Accident claims life of dancer

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On Friday, Sept. 3, one of the dancers of the Edmonton Metis Cultural Dance group died in a motor vehicle accident. The group was on its way to a dance competition in Prince Albert, Sask. when the vehicle that 18-year-old Joey Gladue from the Alexander Reserve was a passenger in ran into a tanker truck. The mishap occurred close to Hafford, Sask., a small community just outside of North Battleford.

"From what we got, was that he was in a vehicle with his mother, his step-father and one younger brother and my son," said the group's co-ordinator, Lyle Donald. "The vehicle they were in ran into the tanker truck when the tanker truck ran a stop sign," he said.

The other passengers are being treated at the North Battleford hospital with undisclosed injuries.

Gladue, a four-time Canadian dance champion, had been with the group since 1990.

"When he first came to the dance group he wanted to be the best dancer in the world," said Donald. "And that is what he did. He ended up winning four championship wins. Joey was a real good young man, good manners, always there to promote the Metis culture," he said.