SCHOOL BOARD TAKING WAITAND-SEE APPROACH TO SCHOOL FEES PROPOSAL
LAWYER URGES MORE FUNDING FOR RESEARCH INTO CHRONIC FATIGUE PAGE B2
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THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2017 || NEWS || SPORTS || CENTRAL ALBERTA BUSINESS || FEATURES || ENTERTAINMENT
KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE
Maskwacis has eyes on the goal BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF
Maskwacis — For this First Nations community, winning Kraft Hockeyville would be its Stanley Cup. Ermineskin Cree Nation Chief Randy Ermineskin believes how big winning Kraft Hockeyville would be hasn’t fully sunk in for many. “I don’t think a lot of (residents) realize the impact it’s going to have on the community to have NHL teams come to your community. “Some of them will never have another opportunity to watch another NHL game in their life.” It’s the kind of shared community experience that will live long after the event, Ermineskin expects. “I think it’s going inspire them to encourage others to play and I think it’s going to help them in their future lives. “I think the community is just going to come behind us and help us in whatever way to make sure our kids are first and foremost.” By making the final 10, Maskwacis has already won $25,000. Online voting takes place Sunday and Monday to pick the final two, one each from the East and West. The final two will be announced on March 18 and each will win $100,000. The overall winner, and the community that gets to host an NHL pre-season game, will be announced on April 1. To vote go to www.khv2017.ca and click on Neyaskweyahk Arena. If they win the $100,000 it will be used to extend the lobby to create a warm viewing area for elders to watch the games among other upgrades. “The lighting needs to be improved and the dressing rooms really need some attention,” he said. “Last year we had to shut down for a whole year and that really hurt our community. We lost a season.” A broken ice plant needed fixing but when engineers took a look at the aging rink’s equipment replacement was recommended, which meant a $500,000 bill. Darren Simon, president of the Maskwacis Minor Hockey Association, said there are more than 250 youngsters playing on 13 teams, seven of which have their home ice at the Neyaskweyahk Arena. The arena means a lot to the community. “I have three sons who would live at the arena if they could,” he said. One of them, nine-year-old Tralen Simon, is a big Calgary Flames fan and would love to see his
Photos by PAUL COWLEY/Advocate staff
Dancers and the drum group from Ermineskin Cree Nation’s senior and junior high school performed on Friday at an event to encourage the community to get out the online vote for Kraft Hockeyville. hockey heroes up close. Tara Cutarm, communications manager for Ermineskin Cree Nation, said the junior and senior high school are hosting a voting party on Sunday to help rally the community of 4,500, which is about half the total population of Maskwacis. Computers in the band’s employment centre have also been freed up so residents can vote online. “The community really needs to come together and step up and do what we can because this is for our kids,” she said. Sylvan Lake, which won Kraft Hockeyville in 2014, is in Maskwacis’s corner. Mayor Sean McIntyre says in a message of support it’s all about helping neighbours. “I consider Maskwacis to be our neighbours because in our hour of need they were among those who were there for us, providing ice time for Sylvan Lake teams and their support in the Hockeyville competition.” Maskwacis offered Sylvan Lake ice time when one of the town’s two arenas collapsed under snow load in January 2014.
Ermineskin Cree Nation Chief Randy Ermineskin would love to see his community come out on tops in Kraft Hockeyville 2017. The $100,000 prize would go towards renovations at Neyaskweyahk Arena.
DAUGHTERS OF THE VOTE
Roan eager to make difference after Ottawa experience BY MARY-ANN BARR ADVOCATE STAFF
as did the only woman to ever be prime minister, Kim Campbell. Roan missed school to atIt may be too early to say whether Shayntend the event however she na Roan will follow the footsteps of her fasaid she probably learned so mous grandfather, former Alberta MP Wilmuch more than if she had been ton Littlechild. in class. She’s on the right path though — having For one thing, she met other already sat in the House of Commons at the indigenous woman from across young age of 19, and studying International Canada, and she said her eyes studies at university with an eye toward inwere opened to the Islamophoternational law. bia that some Muslim women Roan and Littlechild are members of the face. Ermineskin Cree Nation in Maskwacis. Her grandfather, also known She was one of the Daughters of the as Willie Littlechild, served as Vote — 338 young women from across Cana member of Parliament from ada who sat in the House of Commons par1988 to 1993 for the riding of liamentary seats in Ottawa on Wednesday, Wetaskiwin-Rimbey, and was a International Women’s Day. The group also parliamentary delegate to the attended seminars and met politicians all United Nations. Contributed photo week in Ottawa. He co-chaired the Truth and Daughters of the Voice was organized by LEFT: Wilton Littlechild, a former MP, is Shaynna Roan’s grandfather. Reconciliation Commission, Equal Voice, a national multi-partisan orga- RIGHT: Shaynna Roan was one of the Daughters of the Vote — 338 young women which travelled across Canada nization focused on electing more women to from across Canada who sat in the House of Commons on Wednesday. to allow survivors of residenpolitical office in Canada. tial schools to share their storeally what it’s like, but after this experience it ries. He also served as North American represen“It was a really great experience. Not that many people get to sit in the House of Com- makes you want to make a big difference.” tative to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous She said that once she waited over three hours Issues. mons, especially as an indigenous woman,” Roan to see Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he was said between airports on her way home Friday. He was the first Treaty First Nation person to She went into the event not knowing what to ex- speaking at a small venue on the University of Sas- earn his law degree from the University of Alberpect. She learned about the struggle other women katchewan campus in Saskatoon. But she never ta, in 1976. He was also an accomplished athlete. face politically, or just daily. Did it inspire her to did get to meet him. Roan said her grandfather was right when he Little did she know that she would eventually told her before she went to Ottawa that it would one day enter politics? “Before this I was always kind of thinking about see him in the House of Commons when he ad- be a great experience. it but was a little hesitant because I had no idea dressed the Daughters of the Voice on Wednesday, barr@reddeeradvocate.com