A longtime CBC Radio stalwart has left the ranks of the Nahanni Fontaine fan club and has called for the NDP Government House Leader to resign her portfolio as Minister for Accessibility. Episode 32 has the details of Kim Wheeler’s very personal analysis of Fontaine’s twisted apology to the Deaf and hard of hearing community.
Part 1– A recap of our most recent columns in the Winnipeg Sun:
RBC abandons West End customers – https://winnipegsun.com/opinion/columnists/gold-rbc-abandons-west-end-customers
St. Boniface Church threatened by bike lane gets unlikely champion (check the postscript below for late-breaking news about it)
8.10 Part 2- Even before she entered politics, Nahanni Fontaine expressed prejudice towards white people and made excuses for aboriginal gang culture. As an NDP government advisor she demeaned domestic violence shelter supporters, and even after election to the Legislature, Fontaine concealed her name change for years until we uncovered it.
Now she’s exposed her nasty disposition after insulting an interpreter translating her speech to indigenous graduates, for daring to be in her line of sight.
We set the scene of a government organized ceremony to celebrate the academic achievement of her indigenous ‘sisters’, and how APTN bravely told the public about Fontaine’s post-speech tantrum about being “thrown off” because “the woman shouldn’t have been on the stage.”
Hear the experience of a parent at the event who saw that the interpretor was removed after Fontaine’s tirade: “When you disrespect the interpreter, you disrespect the Deaf community.”
After the APTN broadcast, the St. John’s MLA gave an apology made up of word salad and BS. You’ll hear how this isn’t the first time Fontaine has claimed objectionable comments she was party to were somehow “private”.
18.00 Free Press columnist Dan Lett tried to help the embattled Fontaine off the hook, claiming demands for her to quit were coming only from the opposition PCs. Portraying her Families Minister portfolio in Wab Kinew’s government as minor and her stint as being “low-key”, Lett ignored her self-promoting TikTok branding and her ongoing support for Hamas and Jew-hating canards.
Lett called her remarks “ill-advised.” But as veteran radio producer and host Kim Wheeler pointed out, there was no advice involved. This was Fontaine, being herself.
“The other side is calling the minister to account. And they should. It was behaviour unbecoming an MLA and the Minister Responsible for Accessibility. It is ableist. And if she is comfortable saying this at a public event, what does she say behind closed doors?”
As the mother of a Deaf daughter, and friends with a similar family at the ceremony, Wheeler posted that “Nahanni Fontaine must be held to account. She should resign her portfolio as Minister Responsible for Accessibility.”
In front of the most favourable hometown crowd possible, Nahanni Fontaine couldn’t keep her ego in check. We have all the details, with some additional insight.
We know what Wade Williams would say.
32.15 Part 3 – The Season Six campaign is closing in on $2000, as we drive towards the $10k target.
Marty tells how you can contribute towards making sure the costs of being You Voice and holding City Hall, the Manitoba NDP government, bureaucracies and institutions – and the local media – accountable to you, your familt and your community.
For more details or to send an E-Transfer- email martygoldlive@gmail.com
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Post production Postscript– Not so fast, Bike Lobby.
We learned that St. Boniface Councillor Matt Allard has sent a letter to the Public Works committee asking for the ‘Moving on Marion’ project to be put on hold until he has a chance to ensure the Norwood Grove Biz, the Church at 380 Marion, and the area residents can have a proper say in the plan.
WE GET RESULTS!
