Manitoba

Ex-mayor Sam Katz defends funding Winnipeg Sun aboriginal internship

Sam Katz, Winnipeg's former mayor, is unapologetic about spending $66,000 of his own budget — when he was still in office — to fund the hiring of an aboriginal person as an intern reporter at a local newspaper.

Canadian Taxpayers Federation wants current mayor to scrap grant; Katz calls the issue sour grapes

Ex-mayor Sam Katz defends funding Winnipeg Sun aboriginal internship

55 years ago
Ex-mayor Sam Katz defends funding Winnipeg Sun aboriginal internship

Sam Katz, Winnipeg's former mayor, is unapologetic about spending $66,000 of his own budget  when he was still in office — to fund the hiring of an aboriginal person as an intern reporter at a local newspaper.

Katz told CBC News the idea of funding an aboriginal internship at the Winnipeg Sun, using part of his mayor's allowance earlier this year, was hatched after he bumped into the newspaper's publishers at a function last spring.

"We just started talking about what's going on in the aboriginal community and what I think," he said on Friday. "One thing led to another; this was something that was discussed."

Former Winnipeg mayor Sam Katz told CBC News that his funding of an aboriginal intern position at the Winnipeg Sun, using $66,000 from his mayoral allowance, was his way of helping someone find solid employment. (CBC)
​The idea behind funding the internship was to give aboriginal people opportunities, said Katz, who added that it's similar to other initiatives he had funded out of his budget in the past.

​​"Do you want the aboriginal community to be the greatest asset in the city, or do you want the opposite? Make the decision," he said.

"Sometimes you got to talk the talk and walk the walk at the same time; you can't just do one or the other."

Winnipeg Sun editor-in-chief Mark Hamm confirmed that Katz had given $66,000 to the publication to pay for the position for two years.

The intern has not been hired. Hamm said that process is ongoing, and he declined to comment further on the deal.

Katz did not seek re-election this year, after spending 10 years as mayor.

The Winnipeg Sun is currently the target of a boycott from a number of Manitoba First Nations groups that accuse the newspaper of producing content that discriminates against indigenous people.

The Sun's plan to hire an aboriginal intern started before the boycott was launched. But Grand Chief Terrance Nelson of the Southern Chiefs' Organization, who spearheaded the boycott, says it makes no difference to him.

"I don't see why the City of Winnipeg should be supporting racism," Nelson said. "Freedom of the press does not include the right to incite hatred against First Nations people."

Intentions 'in the right place,' says Craig

Meanwhile, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on current Mayor Brian Bowman to cancel the Sun grant if the money hasn't been paid out already.

"If they haven't been transferred, then that's potentially something that could be stopped," said Colin Craig, the federation's Prairies director.

Craig said there are better ways for government to support business or educational opportunities for aboriginal people.

"I think the intentions were … in the right place, but we believe that governments should not be giving grants or loans to businesses of any type," he said.

But Katz said the concerns and complaints over his funding decision are just sour grapes.

"If someone in the private sector is upset and jealous or envious that an idea went through an embryonic process with someone else and not them, I'm really surprised they took that approach," he said.

Katz said he's proud of the other initiatives he has funded in the aboriginal community with the mayoral allowance, and he hopes that will continue.

Bowman's office reviewing grant

Bowman told reporters he was surprised to hear about the Winnipeg Sun grant.

When asked if he would use his office budget to fund a reporter position at a major daily newspaper, Bowman said no.

"Priorities that I have will be reflected in the spending that we're doing within the office right now, and I'll leave it [at] that for now," he said.

"I need to do some digging. We're doing that already. We started that in earnest earlier today."

Bowman said he will get all the facts before deciding whether or not the funding will continue.