Blood Tribe to designate land for lease outside the tribe

TRIBE VOTES TO MAKE LAND NORTH OF CARDSTON AVAILABLE FOR LONG-TERM LEASES

After a contentious and contested referendum vote, the Blood Tribe officially announced this week it will move to re-designate a parcel of land surrounding its Moccasin Flats Plaza parcel north of Cardston, and make it available for long-term leases to businesses outside the tribe.

“The land designation is for the Moccasin Flats Plaza area,” confirmed Blood Tribe communications director Rick Tailfeathers. “There is approximately 50 acres that has been designated, and this allows non-members to come on the reserve, make a (99-year) lease with the tribe and start a business on the reserve. One of the goals of the Chief and Council is to create jobs and have some economic development and benefit to the members of the tribe.”

The vote was originally held on March 21 and the results were remarkably close — 318 Blood Tribe members voted in favour of the designation and 317 voted against. The close vote made it necessary for Indigenous Affairs Canada to step in to recount and confirm the referendum result before granting final approval for the designation, an approval which was announced Tuesday.

“There is some division about the decision,” acknowledged Tailfeathers, the main sticking point being the 99-year commitment that comes with the long-term leases being offered and a perceived loss of direct tribal control on the parcel to outside stakeholders.

“There are some people who disagree, and that’s to be expected because land matters are big things for Blood Tribe members, and you could see that from the outcome of the vote. One vote separating the yeas and the nays.”

The positive side of the trade-off for the new designation, and generous lease terms, said Tailfeathers, is it might actually spur economic development at the Moccasin Flats Plaza, as was hoped when it was originally built nearly three decades ago.

“There are a number of bays or spaces (at Moccasin Flats Plaza) that could be developed for business,” he said. “And it has sat there for about 25 years and there hasn’t been any interest shown by any outside investors. There has been a few members who have started their businesses there, but the majority of those spaces aren’t rented and it hasn’t changed in all these years. Hopefully this is an opportunity for the tribe to create jobs and bring revenues to the members.”

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