The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and Mikisew Cree First Nation dropped their legal challenge on July 16 against the Site C dam after receiving a commitment from BC Hydro to monitor the dam’s downstream impacts. The case was to begin in federal court July 20. The two First Nations had filed suit against BC Hydro and the federal government over approval of the $8.8-billion dam on the Peace River. The bands argued an environmental review of the project did not consider downstream impacts on the Peace Athabasca delta, part of their traditional land.

Sawridge First Nation and Onion Lake Cree Nation have requested that court proceedings initiated by the federal government be delayed. Their arguments will be heard in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench on Aug. 19 and 20. In a notice of application to federal court, the government said that eight First Nations failed or refused to comply with the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, which came into effect in 2013, despite ample time and “repeated demands” by the minister of Aboriginal affairs. Sawridge First Nation and Onion Lake Cree Nation are among those that have not complied.

Cold Lake First Nation and the city of Cold Lake aided evacuees, who were forced from their northern Saskatchewan homes due to wildfires in early July. More than 1,000 evacuees from La Ronge, Air Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band were bussed to Cold Lake, where they were housed in the local recreation facility and provided for by Red Cross. Cold Lake First Nation community members brought First Nation evacuees to their community providing freshly cooked traditional foods like moose meat, fish and bannock.

North Tallcree First Nation was forced to declare a local state of emergency on July 2 as a 5,800-hectare wildfire burned 10 km west of the community. Firefighters prevented the fire from entering the community by bulldozing a 20 km long fireguard. Approximately 200 residents were forced from their homes on July 2 and heavy smoke in the area closed Highway 88. Evacuees stayed in High Level. The fire grew in size and came to within three kilometres of the townsite. As slower wind speeds and temperatures prevailed, the fire burned south and southwest, away from the community.

Cameron Alexis, former Alberta Chief for the Assembly of First Nations, won the NDP nomination battle on Aug. 6 for the federal riding of Peace River–Westlock. Alexis said he was approached by a number of parties to consider running, but chose the NDP because of its track record on Aboriginal issues. “We have to participate in order to affect change,” Alexis told APTN.  “I’m asking First Nations and Indigenous people to step up, stand up and be counted.

On July 28, the RCMP announced that they had found the remains of Corrie Renee Ottenbreit along with the remains of Delores Brower. Brower was discovered April 19, 2015, near Leduc. Ottenbreit had been the subject of a missing person’s investigation since July 2004. Her death is considered a homicide and the investigation falls under the RCMP Historical Homicide Unit as well as KARE. Ottenbreit, 27, lived in Edmonton and was a known sex-trade worker in northeast Edmonton.

Red Deer-Lacombe NDP candidate hopeful Katherine Anne Swampy speaks on the steps of the provincial legislature during the fourth annual Hate to Hope march which took place Aug. 2. She is joined by Edmonton-Manning NDP candidate Aaron Paquette (directly behind her). The movement was started by Chevi Rabbit (second from right, front row), from the Montana First Nation and at the time a student at the University of Alberta, who was the object of a verbal and physical homophobic attack in July 2012 in the Strathcona area in Edmonton.

An Edmonton foster mother has been cleared of any wrong doing, following the death of a baby in her care in 2011.

Delonna Sullivan, a four month old girl, was found unresponsive in her basinet, six days after social workers put her in the foster home.

The results of an autopsy were inconclusive, and her death
has been listed as unexplained.

A provincial court judge says that the baby was sleeping in
a safe manner, and was being supervised.

A 14 year old girl on her skateboard was struck down by a motorist in Spruce Grove.

As of late Thursday morning the victim has been receiving
surgery to reassemble her shattered leg. It appears that she suffered multiple protruding compound fractures.

Near the broken skateboard police found at the scene a
matte-black, right side mirror from a late 90′s Dodge Neon.

If you have any information on this hit-and-run, you’re
asked to call Spruce Grove RCMP or Crimestoppers.