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Battleford Town Hall. (File photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)
Sacichawasihc Relationship Agreement

Battlefords Regional Community Coalition gives update on plans ahead

Mar 17, 2021 | 5:16 PM

The Battlefords Regional Community Coalition’s (BRCC) coordinator has a new update on the organization’s activities that he presented at Battleford town council’s meeting this week.

Tom Howard said during his report the coalition hopes to create a strategy in 2021 for integrating heritage assets and new developments in the area, as part of the Regional Tourism Master Plan.

“Our region’s rich heritage creates exciting tourism opportunities for the world that awaits us on the other side of COVID-19,” he said.

Howard took on his new role as coordinator with the organization in the fall of 2020, after former project manager Herb Sutton retired.

Battleford mayor Ames Leslie, who sits on the board, said it’s interesting to see some of the positive initiatives ahead.

“The tourism focus of the BRCC I think is going to be good for the Town of Battleford in the area, because we do have a lot of great historical sites,” he said.

Leslie said the BRCC will continue to add to its areas of focus, part of which are for advocacy and partnership. There can definitely be some significant partnerships that come out of efforts involving tourism in particular, he said.

The BRCC is comprised of representatives from the town and city, as well as five area Indigenous communities; Moosomin, Sweetgrass, Saulteaux, Little Pine First Nation, and Lucky Man Cree Nation.

For the year ahead, the coalition also plans to attempt to establish an agreement with new federal partners, as part of its efforts.

Another initiative it is looking at is working with Parks Canada related to a proposed renovation project involving Fort Battleford National Historic Site. The BRCC has been in contact with Parks Canada about this proposal.

“We have asked Parks Canada to invest resources in consultation with elders, a historical report retelling the events of 1885…,” Howard said in his submitted report.

The BRCC is working with the Battle River Indigenous Relations Council for this proposed project.

The BRCC organization was created in 2020 through the partnership formed from the Sacichawasihc Relationship Agreement, that allows Indigenous and municipal governments to work together in the spirit of reconciliation.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow

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