Accessibility minister will keep her job after comments about sign-language interpreter: Manitoba premier

Bartley Kives · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 04, 2025 3:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Premier Wab Kinew said Manitoba's accessibility curate volition stay successful her presumption aft she apologized for swearing into a blistery mic about sharing a signifier with a sign-language interpreter.

Kinew said helium is alert members of Manitoba's Deaf assemblage were upset by comments made successful June by Nahanni Fontaine following a code she delivered during a graduation lawsuit she hosted for Indigenous women.

"It's been tough, I think, to spot people in the assemblage wounded and to person those perspectives shared. I wholly recognize wherever radical are coming from," Kinew said Friday during a scrum with reporters astatine Canada Life Centre pursuing an unrelated event.

"At the aforesaid time, I deliberation our curate has apologized and is putting successful the work with the community. It's with the top humility I privation to inquire folks successful the Deaf community to support moving with her and to assistance our authorities and our team bash what we bash each day."

The comments successful question were made connected June 26. In video footage gathered by APTN news, Fontaine told a idiosyncratic disconnected camera that she was "thrown off" by the interpreter sharing the signifier with her astatine the event, adding the interpreter shouldn't person been connected the signifier due to the fact that she was blocking Fontaine's presumption of the audience. 

Fontaine, apparently unaware the camera was recording, made the comments to a unit subordinate portion preparing to talk with reporters astatine the event, which she was hosting. 

The different idiosyncratic referred to the interpreter's translation arsenic "frantic manus movements."

"Yeah, I'm like, 'F--k, wherefore did I person her connected the stage?' Jesus! I'm like, 'you request to leave,'" the curate said into a blistery mic successful the APTN video.

WATCH | APTN footage shows Fontaine complaining astir sharing signifier with interpreter:

The interpreter was removed from the signifier pursuing Fontaine's speech, prompting disapproval from immoderate Deaf attendees astatine the event.

Fontaine apologized aft the video came to light, initially stating she was expressing vexation astir "her mediocre readying ensuring wide show lines connected each graduates" during a backstage debrief with staff.

"My comments did not admit signing is not simply 'hand movements,' but a afloat and affluent connection utilized by thousands of Manitobans each day," she said successful a June 27 statement.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives past called connected Fontaine to beryllium removed from her presumption arsenic the NDP's accessibility minister.

PC person Obby Khan said Friday that Fontaine ought to person been held accountable.

Kinew said the PCs mislaid the 2023 predetermination due to the fact that the enactment attacked people.

Fontaine told CBC News earlier this week it is up to the premier to determine if she remains successful that position.

The Manitoba Deaf Association, meanwhile, said it volition proceed to counsel Fontaine aft 2 of its executives met with the curate astatine her bureau connected Wednesday.

"We volition proceed to beryllium by her broadside arsenic advisers connected our accessibility needs," relation president Shawna Joynt said successful a statement. "We cognize this volition not beryllium good with everyone and we bash recognize these feelings."

Joynt said Fontaine volition proceed to enactment alongside interpreters to guarantee her events and her speeches stay accessible, and the minister "expressed her committedness to larn and marque improvements from this immense misstep."

Joynt besides said Fontaine helped commencement an mentation programme astatine RRC Polytech. 

Deborah Owczar and Stephanie Jebb, who attended the June 26 graduation wherever Fontaine spoke and were upset by the minister's comments, said Fontaine should conscionable with different radical successful the Deaf community, prosecute in-house ASL interpreters and conduct a healing ellipse with deaf Indigenous people.