Sweetgrass and CFWE news briefs - Nov. 18, 2015

Alberta’s cultural industries sector receives additional funding

November
18, 2015. To meet current commitments and further
grow Alberta’s film, television, music and publishing industries, the province’s 2015 budget includes an increase of $11 million for the Alberta Media Fund, bringing the total commitment this year to $36.8 million. “The success of Alberta’s cultural industries sector, particularly our film and television industry, is an important piece in our move toward a more diversified, sustainable economy,” said David Eggen, minister of culture and tourism. Between 2014 and 2015, film and television productions have been shot in 14 Alberta communities, including Calgary, Stony Plain, Morley and the Tsuut’ina Nation. Productions include feature films The Revenant and 40 Below and Falling, and television shows Blackstone, Hell on Wheels, Fargo and  Ice Road Racer. The industry is labour-intensive and environmentally-friendly, with the majority of production costs going directly into jobs and services in the community. It generates direct employment opportunities for artists, writers, camera crews, producers, actors, graphic designers, wardrobe designers, editors, photographers, and others. Many more receive economic benefits such as hotels, caterers, and hardware and lumber stores. The industry supports rural economic development, promotes tourism, and brings diversity to Alberta’s economy.

Edmonton
Christmas Bureau expects to feed more

November 17, 2015. The Christmas Bureau of Edmonton expects 67,000 Edmontonians will turn to the charity for festive meals this Christmas season. The charity anticipates an 11.8 per cent increase in need for its services over last year, particularly among Edmonton’s working-poor, newcomers and seniors on fixed incomes. The Christmas Bureau of Edmonton was established in 1940.

Enbridge to continue pursing Northern Gateway

November 17, 2015. Enbridge Inc. is saying that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plans to formalize a moratorium on crude oil tankers off the north coast of British Columbia will not shake Northern Gateway proponents. “We are confident the government of Canada will be embarking on the required consultation with First Nations and Metis in the region, given the potential economic impact a crude oil tanker ban would have on those communities and Western Canada as a whole,” Ivan Giesbrecht, a Northern Gateway spokesman, said in a statement. Giesbrecht said Enbridge recognizes it must improve its relationship with Aboriginal peoples. “We share the vision of the Trudeau government that energy projects must incorporate world leading environmental standards and First Nations and Métis ownership,” he said.  A mandate letter from Trudeau to Marc Garneau, federal transportation minister, directed him to work on formalizing the moratorium.

Eggen directs school boards to write LGBTQ policy

November 17, 2015.

Ralph Wohlgemuth, a trustee with Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools, said he agrees with Education Minister David Eggen that inclusive policies need to be put in place and points out that his school board has "an inclusive policy" that supports all students, including LGBTQ and First Nations students. Speaking to the annual meeting of the Alberta School Boards Association, Eggen told trustees that each generation faces choices about expanding the meaning of equality and social justice. "This is our moment in time," he said, "for people to judge us for now and in the future, that we provide an equal footing for LGTBQ students, for transgender students, and transgender policy, that reflects equality and social justice in its broader context." Eggen recently sent a letter to school boards directing them to draft policies that comply with the Alberta School Act to ensure that LGTBQ students are treated as equals in every way. Eggen said tht while the province provides the law, trustees “build policy that reflects the law.”

Inner city youth housing closed in Edmonton

November 17, 2015. The Alberta government is supporting the decision by E4C not to reopen the Inner City Youth Housing Project in Edmonton. On Sept. 4, 2015, Edmonton Police Service charged a 17-year-old youth with second-degree murder, robbery and possession of a weapon. The youth was a under a permanent guardianship order and living at the group home. As a result of the incident, Human Services Minister Irfan Sabir committed to a review of the home. Findings of the review were presented to the regional and provincial managers and executives. While the ICYHP facility met all provincial licensing and accreditation requirements, and while staff was committed to the well-being and safety of the youth in care, staff was not consistent in applying the policies and understanding the practise of harm reduction. On Nov. 10, E4C determined it would not re-open the home, partially because the location of the home was known to the public and compromised the safety of the youth. Concern has been raised that closure of the facility will have a negative impact on the region’s ability to place high-risk youth.