Minister Says Land Sale Will Not Hurt TLE

Minister Says Land Sale Will Not Hurt TLE

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 13:13

A provincial cabinet minister is defending a sale of 1.6 million acres of Crown land.

Bob Bjornerud says he has heard concerns from the aboriginal community that they should have been consulted about the offering.

An FSIN vice-chief contends the sale will restrict purchasing-selection for treaty land entitlements, while a Metis activist worries new owners will shut out Metis from the woods near Batoche.

Bjornerud says the lands in question are only being offered to the people who were leasing it in the first place.

He says the grounds wouldn’t have been part of any TLE process to begin with — and any Aboriginal residents who were leasing it have already been consulted.

Bjornerud says the province still owns another 88 million more acres, so there should be lots to go around.