Edmonton News Briefs - August 2014

Aboriginal artists big part of The Works

Edmonton City Hall stands as the backdrop to the Alberta Aboriginal Arts Tipi on Churchill Square. The tipi exhibited the work of contemporary emerging Edmonton Aboriginal artists from Dreamspeakers on Tour, Amiskwaciy Academy, and youth participants from Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts
and was one of many exhibits at this year’s The Works festival. The festival had 25 different sites.

The Bissell Centre has put a recovery plan in place to deal with the fire that devastated its temporary Thrift Shoppe. Sea-Can storage containers will be used to collect donations at Bissell Centre headquarters. Mark Holmgren, Bissell Centre CEO, said his staff  have “persevered (through) the darkest hours facing two fires nine months apart.” The fire destroyed over 100,000 pieces of clothing and household goods destined for homeless and less fortunate Edmontonians. Community agencies, businesses, organizations and radio stations have lent a hand, offering to accept and store donations until suitable storage is organized in anticipation of the permanent store reopening in late October. The cost to re-open the thrift shop is estimated at $100,000, with the organization undertaking an online fundraiser in early August to raise a $25,000 shortfall in funding. The re-opening of the store is vital as it provides $60,000 in annual revenue after expenses to support various Bissell Centre programs and services.

Homeward Trust Edmonton will receive $32 million over the next five years to put toward a new permanent housing project for Aboriginal clients which will include a dedicated team of staff. CEO Susan McGee said the funding will allow the organization to engage in new capital projects and programs. In making the funding announcement in early July, Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose said Homeward Trust’s “housing first” approach was to be commended for providing stable housing for those who had addictions or mental health issues and then providing help for those issues.

Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society received $40,000 from the Edmonton Community Foundation to go toward the purchase of a school bus for the White Cloud Head Start Program. The program is designed to support Aboriginal preschoolers with a positive sense of themselves, their culture. It offers an opportunity for youngsters to develop the skills to be successful in the school system. The bus will help families overcome a key barrier to participation. Bent Arrow is among nine initiatives to share in $279,830 in grant funding from ECF. Through permanent endowment funds, ECF currently disburses four per cent of the income to greater Edmonton charities.

Irene Fraser, of Millet, is one of two Edmonton-area people to join the Order of Canada. Fraser was named as a member for “her work as a social justice advocate who champions the fair treatment of First Nations and Métis people in the justice system.” Fraser, who was born in Alberta, spent much of her life working in Saskatchewan where she focused on highlighting Aboriginal issues. In 2003, she worked with the Indian Residential Schools Secretariat on implementation of the residential schools claims process. She helped train the lawyers and adjudicators who would hear the claims of former students who were abused. Jim Carter, of Spruce Grove and former president of Syncrude, was the other local recipient. The award recognizes a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation and is given to people of all sectors of Canadian society.

Two projects aimed at youth at-risk have received funding from the Edmonton Arts Council, the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton Community Foundation. Local DJ and b-boy dancer Matt Wood aka Creeasian will take residency in the Boyle Street Education Centre, helping the youth to develop skills in music, production, recording and promoting, with the ultimate goal of releasing a collaborative Boyle Street Education Centre mix tape. The Film and Video Arts Society of Alberta received funding to run a three-week production workshop guiding participants in the creation of individual artistic video works, which will be premiered to an audience of family, peers, street youths, students and community workers. FAVA has run the successful Future Visions program for 10 of the last 11 years, but recently lost primary funding. With this funding, they will be able to continue with the program.

Compiled by Shari Narine