Edmonton food trucks helping the food bank
May 26, 2016. What the Truck?! will be accepting its first donations for Edmonton’s Food Bank this weekend. After numerous suggestions from both guests and vendors, Edmonton’s food truck extravaganza, What the Truck?!, has invited Edmonton’s Food Bank to collect monetary and food donations at this season’s events. What the Truck?! is a celebration of food trucks and food truck culture in Edmonton. The non-profit organization connects Edmontonians with food trucks for private events. What the Truck?! will be accepting donations for Edmonton’s Food Bank at the Expo Centre May 28 and 29, as well as Blatchford (June 18), Northlands Race Track (July 8), Telus Field (Aug. 20) and Churchill Square (Sept. 25).
PTSD, suicide prevention among topics to be discussed by fire chiefs
May 26, 2016. About 200 fire chiefs from across Alberta will be gathering in Calgary from May 28 to June 1 for the annual conference of the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association. “The fire events over the past month have brought attention to the important role of first responders and especially firefighters,” said Camrose Fire Chief Peter Krich, who serves as ACFA president. “Although the events in Fort McMurray are not an official part of our program, they will certainly be top of mind in discussions.” Among the topics to be discussed include post-traumatic stress disorder and related health issues; recruitment and retention; and suicide prevention.
Journalists to examine coverage of Indigenous communities, Indigenous issues
May 26, 2016. The quality, depth and quantity of reporting on Canada's Indigenous communities will be the focus of the Canadian Association of Journalists gathering in Edmonton May 27-28. "Canadian journalists can only benefit from gaining a better footing when it comes to reporting on Indigenous communities," said CAJ president Nick Taylor-Vaisey. Among the sessions will be “following the money in Indian country” led by APTN's Jorge Barrera and Melissa Ridgen, who will draw on their own experiences; and, a session on covering the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women as the national inquiry is about to get underway. The CAJ is Canada's largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing over 600 members across the country.
Two now charged in taking advantage of community assistance
May 26, 2016. The Claresholm RCMP have now charged a second person for fraudulently posing as a Fort McMurray evacuee to gain community assistance. On May 24, Jaime Lynn Cox, 39, was charged with five counts of fraud under $5,000. On May 15, Darryl Lincoln Joseph Rondeau, 46, was similarly charged. He pled guilty in Fort McLeod Provincial Court on Wednesday. Cox has been released from police custody and is scheduled to appear in Fort McLeod Provincial Court on June 1. The investigation began May 12, when the RCMP received a complaint from Family and Community Support Services that a couple was claiming to be evacuees from the Fort McMurray wildfires. An investigation determined that they had never lived in Fort McMurray and had no ties to Alberta and that they were taking advantage of the people in the community of Claresholm, who thought they were helping people who lost their home in the wildfires. Citizens provided a place to stay, clothes, meals and a purchase of work boots.
Transit pass to be made available to low income families in Edmonton
May 26, 2016. As part of a joint effort to reduce and prevent poverty, the provincial government and Edmonton are developing a cost-shared low income transit pass to increase access to public transit and connect families to community supports and resources. The province has committed $6.2 million over three years - half the cost - toward the low income transit pass. It is estimated that 20,000 people each month would be eligible for, and make use of, a low-income transit pass program. Alberta Human Services will provide $213,000 in 2016, $2 million in 2017 and $4 million in 2018. “This is a key End Poverty Edmonton recommendation and significantly advances the city's partnership with the Alberta government on meeting the needs of our vulnerable population," said Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson in a statement.
Buffalo receives one more honour
May 26, 2016. Former Chief of the Samson Cree Nation Victor S. Buffalo was inducted into the Junior Achievement Alberta Business Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Edmonton May 5. Buffalo’s economic accomplishments have been considerable. He was one of the guiding forces behind Peace Hills Trust Company, Canada’s first and largest Aboriginal-owned financial institution owned entirely by the Samson Nation; and he won a landmark breach of trust lawsuit in 2005 against Canada that permitted the Samson Cree Nation to gain control of $350 million of their own oil and gas revenues, which is now secured in the Kisoniyaminaw Heritage Trust Fund. Buffalo is also passionate about education. In 1980, he established the Samson Education Trust Fund, which presently sits at $30 million. Samson Cree Nation now has one of the highest ratios of post-secondary graduates to population of any First Nation in Canada. This is only one of many recognitions bestowed upon Buffalo. In 2005, he received an Alberta Centennial Medal in recognition of his many contributions to the province; in 2006, he was inducted into the Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business; in 2007 he was appointed to the Alberta Order of Excellence; and in 2008 he was invested into the Order of Canada at the Officer level.
RISE plans events to commemorate anniversary of release of TRC report
May 26, 2016. RISE Edmonton will join with others across Canada June 2 as part of a mass blanket exercise marking the one year anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report and 94 calls to action. The blanket exercise will take place at city hall and is one of a number of events planned for next week. On Monday, RISE and Stantec will reimagine RISE’s Reconciling Edmonton project in combination with the RISE Heart Garden in the lobby of Stantec’s downtown offices. On Tuesday, RISE will unveil Walk with Me in the lobby of the Boyle Street building. This interactive audio installation shares the stories of neighbours, colleagues, and friends in reconciliation. On June 4, there will be a pop-up round dance at 2 p.m. at the Federal Building plaza on the Legislature grounds near the original site of Fort Edmonton.