British Columbia: An Aboriginal activist is suing the federal government claiming that it discriminates against Aboriginal women. The activist takes umbrage with the Indian Act, which denies descendents of unmarried Indian women eligibility to register as a status Indian—unlike the children of unmarried Indian men, who are eligible.
Alberta: A woman is taking a Calgary nightclub to court claiming that, by encouraging “physically attractive” patrons to use the dance floor in order to boost its liquor sales, the club created an atmosphere that caused her to fall and break her arm two years ago on Halloween. The suit alleges that alcohol was served in such great quantities that it allowed the patrons to become unlawfully intoxicated. The woman is seeking $500,000 in damages for her broken arm as well as “permanent personal injuries” and “situational depression.”
Manitoba: Parents of a 12-year-old boy are suing the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, alleging that after a tonsillectomy their son was left in a “persistent vegetative state.” Five days following his operation in late November, the boy had trouble breathing and began coughing up blood, and was admitted to the emergency room. The lawsuit names a number of doctors and nurses, and claims the boy’s injuries were avoidable and caused by negligence.
Ontario: A Canadian convicted of a series of bank heists in the U.S. is suing the federal government claiming it breached his constitutional right to a timely transfer home. In 1989, when he was serving a 55-year sentence for armed robbery in the U.S., he applied for a transfer to Canada. Though it was approved in 1991, he wasn’t moved until 2000. In the lawsuit, the bank robber claims he was emotionally and physically abused by prison staff while he was serving time in California, Colorado, Indiana and Illinois.