Cultural grounds to be located at Little Red River Park
Emokhare Paul Anthony, Daily Herald
Representatives from the Prince Albert Indian Metis Friendship Centre (PAIMFC) will make their pitch on Monday for why the City should issue tax deductive receipts to donors who contribute to the campaign to develop a Cultural Grounds at Little Red River Park.
The item is up for debate at Monday’s executive committee meeting. The PAIMFC hopes to develop an area that includes a sweat lodge, pow wow arbor, educational programming building, site facilities, and parking area.
“We at the Prince Albert Indian and Metis Friendship Centre have been working on Cultural Relevant Services with the City of Prince Albert, organizations, and other community partners to provide Indigenous Cultural Grounds in Little Red River Park at the Upper Eastern Plains,” PAIMFC Youth Services Shane Bird wrote in a letter included in the agenda package. “This is to strengthen out unity at a community level to help address and adhere to the 94 Calls to Action to further Reconciliation within our beautiful community.
Bird wrote that the PAIMFC is applying for charitable tax status, but it’s a lengthy process that will hold up progress. He also wrote that Friendship Centre is actively seeking out donors, sponsors, and grant programs to develop the grounds.
Bird wrote that the Little Red River Park Cultural Grounds will not only provide healing, education, culture, and language, but will be a beacon of hope to help combat the effects of intergenerational trauma for our youth, families, and our community’s members.
The City of Prince Albert council has a policy that discusses requirements for issuing donation receipts. The policy allows the City to issue tax deductible donation receipts for donations made that fall within the definition of “Beneficial to the Community.”
The Prince Albert Indian and Metis Friendship Centre (PAIMFC) is currently the lead on this project, with the goal of creating a memorandum of understanding, and licensed agreement with community partners to oversee these Cultural Grounds.
Monday’s meeting is the first non-budget meeting of 2025. The list of agenda items also includes a delegation from Prince Albert Housing Authority headed by General Manager Dave DeVos.
Devos wrote in a letter that he was concerned about misinformation presented to council at a previous meeting. He plans to deliver a PowerPoint presentation about the vacancy rate in PA Housing Authority buildings, while also delivering an overview of what the authority does.
“It has come to my attention that at your council meeting last night (Dec. 2) there was some misinformation in which some of your admin staff provided you with regards to our vacancy rate,” Devos wrote in a letter included in the agenda package. “I would like to have a discussion with you regarding this as well as propose that PAHA come to a council meeting to make a presentation about who we are and what we do, etc…. We had done this with the previous council, and they found it very beneficial.”
Devos wrote that the organization’s current vacancy rate is 5.9 per cent, with no available family housing ready. There are 16 units currently being worked on for turn overs, he added, with a waiting list of 152 families.
The City of Prince Albert Executive Committee Regular Meeting begins at 4 p.m. on Monday at City Council Chamber.