At a Glance: May 24 - June 4
Indigenous Leader Withdraws Endorsement of Alberta’s Draft Curriculum
Lubicon Lake Chief and Treaty 8 Grand Chief of Education Billy-Joe Laboucan has withdrawn his support for the UCP’s new curriculum drafts after endorsing the draft in late March. Before speaking at the news conference where he expressed his support for the curriculum, Laboucan had only read a page and a half summary of the proposed inclusion of Indigenous people and their history. After reading the full draft, he stated that he felt mislead and as though he was being used as the ‘token Indian’ as he decided that the proposed draft curriculum was not adequate.
Other Indigenous leaders, including Metis residential school survivor Betty Letendre, expressed their discomfort with the government’s consultation process on the curriculum feeling as though they were used as tokens by the UCP government to validate the curriculum. The Metis Nation of Alberta has called for the government to rewrite the curriculum following ‘monumental concerns about the Euro-American colonial undertones.’
Alberta Universities Ordered to Cut Ties with China
Alberta’s Minister of Advanced Education Demetrios Nicolaides, ordered four universities to pause and review all relationships with the People’s Republic of China and Chinese Communist Party. In his letter to the University of Calgary, University of Alberta, University of Lethbridge, and Athabasca University, Minister Nicolaides expressed his concerns with the potential theft of intellectual property and foreign state infiltration into Alberta’s research and innovation centres for use by Chinese military and intelligence agencies.
The issues with partnerships between our post-secondary institutions and China is not unique to Alberta, having been heavily debated in the US and Australia as well. The universities have 90 days to submit their reports to the government after a thorough review that ensures their partnerships follow stringent risk assessments and due diligence.
215 Indigenous Children’s Remains Discovered in a Kamloops Residential School Mass Grave
Last weekend, it was confirmed that the remains of 215 children were discovered in a mass grave outside of Kamloops, BC at a former residential school. They were discovered by ground penetrating radar that was used to locate the remains. Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, who hired the specialist to investigate, believes that all of the discovered bodies were undocumented deaths, with some children as young as three years old.
This discovery has served as a devastating reminder of Canada’s horrifying history with its Indigenous population and the work that remains as Canada continues to work towards reconciliation. Indigenous communities and their allies across Canada are stricken with grief and has highlighted the lasting impacts of intergenerational trauma on their members. Advocacy for Indigenous communities has increased following this discovery that has made international headlines, with protests occurring across Canada including within Edmonton.
UCP Constituency Associations Demand Loewen & Barnes Be Reinstated in Caucus
The UCP constituency associations (CAs) for Central Peace – Notley and Cypress – Medicine Hat made demands that their MLAs, Todd Loewen and Drew Barnes, be reinstated into the United Conservative Caucus. This follows the two MLAs being punted from caucus during mid-May following Barnes and Loewen becoming increasingly vocal with their dissent against Premier Kenney.
The Central Peace – Notley made their demand for their MLA to be reinstated into caucus nearly immediately following Loewen’s removal from caucus, with the Cypress – Medicine Hat CA following suit this week. Additionally, the Central Peace – Notley board has allowed Loewen to continue serving their board as an ex-officio member. Both CAs cite the party’s bylaws on grassroot policies and democracy in their reasoning. The internal tension within the United Conservative Party and its caucus that led to this situation comes from members clashing over COVID-19 restrictions and issues regarding the Fair Deal Panel.
Insurance Provider Won’t Renew TMX’s Coverage
Agro Group International Holdings Ltd., the insurance provider for the Trans Mountain (TMX) pipeline, has now stated that it does not intend to renew their insurance policy with TMX when it expires in August. The company has stated that the project no longer fits within their risk appetite.
Through regulatory approval, TMX had protected the identity of its insurers, arguing that identifying them could lead to inflated prices and prejudice its competitive position. This has truth as other insurance underwriters, such as Zurich Insurance Group AG, also have felt the pressures from environmental and Indigenous groups against the government owned pipeline, therefore also dropping TMX as a client. Construction for the expansion of the TMX is on track to be completed in less than 2 years. However, without insurance coverage there is no ability to operate the pipeline. This has been something environmental groups have been advocating for, such as the Sunrise Project, since the government’s acquisition of the pipeline.
