The Lac La Ronge Indian Band has cleared a path to designate property owned by the First Nation as an urban reserve.
The site of the property is at CanNorth at 211 Wheeler Street in the city’s north end.
The agreement, signed on Monday by Chief Tammy Cook-Searson and Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark at City Hall, is a municipal services agreement.
This means that the city will provide municipal and policing services to the property with Lac La Ronge Indian Band paying a service fee in exchange.
“It is an exciting progression in the longstanding relationship between Lac La Ronge Indian Band and the City of Saskatoon to have their CanNorth property transition to an urban reserve,” said Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark. “We have seen urban reserve agreements provide great value to both the First Nation and City of Saskatoon – offering employment opportunities, strengthening partnerships, and fulfilling treaty land entitlements.”
CanNorth is an environmental consulting company owned by Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership – the economic arm of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band.
The property is one of six new urban reserves LLRIB has planned, with the others planned in La Ronge, Air Ronge, and Prince Albert.
“The goal is to have these urban reserves provide our community the opportunity for economic development including commercial, residential and industrial activities,” said Chief Tammy Cook-Searson. “The intention is to establish the urban reserve in Saskatoon to ensure the Lac La Ronge Indian Band members who are studying science, technology, engineering and math at the post-secondary level have a landing space upon completion of their degree.”
Now that the municipal services agreement is signed it will be in the hands of the federal government to officially designed the property as an urban reserve.
If designated, it would become the tenth urban reserve in Saskatoon.
(PHOTOS – (Left) Chief Tammy Cook-Searson presents Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark with a gift at a municipal services signing ceremony at Saskatoon City Hall, photo by Joel Willick. (Right) the LLRIB CanNorth property at 211 Wheeler Street in Saskatoon, photo provided by the City of Saskatoon.)