Humans, On Rights

When governments can override the Charter before a court even looks at it, who's left to protect the people who can't protect themselves at the ballot box?Winnipeg labour and human rights lawyer Dayna Steinfeld joins Stuart to break down one of the most consequential constitutional debates in Canada right now: the expanding use of the notwithstanding clause, and what Manitoba's Bill 4 is trying to do about it.Provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan are invoking Section 33 to push through so-called "parental rights" legislation: restricting access to gender-affirming care, controlling names and pronouns at school, limiting sports participation. Legislation that physicians say causes measurable harm. And some governments aren't waiting for courts to weigh in. They're invoking the clause preemptively, with the argument that courts aren't even allowed to look at it afterward.Manitoba's Bill 4 is a direct response to that. It would make court review mandatory any time the province invokes the override, keeping the judiciary in the conversation even when government has the last word.We're talking:What the notwithstanding clause is and how its use has shifted dramatically since 2018Why Alberta's "parental rights" legislation almost certainly violates the Charter — and why the government invoked the clause anywayWhy this isn't only a trans rights issueWhy "just vote them out" fails when the people most affected are children, or minorities without electoral powerWhat Bill 4 does, and why it matters that a future government could repeal itDayna also shares how growing up in Winnipeg and studying the General Strike — particularly the role of immigrant and Jewish communities, and the women who helped sustain it — set her on the path to labour and human rights law.

As we move into Pride month, Ralph Bryant returns to Humans, On Rights. This time, the Rainbow Resource Center's Manager of Stewardship sits down with Stuart to dig into The State of 2SLGBTQ+ Communities in Manitoba 2026 — the first report of its kind in Manitoba.This report surveyed 623 queer Manitobans alongside 1,000 members of the general public. It provides, for the first time, a true snapshot of the experiences, needs and priorities of queer Manitobans, as well as the state of allyship among straight Manitobans.The findings paint a picture of a community that is resilient and connected — but still navigating serious gaps in mental health, safety, and acceptance.We're talking:Why mental health ranked as the number one issue facing 2SLGBTQ+ communities in Manitoba by a wide margin, and what's driving itWhat it means that 54% of Manitobans believe gender ideology has "gone too far"The striking gap between soft and strong support for 2SLGBTQ+ legal protectionsThe candid "In Their Own Words" section of the report, where queer Manitobans name systemic exclusion within queer spaces themselvesThe single data point Ralph most wants to see change when the survey is done againThe full report — including key findings and complete data — is available at rainbowresourcecentre.org/reportsGet Involved:Download and share the State of the Queer reportConnect with Rainbow Resource Centre's Learning and Change department if your organization wants to work toward a more authentic and inclusive cultureVolunteer with Camp Aurora (sleepaway camp) or Spirit Day CampAttend or support Rainbow Resource Centre's community programs and social groups

Following Red Dress Day earlier this month, Stuart sits down with KC Adams, a Cree and Anishinaabe relational maker, curator, writer and educator based in Winnipeg, whose work uses photography, installation and public art to explore identity, cultural reclamation and the ongoing impacts of colonialism.KC brings both lived experience and creative practice to a rich conversation about Red Dress Day, the evolution of Jamie Black's iconic installation at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and what it really means to make art as an act of advocacy and community uplift.We're talking:Why national recognition of missing and murdered Indigenous women, Two Spirit people, and men matters so deeplyWhy KC prefers the term "relational maker" over "artist," and how Western art terminology fails to honour Indigenous ways of knowing, creating and being in relationshipThe story behind the reimagined Sky Woman installation at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and how KC and Jamie Black collaborated to shift the conversation from awareness toward action and ceremonyWhat meaningful allyship looks like, and why KC believes moving forward requires bringing people into the circle, not pushing them awayLearn more about KC Adams and her work at kcadams.netLearn more about the Red Dress Project by Jamie BlackVisit the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to see the Sky Woman installation in person.

Adrian Alfonso has been building trails in Winnipeg since he was a kid ripping around on a BMX bike in South Osborne. Today, he's a cyclist, trail builder, Indigenous advocate, and founder of Clear Paths, a program that uses cycling routes and green spaces as a framework for Truth and Reconciliation education. Stuart sits down with Adrian to talk about what trails can teach us, what it means to be a contemporary First Nations person in Winnipeg, and why the land beneath our wheels has a lot more to say than most of us realize.We're talking:How Adrian's childhood on the "monkey trails" became the foundation for a life of advocacyWhat Clear Paths is, and how it leads participants through a guided experience of language, relationship, and reconciliationThe idea that a good trail connects the best places together, and how that philosophy shapes his approach to community buildingHis concept of "my truth plus your truth equals reconciliation," and what active listening actually looks like in practiceConnect with Adrian on Instagram at @adrianacornConnect with the Clear Paths program on Instagram at @clear_paths_cycling

Stuart Murray sits down with Winnipeg writer, filmmaker, and environmental advocate Erna Buffie. After more than two decades producing science documentaries for CBC's The Nature of Things, Erna has turned her attention closer to home — documenting why Winnipeg's urban forest is in crisis, and what it will take to save it. Her book Out on a Limb makes the case that trees aren't a civic amenity. They're essential infrastructure.We're talking:Why Winnipeg — despite its iconic canopy of elms — scores among the lowest of major Canadian cities for greenness, and what's driving that declineThe health benefits of urban trees and the argument for treating trees as infrastructure: for every $1 invested in a tree, the city sees $6 in benefitsWhy "we'll just plant more" isn't the answer — and why it takes a minimum of 10 years for a sapling to deliver even a fraction of what a mature tree providesThe case for a private tree bylaw — why more than 700 cities have passed them, and why Winnipeg has been reluctant to followAs Erna puts it, trees aren't just a pretty way to beautify a city. They cool the air, capture pollutants, absorb rainwater, support biodiversity, and help us build the kind of climate resilience we're going to need. The science is clear. What's missing is political will.“Out on a Limb” is out now. There will be a book launch event on Wednesday May 20, 7:00 pm, at McNally Robinson in Grant ParkCheck out Out on a LimbLearn more about Trees Please Winnipeg