Rolling River First Nation reaches agreement on land in Headingley

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This article was published 14/01/2016 (3580 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Another First Nation announced it’s setting up development for a new urban reserve – at the site of the old Dairy King in Headingley.

Rolling River First Nation released a statement through the Treaty Land Entitlement Office to say it signed a municipal services agreement with the rural municipality of Headingley.

The agreement covers fees for municipal services from water and sewer to garbage and fire fighting for the 78-acre parcel of land and it is one of the first steps to lay the groundwork for future development. For First Nations, which almost always convert urban property to reserve status, such agreements cover the cost of municipal services that would otherwise be paid in taxes.

The land is located at the site of the Steve and Niki’s Dairy King at 4251 Portage Ave.

There is no word yet on what plans the western Manitoba First Nation has for the parcel, other than the suggestion it will likely be commercial, not residential.

“Now that this government-to-government services agreement is signed, I urge the Federal Minister of Indigenous Affairs to convert this prime real estate into Reserve status,” Chief Morris Swan Shannacappo said in the statement.

“After that, we will develop this site for economic development opportunities that will benefit our First Nation.”

On Dec. 22, 2015, the Rolling River chief and council signed the municipal development and services agreement (MDSA) with Headingley’s Mayor Wilfred Taillieu and its council.

“This MDSA took three (3) years to negotiate and complete,” the statement said to emphasize the effort it took to complete the deal.

The sale of the actual property took place years before the services agreement was finally hammered out. The statement said that on Dec. 19, 2012, the First Nation purchased 78 acres (known as the “Former Dairy King” property) in the RM of Headingley.

On March 6, 1998, Rolling River signed its TLE agreement with both levels of government, federal and provincial, under the 1997 Manitoba Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement. Rolling River was entitled to select 2,356 acres of available Crown Land and purchase 47,112 acres of other land for economic and social benefit, to fulfill the treaty terms dating back a century.

Rolling River is an Ojibway First Nation with about 1,000 registered members, and is located approximately 200 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg