Sweetgrass and CFWE news - April 12, 2016

Treaty 6 history to be examined

April 12, 2016. The Amiskwaciy History Series continues on Thursday with "The History of Treaty Six" with Sylvia McAdam. McAdam (Saysewahum) is from the Treaty 6 lands and is a direct descendant of treaty people. She is nēhīyaw and nakawe and speaks fluently in nēhīyaw. McAdam has her Juris doctorate from the University of Saskatchewan and a human justice degree from the University of Regina. She is one of four first organizers for the Idle No More movement. McAdam will be speaking at the Stanley Milner Library in downtown Edmonton at 6:30 p.m.

Indigenous artwork to be part of Art in Motion

April 12, 2016. Indigenous artists, who reside in the Municipality of Wood Buffalo, have until May 20 to submit work for Art in Motion. The theme this year is a celebration of Indigenous work, which will be displayed at the McMurray Experience in Jubilee Plaza in Fort McMurray. This exhibit will be displayed from June 1 to Aug. 31. Art in Motion is a rotating showcase with new exhibits every three months.

Calgary appoints first ethics advisor and integrity commissioner

April 11, 2016. The City of Calgary has hired its first ethics advisor and integrity commissioner. “This is an important step forward to improve openness, transparency, and accountability at City Hall,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi in a statement. Professor Alice Woolley, who currently serves as associate dean (academic) of the faculty of law at the University of Calgary, will serve as ethics advisor. Allen Sulatycky, a former justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta, will hold the position of integrity commissioner. Calgary is the first municipality in western Canada to create an independent integrity commissioner. Within the newly-created Integrity and Ethics Office, the commissioner is responsible for investigating and adjudicating potential ethics matters related to city council where he sees fit. The ethics advisor will provide advice and education to city council while also being a resource to help Calgarians better understand ethical expectations for elected municipal officials. The integrity commissioner and ethics advisor will provide a report to council by June 2016.

Services for Edmonton’s Food Bank sets record

April 11, 2016.  In March, 20,431 people, a record number, received hampers from Edmonton’s Food Bank. Each month since December 2015, the food bank, through 230 agencies, churches and food depots, has provided hampers to over 19,000 people. In an attempt to meet and serve this increased number of people, the food bank will be rolling out a number of different initiatives and partnerships over the next couple of months. The food bank is partnering with BGS Career & Corporate Development to host a free resume and job search tips workshop on April 21. Pre-registration is required. Also, the City of Edmonton is providing a social worker on-site at Edmonton’s Food Bank two half days per week. This service will help connect food bank recipients with other services in the community and assist them in navigating other government services.