SASKATOON — The City of Saskatoon and Lac La Ronge Indian Band have cleared a path to designate the First Nation’s land at 211 Wheeler Street, the site of Canada North Environmental Services (CanNorth), as an urban reserve.
CanNorth is a private environmental consulting company that is 100 per cent owned by Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership, the business arm of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band. Since 1997, CanNorth has provided high-quality environmental and heritage services to a diversity of clients for a wide range of project types.
Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark and Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson, along with the Council of Lac La Ronge Indian Band and Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners chair Jyotsna (Jo) Custead, signed urban reserve agreements during a special signing ceremony Monday.
“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,” says Mayor Charlie Clark.
“I’m pleased that Lac La Ronge Indian Band has chosen to continue investing in Saskatoon. We have seen urban reserve agreements provide great value to both the First Nation and the City of Saskatoon – offering employment opportunities, strengthening partnerships, and fulfilling Treaty Land Entitlements. These investments in our city help create prosperity for everyone and are a model of good partnership and cooperation”
At its regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 30, city council approved the Municipal Services and Compatibility Agreement negotiated with Lac La Ronge Indian Band. The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners also approved the Police Services Agreement at their regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 24. These agreements fulfil the municipal requirements for urban reserve designation.
The agreements address:
- municipal and police services the city will provide;
- service fees Lac La Ronge Indian Band will pay the city in lieu of property taxes; and
- compatible land-use and development standards.
The Lac La Ronge Indian Band is in the process of creating six new urban reserves including one in Saskatoon.
“The goal is to have these urban reserves provide our community the opportunity for economic development including commercial, residential and industrial activities,
says 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 place upon completion of their degree,”
Decisions on reserve designation are made by the federal government. Once the property is designated as a reserve, it will become the 10th urban reserve in Saskatoon. When a property transfers to reserve status, it is no longer under city jurisdiction.
For more information on urban reserves, please visit saskatoon.ca/urbanreserves.
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