Edmonton Briefs - May

Funding for Fort Saskatchewan festival

Funding from Heritage Canada will allow the Fort Saskatchewan Historical Society to present its annual Peoples of the North Saskatchewan Festival on May 12 and 13. Activities will celebrate and commemorate early settlers in the Fort Saskatchewan region. Aboriginal, Métis, and pioneer life will be showcased through dance and historic storytelling. Local residents will also experience interactive demonstrations of sawing, weaving, spinning, and butter and bannock making, as well as Red River cart rides.

Engaging FNMI parents

Alberta Education, FNMI Services Branch hosted a parent engagement session late last month focused on First Nations, Métis and Inuit parents. The introductory workshop provided information to increase knowledge and awareness on the rights and responsibilities of families, parents and communities.  This follow-up workshop was a way to ensure strong representation from FNMI parents in central Alberta. In November 2010, Alberta Education hosted a series of workshops across the province. Information and feedback were gathered from parent participants to help inform Alberta Education’s future direction in FNMI parent engagement.

Transition housing built for women fleeing abuse

In April, the WINGS of Providence Crisis Shelter launched construction of its first long-term affordable housing for women in need. Our Home Next Door is a new affordable housing facility for women transitioning to independent living from crisis shelter accommodations. Built by the non-profit WINGS of Providence Society to help women and children escape domestic violence, the new affordable units will be created with a $4.3 million investment from the City’s Cornerstones Plan – Edmonton’s Plan for Affordable Housing.

New consultation guidelines examined

Cole Pederson, executive director of Alberta Aboriginal Relations, presented Alberta’s First Nation Consultation Guidelines, past and future, at the Circle For Aboriginal Relations’ recent luncheon at the Edmonton Petroleum Club. Pederson spoke about the policy review: where it has been and where it is going and when it expects to get there. Pederson explained the range of factors involved in arriving at a new policy and discussed how the full range of consulting departments are attempting to address those factors.

CCAB holds inaugural lunch

The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business held its inaugural business luncheon in Edmonton on April 27. More than 120 Aboriginal business and community leaders, as well as corporate executives attended the event. Special guest speaker was Scott Sullivan, president and CEO of Syncrude Canada Ltd.  Sullivan provided his insight on the future of the oil sands and the important role for Aboriginal business. The luncheon was an opportunity to network with senior corporate executives, Aboriginal leaders, and Aboriginal entrepreneurs. The CCAB was founded in 1984 by a small group of visionary business and community leaders committed to the full participation of Aboriginal people in Canada’s economy. CCAB is a national non-profit Aboriginal organization and offers knowledge, resources and programs to both mainstream and Aboriginal-owned member companies that foster economic opportunities for Aboriginal people and businesses across Canada.
    
Compiled by Shari Narine