National Indigenous News July 17

Darrell Stranger takes a look at some of the latest Indigenous news making headlines across the country. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Good afternoon. Here is a look at your Raven News. More than 30 million illegal cigarettes were found by authorities at a commercial property in Edmonton in June, constituting the largest contraband tobacco seizure ever made by Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis. The AGLC and Edmonton Police Service executed several search warrants on multiple people between June 18th and 23rd. In total, they seized 148,000 cartons, worth 31.6 million cigarettes, with a retail value of $29 million. The products also represent a provincial tax avoidance of $9.4 million, according to the AGLC. In a separate investigation into one person, the AGLC seized $859,000 worth of illegal cigarettes from a home, retail store, and storage lockers in Moorinville last month. Criminal charges are pending in both cases. So far this year, the AGLC has seized $45 million illegal cigarettes representing a provincial tax avoidance of $13.5 million. There's a new women's professional soccer club in Calgary, and it's already got people plenty excited. With more on the new team, here is Joanna Luna.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

The Calgary Wild Women's Football Club is playing tonight at 7 o'clock. Lara Murphy is the CEO of Calgary Wild Women's Football Club.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

We have our Friday night light match here in Calgary at McMahon Stadium against the Montreal Roses. So we're really excited to play under the lights against uh Montreal, and um it'll be our first match under the lights this season. So encouraging everyone to come out and support the Calgary Wilds. I grew up as a soccer player, gave my life to it, dedicated, helped pay for my university schooling, and had a league. There was nowhere to go. So I never had that opportunity. And when we heard about Diana Matheson creating this league in Calgary and across the nation, uh, and I I was introduced, thankfully, to our founder, Deanna Zumwalt, it was all of about three seconds for me to decide I wanted to be involved and to see the players on the pitch and the Canadians. We have 145 Canadians that have come home to play in Canada because they didn't have that opportunity and they had to play professionally abroad. And so to see that in action and to see the young fans in the stands, able to look out and have your heroes on the pitch for the first time in Alberta as the first pro-women's team in any sport is an absolute dream.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

In Calgary, I'm Joanna Luna.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Alberta's Minister of Transportation says the province's new bike complaint portal will help to inform fall legislation. The portal launched Wednesday and asks Albertans to share their concerns about bike lanes in their communities. The portal has been criticized for not including a portion in which to submit positive feedback. Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshin said the last question in the online forum is open for respondents to submit up to 500 characters of positive or negative feedback. The question reads, Describe your concerns with bike lanes and how they affect you. The proposed legislation could require cities, mainly Edmonton and Calgary, to complete traffic impact assessments for future bike lane proposals that will then be at the discretion of the province to approve. They could also see existing bike lanes torn up. Both Edmonton and Calgary have submitted reports on their respective bike lane networks and have been asked by the province to provide additional information to justify existing bike lane infrastructure. Drieshin intends to introduce bike lane legislation shortly after the fall session starts at the end of October. Moving over to sports, the Edmonton Elks are back in action tonight at home taking on the BC Lions. The Elks enter Friday's contest tied with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders for first in the CFL's West Division, while the Lions at 1-3 currently occupied the last place in the division. A kickoff from Commonwealth Stadium is set for 7 PM. The Toronto Blue Jays are back from the MLB All-Star Break and will welcome the Chicago White Sox to Rogers Center for a three-game series starting tonight. Spencer Miles will get the ball for the Blue Jays while the White Sox will counter with former Jay Anthony Kay. In Canadian Elite Basketball League action, the Calgary Surge will host the Western Conference leading Winnipeg Seabers tonight. The Surge will then welcome the Saskatoon Mamba to town on Sunday afternoon. The Edmonton Stingers, meanwhile, will be on the road tomorrow as they face the Niagara River Lions. That is your latest news and sports on the Raven Radio Network. Find more local stories at RavenRadio.ca. A look at your Ravenweather is next.