The Pulse: Nov. 29, 2023

NorQuest College and the Rupertsland Institute have launched Canada's first Métis student centre after students voiced concern about their culture's lack of representation.

The centre will act as a connection point for post-secondary students and the Rupertsland Institute, an affiliate of the Métis Nation of Alberta. It will offer access to the institute's advisors, who can help students with applications, emergency and technology funding, tutoring support, and more.

In addition to being the first Métis-specific student centre in Canada, students were instrumental in its creation.

"I think it's important that a student is leading this because students understand each other, especially in this generation," Skyler Wong, Métis Student Services Centre coordinator, told Taproot. "All of the ideas that we've come up with, we've thought about, 'What would we want to see if we were here?'"

Wong identifies as Métis and has been involved with the Rupertsland Institute since early 2023, receiving funding from the organization and later securing an internship with it. Soon after he graduated from MacEwan University earlier this year, the Rupertsland Institute hired him to develop and launch the student centre, as well as to facilitate the conversation between students, the institute, and NorQuest.

The Rupertsland Institute also collected anecdotal and quantitative data from students across Alberta. Métis students sent a clear message that they felt their identity was lost in the fray, said Donna Bell, manager of Indigenous relations and support at NorQuest.

NorQuest does have an Indigenous student centre, called Miyo-pimâtisiwin, which offers an inclusive space and services to Indigenous students. But Bell said Métis culture always felt like an add-on rather than a focus.

"It's great if you're lucky enough to have an Indigenous centre in your space, but it's really super great to see that you're more than just a sash hanging on a wall," Bell said.

• City council finalized the fall budget adjustments, setting property tax rates of 6.6% in 2024, 5.3% in 2025, and 4.7% in 2026 to maintain most city services at current levels amid rising costs and lower revenues. In 2024, the average household will pay $747 in property taxes for every $100,000 of assessed home value, the city said. The budget includes funding to operate the Metro Line LRT to NAIT Station, increased bus service hours, and more money to advance the city's Anti-Racism Strategy. Council also approved a $105-million increase to the capital budget, including $15.3 million for critical renewal projects, $15.8 million to buy 20 new diesel buses, and $22.9 million for affordable housing. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said the budget discussions were "by far the toughest" he's ever been a part of.
• The Bissell Centre and Youth Empowerment and Social Services (YESS) are fundraising for child and youth programs on Giving Tuesday amid rising poverty and mental health needs. Bissell Centre's "Feed Our Little Ones" program aims to raise $100,000 to provide meals for children in its childcare program, with EPCOR matching donations up to $25,000. YESS is seeking donations for its wellness integration team to support youth in crisis, with the goal to fully fund an additional 10 spaces in their program. Both organizations say they have seen a demand for their services over the past year, with one in six Edmonton children under the age of 17 living in poverty.
• Edmonton landlord and community advocate Mully Tesfay is leading an effort to help people experiencing homelessness find a place to live. Tesfay began acquiring properties in the area of 109 Avenue and 97 Street a few years ago to help house people in need, and hires people living on the streets to help with renovations and upkeep. "I don't call myself a landlord, I call myself a friend of the community," Tesfay told CBC. Hope Mission has referred several tenants to Tesfay. Adeoluwa Adeoye, a manager with the agency, said "successful housing outcomes for the vulnerable and marginalized population in Edmonton" requires collaboration with landlords.
• Edmonton's Jewish community is enhancing security measures for Chanukah events this year following the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and rising anti-Semitism concerns. The University of Alberta will host its first ever Chanukah celebration on Dec. 7, while the 32nd annual menorah lighting at the Alberta legislature is scheduled for Dec. 10. "Because there is this increase in darkness, as Jews we know we need to increase the light, increasing goodness and kindness in the world," said Rabbi Ari Drelich.
• Edmonton's housing market affordability could lead to a trend of home buyers relocating to the city from other parts of Canada. Average total residential prices were about 396,550 in October, while the price of a detached home averaged about $486,751. Many younger Canadians, first-time home buyers, and new immigrants see Edmonton in a favourable light because of its relative affordability compared to other housing markets across the country, says Max Singh with The Mortgage Group. "In Edmonton, you can live in quite a nice neighbourhood for around the $350,000 mark," he said. A recent Conference Board of Canada report found that 8,900 people moved to Edmonton from other provinces in 2022, ending a six-year streak of net losses to other parts of the country.
• The provincial government is seeking public input for Budget 2024 to help set financial priorities, with a focus on balancing the budget, and stimulating economic growth and job creation. Albertans can share their feedback through an online survey or by submitting proposals through an online portal until Jan. 19. They can also take part in telephone town halls with Finance Minister Nate Horner on Dec. 11 and 12. Budget 2024 will be released in February. Last year's consultation saw over 23,000 survey responses and around 25,000 telephone town hall participants.
• The provincial government introduced the Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program (ACCIP) to provide industries with up to 12% of new eligible capital project costs for carbon capture, utilization, and storage technology integration. The program aims to support the reduction of emissions in sectors such as oil and gas, hydrogen, and cement. Premier Danielle Smith said the grant is expected to bring in $35 billion in new investment over the next ten years. The provincial funding is contingent on federal support. The government says it is still working on the specifics of the program, with more details expected in spring 2024.

On this day in 1960, history buffs debated the identity of a wreckage that dated back to Edmonton's riverboat days.

Were the remains of a riverboat half buried in gravel near the Walterdale Bridge those of the City of Edmonton or the Strathcona? Both were well-known boats in Edmonton's early years but, by 1960, all that was left was "rotting planks held together by rusty spikes," according to the Edmonton Journal.

Whether the wreckage was the Edmonton or the Strathcona, the vessel found a fitting resting place in the river near the Walterdale Bridge, given the span was named for the man who built both boats.

Riverboats changed the way people travelled to and through the Prairies. The first such boat to reach Fort Edmonton was the Hudson's Bay Company's Northcote, in 1875. While Indigenous people had long used canoes to travel the North Saskatchewan River, and later European fur traders used canoes as well, the introduction of steam-powered riverboats offered unprecedented speed. The Northcote made the journey from Lake Winnipeg to Edmonton in about 14 days, many weeks faster than the trip would take over land.

Sandbars, low water levels, and the strong current all made the river journey difficult. (The word Saskatchewan is based on the Cree word kisiskâciwan, which means "fast-flowing.") But within the next decade, the Hudson's Bay Company had a small fleet of riverboats that connected Fort Edmonton to Winnipeg — the Lily, the Northwest, the Manitoba, and the Marquis. While these boats transported passengers, transporting heavy cargo cheaply and quickly was the central business.

It was around the same time that John Walter started a business building boats. Walter had moved to Fort Edmonton in 1870 to take a five-year contract to build smaller York boats for the Hudson's Bay Company. When his term was up, he settled on a parcel of land on the south bank of the North Saskatchewan. There, he created an independent boat-building company — the start of what would grow into a small industrial empire.

In the 1900s, Walter's workshop produced two steam-powered riverboats: the City of Edmonton, a sternwheeler, and the Strathcona, a sidewheeler. On weekdays, both riverboats hauled cargo for Walter's lumberyard and other businesses; on the weekends and holidays, they carried passengers. The City of Edmonton could hold 400 people at a time and included live entertainment and a dance floor.

Walter was a savvy businessman and offered passengers scenic cruises to Big Island on his boats; he had purchased the land for timber but had plans to turn it into a summer resort. The cruises became a popular weekend activity for Edmontonians wishing to escape the city.

By the 1910s, riverboats were falling out of favour. The railroad had reached Edmonton and became the favoured method for transporting passengers and cargo. Then 1915 saw a devastating flood in the river valley that wiped out Walter's businesses. Soon after, both steamships stopped running. At least one of them ended up buried in gravel near Walterdale Bridge.

Today, one riverboat still churns along the North Saskatchewan. The Edmonton Queen was launched in 1995. That boat has faced rough waters since the beginning. Most recently, the boat spent two years being repaired after being damaged by a large wave. This fall saw The Common celebrate its 14th anniversary with a party aboard the Edmonton Queen.

This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist @revRecluse of @VintageEdmonton.