Sheldon Wuttunee, the First Nation’s former chief, left, greets guests, and Red Pheasant's current Chief Lux Benson, right, joins in the ceremony. There was a strong turnout for the sod-turning celebration in October. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Year of growth

First Nation communities see year of new development

Dec 26, 2023 | 12:00 PM

As 2023 draws to a close, battlefordsNOW is taking a look back on some of the most important and impactful stories of the year.

The Battlefords area First Nations had a momentous year of development, and are looking forward to more changes ahead.

In October, Red Pheasant Cree Nation broke ground for its new commercial development to build a 17-unit retail mall called “Eagles Landing” at its urban reserve at 15th Avenue and Territorial Drive in North Battleford. The mall is being built on Red Pheasant’s land just north of the Centrex Gas Station that opened in May of 2021.

The federal government is providing $4.2 million for the project to develop underground infrastructure for water and sewer, heading north along Territorial Drive, from 15th Avenue to Wearing Road. The cost of the retail project itself will be covered by the First Nation.

September was an exciting time for Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nation, which broke ground for its new Cultural Centre and Art Gallery . Last year, the First Nation received over $5.8 million from the provincial and federal governments to develop the facility. It will be named after Henry Beaudry , a late Second World War veteran and artist. The goal is for the facility to be completed for the fall of 2024.

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Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nation sees bison come home. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

February saw the return of bison to Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man (MGBHLM) First Nation’s lands, off Highway 4 South. The thundering herd were released into the wild as people gathered to take in the historic occasion.

The community received 22 bison from Elk Island National Park through Parks Canada.

“We truly believe that the spirit of the buffalo is going to help us, each and every one of you, nation to nation,” Chief Tanya Aguilar-Antiman said. “All our visitors that come from the North, the South, the East and the West, thanks for coming out here and supporting us.”

In May, NDP federal leader Jagmeet Singh spoke about the importance of protecting Indigenous languages as well as the need to fight for housing, healthcare, jobs and shared prosperity during his visit to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Assembly in North Battleford. The event was held at the Northland Power Curling Centre at InnovationPlex.

Meanwhile, the month was a challenging time for Saulteaux and Moosomin First Nations who were struggling with ongoing fires. First Nation firefighters were assisted by the North Battleford Fire Department, Meota Fire and District Fire Department, and Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency to put out the wildfires.

June saw Poundmaker Cree Nation celebrate the opening of the new Culture Lodge near Wishtikan Lake. The Culture Lodge featured several community and cultural events over the summer, including Plains Indian Sign Language workshops and performance festivals. Each summer Miyawata Culture Inc. and the Chief Poundmaker Museum organize an annual Indigenous Performance Festival in the community.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow