Deputy Mayor Kent Lindgren, centre back, with city council at Monday's meeting. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

City approves land sale

Métis Nation-Saskatchewan to build new hub in North Battleford

Jan 23, 2024 | 8:03 AM

Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN-S) has plans to build a new community hub in North Battleford.

North Battleford City Council approved a request from MN-S to purchase three lots of land at 1051, 1061 and 1071 -103 Street at its meeting on Monday.

MN-S is proposing to build a 4,000 to 6,000 sq. ft. single-storey office building at the location to support Métis families in the Western Region 1A area. The proposed building will be called “Ma Faamii” or “My Family” in Michif.

“It will be a building that will focus on wellness, so supports and services for Métis people in the north-west,” Deputy Mayor Kent Lindgren said. “It’s a pilot project they’ve initiated through the province. I think we’re really fortunate to have it be here.”

He added it’s good to see another level of service for Métis people in the northwest.

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“We see lots of organizations supporting Indigenous residents and neighbours in this region of the northwest, but focusing services on Métis people I think is really needed, and will elevate other services here,” Lindgren said.

He noted what MN-S is looking at bringing here fills a need for the area.

“Wellness is generally what I’m going to call it,” Lindgren said. “[It’s] looking at green spaces, early learning, and all those other supports around the system navigation. For a city, it’s such a great location to offer those services. It’s close to our downtown, close to other services, lots of agencies are around that, access to the Friendship Centre is just down the road. It’s a great place to build that, and for us as a city it’s great to sell those lots.”

MN-S will pay the city a total of $135,000 for the three lots, or $45,000 per lot. The realtor who brought the offer to the city will receive a 2.5 per cent commission, so in total the city will receive $131,625 of total revenue from the sale. The city noted these empty city lots are currently zoned C1 – Downtown Commercial.

City Manager Randy Patrick said the city was originally asking for $48,000 for each of the three lots, but the offer of $45,000 each was “within a reasonable value,” so administration recommended council approve the proposal.

“They are going to be putting in facilities in there that I think are very useful for the city,” Patrick said. “It would give us a 6,000-square-foot office building. We highly recommend that council approves this.”

Council voted unanimously in favour of the proposal.

“It’s a great re-development of lots that are not being used for what they should be used for, in a location that needs some more development,” Lindgren said.

The city said MN-S is looking to build the new site within a year.

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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW