April 5, 2016.

The Alberta government announced Tuesday that it is doing away with the Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Agency and taking on monitoring of the environment as a “core responsibility.”

The government’s move is in response to an independent review, which determined contracting the services to an external agency was not the right delivery model.

 “This is core government business on the level of public health and public safety,” said Environment and Parks Minister Shannon Phillips.

Mayors, councils gather to share ending-poverty strategy

Mayors, councils gather to share ending-poverty strategy

April 6, 2016. Christian Duckchief, 23, is scheduled to make a court appearance in Drumheller on Wednesday following a weekend incident in which he alleges RCMP abuse. Charges of assaulting a peace officer, resisting arrest and breaching bail conditions stem from that incident April 1. Duckchief was sleeping with his fiancee in her Siksika First Nation home when he was hauled out of bed early morning by members of the Gleichen RCMP detachment.

Brad Wall’s Saskatchewan Party was re-elected Monday taking 63 per cent of the popular vote and 51 of 61 seats. It’s Wall’s third term as premier.

The election victory means that the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations will push harder to get further in an agenda that is based on inherent and treaty rights.

Sainte-Marie wins big at the Junos

April 4, 2016.

Derek Jagodzinsky has been exploring his First Nation’s culture through his design of women’s clothes. And now, as recipient of the province’s first ever Indigenous Graduate Award, he will be taking that discovery to a new level in the hopes of designing furniture, housewares, and personal accessories or, as he puts it, “making beautiful products.”

Ontario’s Court of Appeal has upheld a lower court ruling that evidence on the abuse of 3,800 of residential school survivors could be destroyed after 15 years. This period will allow time to notify survivors and ask whether they want their records archived.

The chief adjudicator of the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) wanted the destruction of the recordings, transcripts and decisions of compensation adjudications under privacy rules. The IAP argued for keeping the records only for two years.

FLERC invests in thermal oil project

Organizers of an Aboriginal men’s hockey tournament in Saskatchewan believe they have found the secret to success—non-contact hockey.

The 16th annual Lawrence Weenie Cup wrapped up this March 27 in North Battleford, Sask. Twelve teams from across Saskatchewan took part in the men’s recreational category. And six other squads participated in the Masters division, which was restricted to those 40 and over.

Milton Tootoosis started this tournament after his father Lawrence Weenie died. Weenie, a former chief of the Poundmaker Cree Nation, was also a huge sports supporter.