Some local indigenous communities have expressed concern over what they say is a lack of consultation from St. Albert City Council at the sale of land at 13 Mission Avenue, the land that formerly housed the Youville Boarding School.
Council voted to decommission Mission Avenue, 13. in 2023. The area consists of two properties: a municipal parking lot and a school site owned by the St. Albert Catholic School Board.
Both lots are put up for sale to developers.
“This has enormous historical and sacred value to us as First Nations,” said Joanne Ladouceur, community engagement project manager for the Wîcêhtowin Youville Residential Schools Truth Initiative.
She says there are concerns that unmarked graves may be located in and around 13 Mission Ave. The initiative is currently awaiting funding to begin a field investigation into any graves.
However, she says their investigation may not be able to move forward if the land is sold – it will depend on the developer who buys it.
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The council closed bids for the purchase in early November.
In early December, city councilor Amanda Patrick put forward a motion to pause the sale so council could have more consultation with First Nations about what should happen to the land.
This comes after the city council received a letter on December 1 from Andrea Sandmeier, chair of the Otipemisiwak Metis government, asking for a pause and consultation.
On Dec. 5, the city met with representatives of the Otipemisiwak Métis government and the Treaty 6 Confederacy of First Nations to listen to concerns.
Patrick said she thinks more needs to be done. “If we continue without genuine consultation, this could be a missed opportunity for healing,” Patrick told the council during the Dec. 16 council meeting.
Council voted 4-3 against the proposal, with several councilors saying consultations had already taken place and that local First Nations communities had been involved in the process since 2023.
“Ward 11 St. Albert-Métis was on site in 2023 and was involved in the demolition work,” councilor Sandy Clark said at the Dec. 16 meeting. “This level of participation involves awareness and engagement with the city.”
According to Ladouceur, under the contract, the developer who buys the property will be required to consult with Indigenous organizations and communities about the development of the land.
The council plans to consult with the St. Albert Catholic School Board about further purchase proposals in the new year.
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