Government 'dragging their feet' in compensation talks, says man wrongfully convicted in 1973 Winnipeg murder

Caitlyn Gowriluk · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 04, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

It's been implicit 50 years since Brian Anderson was convicted of a execution helium didn't commit, astir 2 since his sanction was yet cleared and astir 14 months since helium sued each 3 levels of authorities successful hopes of getting compensated for everything helium mislaid — but aft each that time, helium says helium hasn't seen a cent.

"They were speedy to convict, but erstwhile it's clip to find it the different mode around, [they're] dragging their feet," Anderson said successful an interrogation with his girl astatine their location successful Selkirk, Man.

Anderson was 1 of 4 young men from Pinaymootang First Nation successful Manitoba's Interlake country convicted successful the 1973 sidesplitting of Ting Fong Chan. Chan, a 40-year-old begetter of two, was stabbed and beaten to decease adjacent a downtown Winnipeg operation tract arsenic helium walked location aft a displacement astatine the Beachcomber restaurant.

Anderson, Allan Woodhouse and brothers Clarence and Russell Woodhouse were rounded up by constabulary mostly due to the fact that of eyewitness accounts pursuing Chan's sidesplitting that mentioned Indigenous people.

All 4 ended up convicted successful Chan's decease based mostly connected confessions successful fluent English that police said they got from the young men — adjacent though immoderate of them hardly spoke the language, and each said they had been forced oregon tricked into signing the admissions of guilt by officers who assaulted them.

The lawsuit was prosecuted by George Dangerfield, who was the Crown lawyer successful 4 different wrongful condemnation cases.

Though concerns astir the men's innocence were raised aboriginal on, it took until July 2023 earlier Anderson and Allan Woodhouse were yet exonerated, and until October 2024 for Clarence Woodhouse. Efforts to posthumously exonerate Russell Woodhouse, who died successful 2011, are ongoing.

The 3 surviving men have since filed lawsuits seeking compensation from each 3 levels of government, who person denied responsibility successful statements of defence. The compensation lawsuit is scheduled to beryllium backmost successful tribunal for mediation aboriginal this month, with proceedings dates acceptable for 2027.

Clarence Woodhouse, who filed his suit successful February, said though he's not arsenic acrophobic astir however agelong things are taking, being compensated for his wrongful condemnation would mean a batch to him.

"I'm conscionable waiting," said Woodhouse, present 73.

He hopes to yet usage compensation wealth to determination retired of his son's location and get his ain place.

"I ever wanted to … bargain a location somewhere."

Meanwhile, Anderson said portion it was "nice to hear" acknowledgments of his innocence and of the racism that marred everything from the constabulary probe to the men's trial, helium feels he's had to spell from proving helium didn't termination anyone to proving helium should beryllium compensated for the clip helium lost, earlier helium tin genuinely determination connected with his life.

"They tin accidental immoderate they want," said Anderson, who spent astir a decennary successful situation and was connected parole from the 1980s until 2023. "The main happening present is that we privation justness too, but we haven't seen it. It's talked about, but wherever is it?"

Anderson besides hopes immoderate compensation wealth volition assistance him get his ain spot and determination retired of his daughter's house. After getting retired connected parole, helium said helium struggled for years to find thing much than low-paying "dead-end" jobs erstwhile imaginable employers learned he'd been successful prison, contempt getting his Grade 12 acquisition and a welding certificate.

'Everybody's pointing the finger'

Anderson's girl — who's played the relation of his advocate, communicating with lawyers and mounting up meetings for the past fig of years — said she fears what mightiness hap if discussions support dragging out.

Her dad recently turned 70.

"I can't assistance but consciousness similar they're conscionable trying to prolong and hold to the constituent wherever they don't person to springiness anything. I can't assistance but consciousness similar they're waiting for these men to pass, and that's specified an atrocious happening to say, but successful my bosom I consciousness similar that's what's happening," Whitney Anderson said.

"Everybody's pointing the digit astatine each other, and nobody's wanting to instrumentality accountability for their side."

She said she knows however overmuch of a relation systemic racism played successful sending her dada to situation and keeping him from clearing his sanction for truthful long, and she feels it's besides a origin successful wherefore his compensation talks are taking truthful long.

Spokespeople for the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba's justness curate and the national justness section would not remark connected the case. Winnipeg constabulary said they had nary update connected their probe into who killed Chan successful 1973.

As for Anderson, he hopes to spot his lawsuit dealt with truthful helium tin yet get connected with his beingness — and soon.

"I cognize I'm not going to unrecorded forever, but I privation to spot this," Anderson said. "I privation to spot this done with."