Signing Ceremony set for September 27 for new Sweetgrass First Nation Urban Reserve Services Agreement in North Battleford

Sweetgrass First Nation Chief Lorie Whitecalf and City of North Battleford Mayor David Gillan will join for a historic Signing Ceremony for a new Urban Reserve Services Agreement on Friday, September 27, 2024 at 2:00pm.

The Urban Reserve Services Agreement is for the Sweetgrass First Nation Urban Reserve at the corner of Railway Avenue and the Highway 16 Bypass in North Battleford. The Signing Ceremony will begin with a blessing of the ground.

Among those who will provide remarks at the ceremony are Chief Lorie Whitecalf (Sweetgrass First Nation), Mayor David Gillan (City of North Battleford), Chief Cody Benson (Red Pheasant Cree Nation & Tribal Chief Representative for BATC), and the Hon. Jeremy Cockrill (MLA for The Battlefords).

An honour song, offered by Sweetgrass’s Benji Weenie, will be shared to conclude the formal ceremony, during which official documents to finalize the Urban Reserve Services Agreement will be signed by Chief Whitecalf and Mayor Gillan.

Sweetgrass First Nation (population 2,228) signed on to the Saskatchewan Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement in September, 1992. Sweetgrass received $6,638,656.96 to purchase 23,914.02 acres of land. To date, Sweetgrass First Nation has acquired 17,699 acres of land; including the following: Sweetgrass Investments Ltd. purchased Lots 1 (1.16 acres) and Lot 2 (1.75 acres) in June 2008; Lots 3 (1.78 acres) and Lot 4 in November 2010. The latter pieces of land required extensive environmental clean-up due to the nature of the commercial enterprises previously located on the acquired land parcels. Following the Urban Reserve Services Agreement signing, Sweetgrass First Nation will continue to work on agreements with other agencies related to these parcels of land.

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For more information:
Sweetgrass First Nation
Vivian Whitecalf
Communications
306-937-7936 | media@sweetgrassfirstnation.ca

City of North Battleford
Candace Toma
Public & Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator
306-441-0713 | publicrelations@cityofnb.ca