Former Ontario MPP pens letter to Manitoba premier over unethical remarks from Nahanni Fontaine

A former deaf member of Ontario’s legislature says Manitoba minister Nahanni Fontaine should issue a proper apology to a deaf Métis student who was at a graduation event where an American Sign Language interpreter was singled out as a distraction. “As the former NDP MPP for York East (1990–1995) and Canada’s only former Deaf Parliamentarian, I am writing to urgently bring your attention to deeply concerning, unethical, unprofessional, and ableist remarks made by the Honourable Nahanni Fontaine, Minister of Accessibility, regarding the American Sign Language (ASL)-English interpretation provided during the recent Mino’ Ayaawag Ikwewag celebration,” Gary Malkowski wrote in his letter addressed to several members of the NDP in Manitoba including Premier Wab Kinew. “Minister Fontaine, in her official capacity as Minister of Accessibility, made irresponsible and audist/ableist remarks during the graduation event and in an interview with APTN, which have since been widely circulated in the media and across social platforms.” After her speech at a college graduation ceremony, in front of TV cameras, Fontaine was recorded being frustrated with a interpreter who was using American Sign Language on stage with her. The exchange starts with the press secretary congratulating Fontaine on her speech. “I was thrown off,” Fontaine responded to the press secretary. “It wasn’t great but, because the woman – she shouldn’t have been on the stage.” Fontaine continued, saying she couldn’t see the left side of the stage due to the interpreter and that “all I could see was her…” “Frantic hand movements?” the press secretary offered. “Yes! I’m like, f*** why did I have her on the stage,” added Fontaine, “Jesus, I’m like ‘you need to leave’.” APTN has requested interviews on several occasions with Fontaine, but she has not responded to any messages. Government communications staff have also not responded to requests for comment regarding this story – or on other issues since APTN reported the story. “Unfortunately, Minister Fontaine’s actions and statements have similarly attracted widespread provincial, national, and international media scrutiny,” wrote  Malkowski. “Most concerning is the harm this has caused to Ms. Deborah Owczar, a Deaf Métis student who was celebrating her graduation with a certificate in Child and Youth Care, and her daughter, Ms. Stephanie Jebb, who joined her at the ceremony.” In an interview with APTN, Owczar said that Fontaine apologized to her by email – but that isn’t good enough. “What I want is learning,” she says. “A mistake has been made, but can you really make the effort to learn from this, to learn about who we are, to learn from our community, from us as people, and as Manitobans?” Kinew said he’s standing by Fontaine. “I totally understand where people are coming from,” Kinew said, referring to criticism of Fontaine’s remarks. “At the same time, I think our minister has apologized and is putting in the work with the community, so it’s with the greatest of humility that I want to ask folks in the Deaf community to keep working with her.” Kinew did not specify what steps Fontaine is taking other than meeting with people in the community. Malkowski is asking Kinew to “Engage in meaningful dialogue with Deaf community members in Manitoba, Issue a formal, accessible apology in American Sign Language to Ms. Deborah Owczar, Ms. Stephanie Jebb, and the broader Deaf community” and “commit to reviewing and improving the protocols around Deaf access, representation, and the inclusion of qualified Deaf interpreters and professionals in official events and policy planning.” He said Fontaine’s actions “reflect a broader issue of audistocracy—a systemic practice where decisions affecting Deaf individuals are made by non-Deaf individuals and institutions, often without meaningful involvement or representation from the Deaf community.” “This ongoing exclusion is unacceptable and has significantly impacted both the Manitoba Deaf Association and the Canadian Association of the Deaf – Association des Sourds du Canada (CAD-ASC), who now find themselves managing the fallout from this incident on provincial, national, and international levels.” With files from Sav Jonsa, Dennis Ward, Cierra Bettens and the Canadian Press. Continue Reading