Edmonton News Briefs - September 2014

Dance, dance, dance

Dancers were among the offerings from the Aboriginal Pavilion hosted by the Canadian Native Friendship Centre at this year’s Heritage Festival. Visitors to the annual event were able to steep themselves in culture and Native food, which included bannock, bison bannock burgers, buffalo skewers and mint tea.  

Homeless count scheduled for October

Oct. 15 and 16 will mark the homeless count in Edmonton. Headed by Homeward Trust Edmonton, the two-day count is a point-in-time count of Edmonton’s homeless population and serves to provide a snapshot of the current overall homeless population, enabling organizations like Homeward Trust to examine how this population changes over time. The count will be followed on Oct. 19 with Homeless Connect, which is an opportunity for the homeless population and those at risk of homelessness to get services from the professional community. The one day event will take place at the Shaw Conference Centre and is expected to help over 1,000 people.

Novelist and short-story writer of Irish, Scottish and Métis descent, Joseph Boyden is headlining STARFest, St. Albert Readers’ Festival, Oct. 17-Nov.3. Boyden’s most recent novel, The Orenda, won Canada Reads, and was also nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for Fiction. “We have been trying to get (Boyden) in our Readers’ Festival lineup for quite some time, and we have finally done it – and in the year he wins Canada Reads! With a couple of months to go before his appearance, we are already seeing great ticket sales – I think people recognize this is  a great opportunity to meet one of today’s literary giants,” said STARFest Director Heather Dolman. Boyden will present Oct. 23 at the Arden Theatre.

Call for artists for Boyle Street exhibit

The Quarters Arts Society and Boyle Street Community League have partnered to develop a visual art exhibition program at the new 101 Boyle Street Plaza. Visual artists from the Quarters, Boyle Street, Riverdale and McCauley will be featured and provided with an opportunity to sell their work. Artist’s biographies and contact information will be displayed with the work and sales will be encouraged and supported. Artists’ work may be selected for one or more walls at the Plaza from a total of five feature walls. Exhibitions will run for up to four months.

Potatoes to be harvested for food bank

The large field of potatoes planted by Buffalo Head Prairie School at Fort Edmonton Park will be harvested later this month and the vegetables donated to the Edmonton Food Bank. The school from the Fort Vermilion School Division made use of the area in front of the Hudson Bay Garden. Plant a Row, Grow a Row builds on the long-standing tradition of gardeners sharing their harvest with others. It is a people-helping-people program to assist in feeding the hungry in their own communities, says Judy Yawney, Food Hub Coordinator with Edmonton’s Food Bank. “We are proud to be able to offer our clients and affiliated agencies beautiful, fresh produce thanks to our incredible donors.”

Artist’s work displayed in Saskatoon

Work by Edmonton Métis artists Heather Shillinglaw is on display as part of the City of Saskatoon’s Public Art Placemaker program. The art will be shown for two years. It is the first time Shillinglaw has had her art displayed in Saskatoon. It is installed at the entrance to Cosmopolitan Park at the top of the University Bridge and end of College Drive. Shillinglaw describes the piece as “Métis flag inspired entitled ‘Sweetgrass Sway’ in an infinity position placement. (This) is to share my personal pride being Métis and drawing a subject that First Nations people identify with.”

Compiled by Shari Narine