Metis business owner gives generously to education

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On Sept. 29, at the University of Alberta's Alumni House and before a crowd of about 100 guests representing the university, government and the Aboriginal community, Herb Belcourt, owner and CEO of Canative Housing Corp. in Edmonton, formally announced his intention "to give something back to the community." Canative Housing Corp. is a private company that purchases and rents homes to urban Aboriginal people.

And he certainly did it in a big way with scholarships for Metis education and a three-storey, furnished, renovated house that will accomodate about 10 Metis students during their school careers.

The announcement also included a $10,000 grant to Edmonton's Ben Calf Robe School via the Catholic school board for playground equipment, a $10,000 grant (that has already generated an additional $130,000 in corporate and government matching grants) to Native Counselling Services to kick-start a project in mediation for Aboriginal students at Toronto's York University, a $25,000 scholarship to Northern Alberta Institute of Technology over 10 years, a $25,000 scholarship to Grant MacEwan Community College over 10 years, a $50,000 scholarship to Athabasca University over 10 years, and a $50,000 scholarship to University of Alberta over 10 years.

Canative president, Orval Belcourt, presented the keys of the house to Native Student Services co-ordinator Lewis Cardinal and Aboriginal Student Council president, Derrick Houle. Both expressed excitement over the facility.

Herb Belcourt explained how he has, over the years, witnessed that Alberta's educational institutions "have made a difference in people's lives and how education creates opportunities for people, families and communities."

His announcement could not have been more timely given recent statements to the press by Edmonton Mayor Bill Smith who urged the city to prepare itself for a significant increase in the Aboriginal population over the next five or six years. If the projection holds true, it will mean a need for increased services that would have to consider the culture, education, housing and employment of urban Aboriginals.

University president and vice-chancellor Rod Fraser said the donation "clearly makes a tremendous impact" on the Native student population which has "a unique perspective, diverse experiences . . . understanding of what it is to be a human being living in this holistic world in which we live and are trying to preserve and pass on."

He further stated that, today, there are over 900 Native students and what better way to help their situation than to assist financially and through the development of a "stable, social resource" such as that provided by Metis House.

What Herb Belcourt has effectively done, according to Dominique Abrioux, president of Athabasca University, is "walk the talk."

Lewis Cardinal praised the contributions which he said come from an individual who "understood our needs." Alberta's Aboriginal leaders, he added, "should be encouraged by [Belcourt's] actions."

One of the committee members to guide the formation of Canative Housing Corp. back in 1971 was Senator Thelma Chalifoux. She informed the audience that this was "the climax of 30 years of hard work." Chalifoux also happened to be the first Metis woman on the university's senate and a prime mover in the development of Native Student Services.

MLA Pearl Calahasen is a former graduate of the university.

"We've come a long way when we have philanthropists like Herb Belcourt," she stated. He elected to take issue with two problem areas of Metis students - money for education and accommodation, she added.

As for the scholarships, PhD candidate Chris Anderson lauded this first and said, "they (Metis) need the money as much and more than most students" who attend university.

And Michael Chalk, the university's student union president exclaimed, "these bursaries will allow students to focus more of their time on their studies," rather than on housing and finances.