Winnipeg gets first urban reserve
Long Plain First Nation holds ceremony to celebrate the land
It was a historic day for Long Plain First Nation, which officially opened the first urban reserve in the city of Winnipeg on Friday.
An honour song started the ceremony as sage burned nearby on the two-acre plotof land near Polo Park, bounded by St. Matthews Avenue, Madison Street, Silver Avenue and Kensington Street.
Yellowquill College has been operating on the site for morethan ayear but the urban reserve agreement, signed last week between Long Plain and the federal government, now opens the door for more business, like a planned 80,000-square-foot office complex andgas station.
"This will open the doors for many opportunitiesfor economic development, for jobs and for resources that will go a long way for the future generations of our community," said Chief David Meeches.
He saidhe's proud to have the first urban reserve within city limits and hopes it paves the way for other First Nations in the province.
Long Plain is located southwest of Portage la Prairie along the Assiniboine River.
Urban reserves
Urban reserves are part of Canada's obligations under the First Nation's Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) agreements,intended to fulfill a long-standing commitmentof land owed from the historical treaties.
Between 1871 and 1910, most First Nations in Manitoba signed the numbered treaties with Canada. Each treaty provided for the setting aside of reserve land by Canada for a First Nation based on population. In Manitoba, the majority of First Nations received their entire land allocations under the treaties; however, some did not.
In 1994, Canada agreed to add 10,699 acres for the Long Plain First Nation. The land in Winnipeg accounts for1,910.78 acres of that.
There are now more than 120 urban reserves across Canada.
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