Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark and Thunderchild First Nation’s Chief Delbert Wapass signed an agreement Monday to create a new urban reserve in Saskatoon.
As part of the deal, the city and police would provide regular services to the property in return for an annual fee from the First Nation.
The urban reserve will be located on the 1100 block Idylwyld Drive North, where the Retro Petro gas station sits, across from the Saskatchewan Polytechnic campus.
Wapass said the urban reserve will create more economic development to benefit the people from Thunderchild First Nation, and he noted the agreement went smoothly because Saskatoon city council is a leader in creating urban reserves.
“We are very excited to finally conclude the urban reserve process with the City of Saskatoon,” Wapass said. “Today is a good day and the beginning of a new chapter in Thunderchild First Nation’s road to economic sovereignty.”
Clark said this will be the city’s sixth urban reserve. The first urban reserve was created 30 years ago.
“Our long history of establishing urban reserves has proven the shared benefits they bring in investment, job creation, and services that benefit the Indigenous community and all citizens of the community. Tangible partnerships like these are meaningful steps in the journey of reconciliation,” he said.
The federal government still has to give final approval for the urban reserve. Wapass said he expects that to take about a month.
