The City of North Battleford aims to annex lands at the former Saskatchewan Hospital site area where it has several city assets in the vicinity. (Submitted photo/City of North Battleford) 

By Angela Brown

In the chambers

City enters into agreement with Rural Municipality to provide services for land it plans to acquire

Jul 21, 2020 | 9:32 AM

As part of the initial steps, North Battleford council approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rural Municipality of North Battleford to provide services for the former Saskatchewan Hospital grounds and surrounding Crown land, property the city hopes to acquire.

The city is attempting to annex the property located in the RM of North Battleford as it has some assets in the vicinity, including the F.E. Holliday Water Treatment Plant, a boat launch, and water reservoir, it wants to protect for the future.

As part of its agreement with the RM, the city will take over some essential services while the annexation process is underway.

Council agreed to the proposed resolution for the city to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the RM of North Battleford No. 437, for the city to provide fire services, road maintenance and development services on the Saskatchewan Hospital grounds, Crown Colony land, during the annexation process to obtain this property.

“We do basic road maintenance, and if there is a fire we will be the ones doing the response,” City Manager Randy Patrick said.

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He said there was some question previously about which municipality would look after certain roads and services, so the agreement helps resolve that issue. The city will continue to provide the services to the area when the annexation is complete.

The RM has already signed the agreement.

City administration did not anticipate any additional support or staffing would be required to provide the service for the area. The city and RM will need to work together in the interim as the area is still within the RM’s responsibility during the annexation process.

The city indicated at a prior council meeting there is no cost for it to annex the land as it is currently owned by the Crown and is tax exempt.

The property is about 350 acres, with most of the land consisting of the previous Saskatchewan Hospital site and the remainder river valley unsuitable for development. According to the city, the land is not suitable for rural use; it is non arable and only holds value for development which would require servicing and city services.

The city will need to apply to the province to alter the city and RM of North Battleford No. 437 boundary to include the former Crown Colony land legally into the city municipality.

The city did not receive any objections at its public hearing at council’s meeting June 8 to the annexation proposal.

The entire process to acquire the land is expected to take about a year, with Aug. 1, 2021 set as the proposed start date for the annexation to take effect.

The annexation will not impact the process for the next Canadian census that will take place prior, in May 2021.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW