Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Victim missed fire-safety class

Didn't attend program to educate newcomers

By: Carol Sanders

Posted: 02/9/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

A Winnipeg program that teaches newcomers vital lessons about life in Canada -- including fire safety -- was not attended by the woman who died in a January house fire that also claimed the lives of her three children and mother-in-law visiting from Pakistan.

Zebunesa Sadiq, who came to Canada with her husband, Hamid Farooq, in 2007, didn't attend the free, four-week Entry orientation program.

"It is a required course," said Grace Eidse, executive director of the organization Altered Minds Inc., which runs the Entry program paid for by the federal and provincial governments.

It began in 2004 and has been "required" and "highly recommended" for newcomers to attend since 2006, she said.

It teaches immigrants and refugees basic necessities, like how to get around the city, obey the law, stay safe, look for a job, get health care and access free English-language classes.

In January, 566 students from 35 countries attended the program, said Eidse.

It may be required by the province, but attendance is not enforced.

"When you deal with adults, you can't force people to go," Eidse said.

Some newcomers don't attend because they have child care or scheduling issues, she said. And a good many from places such as the Philippines and India, with large communities in Winnipeg, are told by friends or relatives that they don't need to attend, said Eidse. But the well-meaning welcomer might have been here for 20 or 30 years and isn't a good source or instructor, she said.

"They don't know what the latest information is," Eidse said.

The Entry program has sessions that teach newcomers basics about the law, with police officers coming to the class to tell them about things such as child protection.

The section on fire safety is taught by Entry teachers, not city fire department instructors as reported Wednesday. That story raised concerns some newcomers from countries without public fire service don't know what to do here in case of a fire.

Eidse said a fire drill is conducted during every four-week cycle of the Entry program, and students are prepared for it. The fire-safety classes include a lesson where the teacher has a fire extinguisher and a smoke alarm to show the students what they look like and to explain their proper use.

The home where the deadly fire occurred had a working smoke alarm on the main floor but not in the basement where the fire raged after starting on a couch, the Office of the Fire Commissioner said Wednesday.

The fire killed four-month-old Hoorya Sadiq, and her older sisters, Fayza Peyawary, 9, and Aliza Sadiq, 4, their mother, Sadiq and grandmother, Shemeen Akhtar, 60.

There are no plans to make fire-safety lessons mandatory for newcomers, Manitoba Labour and Immigration said.

"While we continue to strongly recommend all newcomers attend the Entry program, newcomers will continue to have the choice on which programs they utilize," the department said in a prepared statement.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 9, 2012 B2

(You must be logged in to post your reaction)

Your reaction?

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.