Calgary Citizen Newsletter Thursday Oct. 26

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Good morning, there!

Closer to Home’s annual Adopt-a-Family campaign is launching today and the organization has already identified a 40% higher need of families requesting support during the holiday season. Donations go towards providing gift cards to over 800 vulnerable families, which empowers recipients to buy what they know they need for their families to get through the holiday season. It’s a great way to give back to the community and make a difference.

- Krista Sylvester, Managing Editor

👀 In today's edition:

• Woman seeks support for seed planters of the future

• Child sled into car in toboggan accident

• New biography of former leader details ancestry

Today’s read time: Approx. 4 minutes

QUICK POLL

WORTH KNOWING

🌧️ Today: High -5C, Low -13C. See the 7-day forecast.

🚗 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation, and find the city’s traffic report and road closures.

⚠️ Here’s the current smoke forecast / check Calgary wildfire and fire restrictions and the Alberta Wildfire Dashboard.

Funding shortfall threatens Indigenous children's cultural celebration

Before the drums start to echo at the Doreen Turning Robe Tiny Tots Memorial Powwow 2023 on Nov. 3, Shannon Genest of the Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society’s team is sharing the importance of the event her late mother started. The Doreen Turning Robe Memorial Tiny Tots Powwow serves as a fundraiser that helps Indigenous children access powwows and the chance to celebrate their culture. Unfortunately, this year’s Tiny Tots Powwow has faced funding challenges, with one of its key partners unable to provide its usual support.

Legacy of Empowerment: The children who attended the powwows with their families when they were initially introduced have returned to actively support the event, ensuring the legacy of Jacobs-Turning Robe's mission endures.

Call for Support: As one of the most underfunded shelters in Alberta, the need for volunteers, donations, and in-kind contributions to support Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society's mission is paramount.

Calgary Citizen’s former intern and MRU student Ashley Pfeifer spoke with Genest about the upcoming event and its importance.

Related Story

Need to know

🛷 A Calgary child suffered serious injuries after riding a toboggan into a residential road, striking an SUV.

👮 Calgary’s top cop is defending having police at last week’s prayer breakfast that heard anti-LGBTQ2S+ rhetoric and residential school denialism.

🚑 An infant was taken for medical care after almost drowning in a southeast condo.

⛺ Prior to the first snowfall, several Calgarians experiencing homelessness shared their experiences, challenges, and concerns with Global News.

👮 Officers weren’t acting out of the ordinary when they engaged in a shootout that left a suspect dead in a northeast strip mall, police Chief says.

🏒 Hockey Calgary has drafted new interim rules to guide proper behaviour in dressing rooms to comply with a new national policy.

💔 Victim speaks out after learning Calgary man posing as Halloween character Michael Myers is back in court.

💸 More people are visiting the Calgary Food Bank than ever before, according to a new report.

🚓 Circumstances have changed: Calgary councillor Raj Dhaliwal stepping away from the police commission.

🏒 It’s time for the Calgary Flames to listen to their fans and go in a new direction, according to this writer.

🎒 Calgary’s Child Magazine’s free weekly newsletter is packed with family-friendly activities, local events, excursions, and giveaways. Sign up here and never hear “I’m bored” again!

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

New biography of popular former leader Peter Lougheed details his Indigenous ancestry

Combining the approaches of political biography and historical narrative, The Premier and His Grandmother by Doris Jeanne MacKinnon introduces readers to two compelling and complex public figures: the late Isabella Clarke Hardisty Lougheed and her grandson, the late Edgar Peter Lougheed, who served as Alberta’s 10th premier. Her book explores the life of Lougheed in the context of his grandmother, a Métis woman born in northern fur trade country and who later established herself in Calgary as Lady Lougheed of Beaulieu House. We spoke with MacKinnon about her book that comes out on Nov. 18 during Métis Week.

What do you think people will be surprised to learn? 

As I shared the details of my earlier book, audiences were often surprised to learn that Peter Lougheed was of Indigenous ancestry. This led me to believe that readers would appreciate learning more about this aspect of Peter Lougheed's history. While there have been many studies that explored Peter Lougheed's political ideology and contributions, most have made only passing reference to his Indigenous ancestry. I believe that many who read my newest book will be equally surprised to learn of this aspect of his history, and they will discover the details of how he approached matters that impacted Indigenous people when he served as premier informative.

Why is it important to reflect on this type of history?

As someone who did not learn about the history of Indigenous people nor how colonial policies impacted them until I returned to post-secondary studies as a mature student, I think that reflecting on the type of history that I write about is critical to our collective journey of truth and reconciliation. Although there is now more attention devoted to Indigenous history, I think that it is fair to say that many Canadians still do not have a comprehensive understanding of our collective history. If we do not understand the truth of our history, then reconciliation becomes ever more difficult to achieve.

What do you hope readers get from your book?

I hope that my book inspires readers to seek out more stories like those I discovered and share in my books. I hope that readers and researchers continue to explore the stories of Indigenous people as a way to learn from them about their diverse cultures and their important contributions to our communities and indeed to our country.

Where to eat and drink

🍴 Poutinarama: This eatery specializes in Montreal-style poutine in various flavours, including classic, butter chicken, pulled pork, smoked meat, and more.

🍴 Lina’s Italian Piazza: Lina's Italian Market’s Inglewood spot features a massive grocery area, a coffee bar for your caffeine fix, gelato, and even a dine-in restaurant.

🍴 Stonyslope Brewing Company: This Haysboro brewery was named after a schoolhouse on the owners' family farm in Alberta. Enjoy delicious food and drinks.

Have a food or drink suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

Local specials

💸 403 Local: Every Sunday is Happy Hour All Day with 50-cent wings and $8.50 caesars with $5/lb of wings on Wednesdays.

💸 Black Bird Public Urban Barn: On Tuesdays, enjoy $2.50 tacos from 4pm to close, $1 off bottles of Corona, and $1 off Stoli flavoured vodka.

💸 Jubilations Dinner Theatre: Students and seniors can take advantage of the Jubilations’ $51.25 special pricing every Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Catch Top Gunn: A Maverick Musical starting on Oct. 28.

Have a promo suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

Things to do

🎟️ A performance by Nikamo: Artist collective Nikamo is celebrating the release of its debut by performing songs in a partnership with Bell and the National Music Centre is an official partner of the initiative.

🎟️ The Robot Restaurant Show: Calgarians will get to experience a culture-filled night similar to the world-renowned Japanese Robot Restaurant this November.

🎟️ Wildlife Park for Kids: Did you know that Market Mall has a newly renovated 1,800-square-foot supervised playground that provides a fun, safe environment for children? Grab the kids and check it out.

Have an event suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

READER PIC

That’s it! Thanks for reading. If you have a hot story tip you want to share, feel free to reply back anytime.

We’ll see you back here on Tuesday, same time, same place!

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