The Westerner for January 14, 2013
Meeting: chair, Rob Dunseith; music, Jerome; grace, Bob Kimmerly
Attendance/Guests: 31 including John Nypiuk, Rotary Club of Edmonton Mayfield; Robb Campre, guest speaker; Blair Bondar and Bryan Gamble, Guests of Darrel Ripley; Brent Birch, guest of Mike Ryan; Dennis Bell, guest of Darryll White
Integrity Awards: Kieran announced the Rotary Club of Edmonton West is looking for nominations of non Rotarians who exemplify the Rotary way of appraching life to be the recipient of our club's integrity award this year. Send nominations to her. Also, please plan to attend the awards ceremony on April 25 - it is usually a very moving program
ROTARY DAY: plan to attend May 11 to hear Rotary International President Tanaka
Gift Cards: see Brian to purchase
50/50: no match of cards by Darryll White and Doug MacDougall, $15 carried over
Finemaster: Darryll White raised funds by asking table questions on Rotary history
Guest Speaker: Darrel Ripley introduced Robb Campre, a member of Fort McKay First Nation, a former school counsellor and Edmonton Eskimo player. Robb owns several companies including Grazing Buffalo Construction and is involved in many community based organizations including Edmonton Economic Development. Robb lived his first 5 years on the Fort McKay Reserve, then moved with his family to Edmonton. Currently, in accordance with the Province of Alberta taking the initiative to become more involved in aboriginal affairs, he has been appointed to 2 more provincial boards.
His 2 boys are the centre of his life. If they want anything outside of the normal living expense items, they must earn the money to pay - they have to appreciate the value of things. Appreciation of value has been lost by the younger generations. Edmonton will soon be the largest aboriginal urban population in Canda with 60% being under 25 years of age. If they don't know or are not learning values, there could be disasterous results. Already the aboriginal population is a larger proportion of residents of jails, tetc. A lot of Robb's volunteer activity is to advise governments on aboriginal issues. Aboriginals need to become economically sustainable. Government dollars should used for start up of operations only. Continued living or operations should come from earned dollars.
City of Edmonton is the first in Canada to support aboringinal relations - they fund $1/2 million. Aboriginals are trying to create a place for special enterprises - buying real estate and other assets. A entity called WeeChetawin is an entry point for industry to access aboriginal workforce. Robb is trying to get industry to fund aboriginal enterprise in Edmonton like they do in Calgary. Fort Edmonton is a start to showcase the aboriginal community in relation to the non aborigainal community. Idle No More is a process to have the aboriginals become less paternalistic, reduce handouts and get the grass roots population involved in the relationship with the Government of Canada. Changes in treaties are being pushed through without consultation. Consultation has to occur and both parties have to agree.
Robb grew up on welfare, had to earn everything he wanted, sports was an outlet to get out of the welfare state, belonging to the Edmonton Eskimos gave him a strong sense of family values and gave him the resources to succeed. Robb was thanked by Kieran.