North Battleford city council meets at the Don Ross Centre council chamber on Nov. 27, 2025. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW)

By Kenneth Cheung

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

North Battleford formalizes arena partnership, sets accessibility direction and backs Hwy. 4 renaming

Nov 28, 2025 | 2:00 PM

North Battleford council approved several policy and governance measures Thursday night, including a regional framework for the proposed regional arena project, the city’s first accessibility plan and support for renaming a section of Highway 4 in honour of Chief Big Bear.

Council adopted the Terms of Reference for the Battlefords Regional Governance Steering Committee, which sets out how the City of North Battleford, Town of Battleford, rural municipalities and Indigenous partners will collaborate on funding, ownership and long-term decision-making for a future Regional Arena and Event Centre.

The partners aim to finalize an ownership and governance model early in 2026, with the facility targeted to open by 2032.

Mayor Kelli Hawtin said the document gives the regional group its operating structure, saying it will allow partners “to be able to vote, make decisions at that regional leader level” before bringing recommendations back to their respective councils for approval or further discussion.

She said the next phase includes narrowing down funding commitments, an ownership model and a potential location.

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“So that we can advance this project with funding, proposals, fundraising, and with the community as a whole.”

City Manager Randy Patrick said the framework is necessary for a project of this scale. While the city initiated the arena discussions, he said North Battleford “has no intention of owning it,” emphasizing that the facility is meant to be built “by a coalition of governments and First Nations… a regional project that will impact the entire region.”

Alongside the city and the town, partners include the Battlefords Tribal Council, Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs, the Battlefords Regional Community Coalition, Red Pheasant Cree Nation, Sweetgrass First Nation, and the rural municipalities of North Battleford and Battle River.

Accessibility Plan

Council also adopted the city’s first Accessibility Plan, required under the Accessible Saskatchewan Act by Dec. 3.

The plan commits North Battleford to identifying, removing and preventing barriers in its built environment — including public buildings, parks, streets and municipal infrastructure — and creates a new Community Accessibility Committee with residents who have diverse accessibility needs, an additional public member, one councillor and staff support.

Patrick told council the plan advances core city values around inclusion and equal access.

“What we’re trying to do is we’re trying to make a democratic community that everyone can participate in and fairly and equally,” he said, adding that new municipal buildings must include accessibility “at the beginning” of planning.

Residents will begin seeing accessibility considerations appear directly in future budget deliberations, including upgrades recommended through public feedback.

Highway 4 Renaming

Council also voted to support a request to give an 80-kilometre section of Highway 4 — from Cando to Cochin — a dual name: Mistahi-Maskwa, honouring Chief Big Bear.

The proposal originates with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC), which submitted the naming request to the Ministry of Highways earlier this fall. A committee established by the ministry is gathering feedback from communities along the route before making its final recommendation.

Hawtin told council the renaming aligns with Chief Big Bear’s historic connection to the area.

“This was the path that Chief Big Bear would travel along,” she said, adding the recognition is meaningful because “Chief Big Bear doesn’t have any specific land designated,” prompting the effort to honour him through this corridor.

The designation would not affect addresses, emergency response systems or navigation apps, but the name would be added to provincial markers if approved.

Coun. Bill Ironstand called the initiative “a great step in reconciliation” and said he was “proud to be part of the city that’s going to endorse this.”

North Battleford will send a formal letter of support to both the OTC and the ministry. The Town of Battleford has also endorsed the renaming, approving its own support at a meeting last week.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com