Calgary Aboriginal News Briefs - February 2015

Annual round dance strengthens culture

Pathways Family Services hosted its 9th annual round dance honouring the late Gordon McGilvery. The event was held on Jan. 17 at the Bowness Sportsplex. Pathways CSA is a uniqut social services agency that works from an Aboriginal worldview to strengthen the resilience of children, youth and families. 

State funeral held for respected leader

A state funeral was held on Jan. 17 on the Tsuu T’ina Reserve for former Chief Gordon Crowchild, who was chief from 1968-1976 and died at the age of 85. Said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde, “”It is with honour and humility that … I acknowledge the passing one of our most respected Elders …. He was a strong advocate for the rights of First Nations and our citizens throughout his life.”  A former rodeo athlete, Crowchild competed in the Calgary Stampede in the 1940s and was inducted in to the Canadian Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2005. Chief Crowchild was instrumental in bringing economic development to the Tsuu T’ina Nation, first with a golf course and later advancing the southwest ring road in the 1970s. He was known for promoting youth in sports and culture and encouraging nation members through training programs to pursue careers in the trades. Chief Crowchild was remembered as a legendary leader with a great love for his community.

NEB to hear oral Aboriginal traditional evidence

The National Energy Board heard oral Aboriginal traditional evidence from the Alexander First Nation for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project on Jan. 27 in the final scheduled hearing of the application. Throughout the fall, the NEB heard from Aboriginal presenters in Edmonton, Chilliwack, Kamloops and Victoria. The NEB recognizes that Aboriginal peoples have an oral tradition for sharing knowledge from one generation to the next which cannot always be shared sufficiently in writing. The oral knowledge, stories and lessons shared, will be an important component of the evidence the NEB considers in deciding whether or not to recommend approval of the project. Aboriginal interveners may also file written evidence in addition to their oral traditional evidence. Other interveners, Trans Mountain or the NEB may ask presenters about their oral traditional evidence which they may respond to orally, in writing, or both. Trans Mountain submitted its application to expand the existing Trans Mountain pipeline system in Alberta and British Columbia to the NEB in December 2013. The expansion includes approximately 990 km of new pipeline, new and modified facilities, the reactivation of 193 km of existing pipeline between Edmonton and Burnaby, and an expansion of the Westridge Marine Terminal.

Flood recovery program stepped up

The province is hoping to close all 2013 Disaster Recovery program files, which resulted from the Calgary-area flood, this summer. The government will allocate an additional 15 temporary caseworkers to assist with file management and advance 90 per cent of eligible funding to the approximately 2,000 remaining applicants with open files. The additional funds are to help homeowners with repairs. Once repairs have been completed, applicants will be able to submit receipts to receive the final 10 per cent in funding. The DRP received more than 10,500 applications after the June 2013 floods, making this program the biggest and most complex in Alberta’s history. To date, more than 8,400 cases have been closed and nearly $110 million in financial aid provided. This final advancement of funds will provide up to $20 million in additional support.

Private donor helps support spay/neuter work

Calgary realtor Heather Waddell is matching donations to the Alberta Spay/Neuter Task Force up to $25,000 until Feb. 14. If $25,000 is reached, Waddell, who is a long-time supporter of the organization, will give an additional $10,000. The task force, which began operating in 2009, was spearhead by animal rescue volunteers RJ Bailot and Nancy Larsen, who were working on First Nations lands rescuing animals but could not find enough new homes for them. The task force puts together a volunteer team of close to 100 people, including vets and surgical assistants, and eight times a year set up a mobile unit consisting of examination areas, a triage zone, surgery stations and recovery rooms in a school or gym. The task force operates in First Nations communities they are invited to. Throughout the course of a weekend clinic, dogs and cats are examined, treated for parasites, vaccinated, spayed or neutered and then tattooed. Upward of 450 animals are treated during a visit. Each clinic costs approximately $26,000, with most of the volunteers paying their own way.

Water main break on Tsuu T’ina

Some residents of Tsuu T’ina have received a “water supply alert” from their police service. A water main break has disrupted potable water service to homes southeast of Bullhead Road. Residents are urged not to consume tap water. Affected residents filled containers from a water truck at the North Sarcee townsite playground and at the Fire Hall. It was not known how long the water supply would be disrupted.