At a Glance - August 24
New Supreme Court Justice Nominated
In order to fill the future retirement of Justice Michael J. Moldaver, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Michelle O’Bonsawin has been nominated to become the newest justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Before her appointment can be made official, the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights will meet on August 24th. She will also become the first Indigenous woman to sit as a Supreme Court justice (Odanak First Nation).
Justice O’Bonsawin was most recently appointed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in 2017 following nearly a decade serving as general counsel for the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group. She also served spent time practicing law with the RCMP and Canada Post. Outside of practice, she has taught Indigenous law and has frequently spoke on Gladue principles as well as on mental health, labour, and privacy law.
Alberta Releases Proposed Policing Model for Province
Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Tyler Shandro publicly shared more details about the government’s potential development of a provincial police force. Alberta has been investigating the merits of severing the policing agreement with the RCMP in favour of a home-grown solution. In the proposed model, one of the cornerstone commitments is to have 275 officers serve out of Alberta’s 42 smallest detachments in an effort to improve response times in rural communities.
The province is also utilize a network of 20-30 service hub detachments to support larger municipalities which would staff between 48 and 192 officers. There would also be three urban hubs that would house forensic and investigative units while also serving as regional hubs. A provincial police force would also provide support for First Nations to self-administer police services through hub detachments. Organizations such as Alberta Municipalities have released statements criticizing the province’s lack of consultation with municipalities on the prospect of provincial policing.
Calling Vancouverites and Torontonians
Alberta has launched a new public relations offensive designed to attract skilled workers from Canada’s two largest cities to make a new home in the wild rose province. Dubbed ‘Alberta is Calling’, the province will invest $2.6 million to run ads on social media and more traditional avenues like public transit posters and media. Phase one of the effort has already begun while the second phase will begin in mid-September.
Premier Jason Kenney was optimistic about the possibilities, saying “Alberta’s Recovery Plan has been so effective in growing the economy that we are now facing a shortage of skilled workers across several sectors. Fortunately, Alberta has among the best opportunities and the highest quality of life in Canada, so we’re excited to make our case to Canadians, and let the facts speak for themselves. This campaign will show Canadians in major cities the amazing life that awaits them in Alberta.”
Edmonton Votes Down Prairie Sky Gondola Proposal
By a vote of 12-1, Edmonton City Council has declined to grant Prairie Sky the proposed lease agreement required to move forward with the much-discussed project. The lone dissident was Councillor Karen Principe. As a result of the vote, the proposal was accepted as information only. Leading up to the vote, concerns about disrupting traditional Indigenous burial grounds near the Rossdale power plant added to the hesitation to grant approval.
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi provided some insight into his decision to vote against approving the project. “There could be remains anywhere and everywhere on this site and I just cannot in good conscience support a project that even have the slightest doubt that could be built on ancestral burial ground, particularly when we have made such a strong commitment as a city to reconciliation with Indigenous communities."