba has not used all the available tools to address this issue effectively,” he said during his remarks in the house.

The motion initially called for the creation of a bail condition enforcement branch in the Manitoba Sheriff’s Department but was amended after NDP input.

Wiebe said the issue was with the motion’s wording, noting the NDP government has already made investments in bail reform, but not through the province’s sheriffs.

“They have a specific role around courtroom security, around transporting prisoners within our system. The sheriffs ultimately don’t do that work,” he said.

Wiebe pointed to the province’s five-point bail reform plan, which in part pledged $3 million to hire 12 new Winnipeg police officers to help law enforcement track down offenders who violate bail conditions.

It also equips Crown prosecutors to consider the impacts of bail on victims and the community, particularly in cases of intimate partner violence and chronic violent offenders.

Premier Wab Kinew said the plan is a step in the right direction, but there’s more to do.

“We see reminders of that when we speak to the family of victims like the family of Kellie Verwey, who we saw in the legislature today.”

- With files from CTV’s Scott Andersson and Charles Lefebvre