As we take this month to celebrate the holiday season and look ahead to the New Year, Albertans can rest assured that their friends and neighbours from diverse groups are supported and empowered.
This fall, I was pleased to announce that the Alberta government ensured the Victims of Crime Fund will receive an additional $4.5 million in available money to improve the scope and quality of programs for victims of crime in five key areas. Available funding will almost double for police-based victim services units in seven municipalities—including Calgary—and will go towards police-based victim services units, support for domestic violence survivors, help for victims in court, restorative justice initiatives and expanding outreach services for Indigenous victims.
I commend the staff and volunteers as they carry out this important work each day.
The Lubicon Lake Band, the Government of Alberta, and the Government of Canada recently reached a historic settlement to long-standing land claim while also securing treaty benefits for members. The agreement includes a land allocation of more than 246 square kilometres for the Lubicon Lake Band, as well as $95 million in financial compensation from Canada. In addition, Alberta is providing $18 million. The agreement can be seen as decades in the making and is a meaningful step toward reconciliation.
Lastly, Albertans now have a dedicated advocate for persons with disabilities. The advocate, Tony Flores, will help them resolve issues, find supports, and promote inclusion. The Alberta government invested $1 million in Budget 2018 to establish the Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities, and the advocate was selected after an open competition process. More than 1,300 Albertans provided input into this role. For more information, please visit: https://www.alberta.ca/advocate-persons-disabilities.aspx
I wish everyone a safe and happy holidays and New Year. As always, I’m happy to hear from constituents. If you have feedback to offer, please contact my constituency office: [email protected].
