Boyle McCauley News

Since 1979 • April-May 2024 • Circulation 5000

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The Long Road to Healing

February 19th, 2021: Almost 10 years after her death, the Edmonton Law Courts was the scene of some measures of justice for Cindy Gladue and her family. Bradley Barton was found guilty of manslaughter. Language used to describe Cindy Gladue was respectful, not discriminatory. No body parts were brought into the courtroom. Fuller details were brought forward for the Jury to consider.

February 17th, 2021: The City of Edmonton introduced a report called “City of Edmonton Indigenous Framework.” This framework guides the City and City staff in building positive and respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples. The Framework references the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the 231 Calls to Justice from the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People is also a foundational piece of this Framework.

February 14th, 2020: The 30th year for the Women’s Memorial March was held in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. While volunteers in Edmonton have organized a Memorial March since 2006, the pandemic made that too challenging this year.

December 31st, 2020: The Alberta Avenue Community League announced steps to name a park as a memorial for missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Liz John-West, spokeswoman for the working group, said the process will take several years. The group wants to meet with Elders to discern the name for the park. The City process requires public engagement and approvals.

December 4th, 2020: Kathy King was honoured with a Stars of Alberta Award for her advocacy work on behalf of her daughter, and all missing and murdered women and girls. She is also working on the park memorial project. Her daughter Cara was last seen along 118 Avenue in 1997. Her body was recovered later from a farmer’s field. Her murder has never been solved.

December 7th, 2020: The City approved a bylaw change for ward boundaries and Indigenous Ward names. This was the final step in the political process after Indigenous Elders and community leaders approached City Council. Seventeen women on the committee of Indigenous matriarchs, iyiniw iskwewak wihtwawin, gave traditional names to the City’s naming committee. Boyle Street and McCauley is in O-day’min, an Anishinaabe word meaning strawberry or heart-berry, “the heart through which the North Saskatchewan river runs.”

If you know of recent initiatives in our community that were missed or are underway, please contact Boyle McCauley News.

Kate Quinn is the Executive Director of the Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation (CEASE).

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