The City of Thompson and Keewatin Tribal Council are taking a historic step towards the biggest planned new development in the city in the past 50 years by signing an agreement at St. Lawrence Hall on June 23.
The agreement gives KEDC Corp., an economic development agency of Keewatin Tribal Council, which represents 11 member First Nations in Northern Manitoba, the right to acquire and develop 89 acres of land known as the Pusiko Policy Area (formerly the Yale-Newman Policy Area).
The forested land lies adjacent to the northern portion of Eastwood between the Burntwood River and the hydro line. KEDC Corporation’s first priorities are building an office building for Keewatin Tribal Council, a tribal health centre, and a hotel and conference centre. KEDC Corporation also has plans to establish 384 housing units, including some affordable housing, assisted living and personal care home spaces, over 7 to 10 years.
“I always say that Thompson is a community of 55,000 people from around the region, not just the 13,000 who live here,” said Mayor Colleen Smook. “Northerners know that cooperation is the key to progress and that working together is the best way to achieve the goal of prosperity for everyone. Northern Manitoba benefits when Thompson is doing well and the local economy will benefit greatly from Keewatin Tribal Council’s significant investment in the long-term growth of the city.”
Keewatin Tribal Council Grand Chief Walter Wastesicoot says the project is both a way for northern First Nations, which have many citizens living in Thompson and others who frequently visit the city for shopping, recreation and health care, to take charge of their economic future and to ensure that Thompson continues to provide the facilities and services that the Northern Manitoba region relies on.
“Keewatin Tribal Council First Nations and their citizens benefit when Thompson and the north thrive and this project is a way for them to play a role in shaping the development of Thompson that is beneficial for both us and the city,” Wastesicoot said. “I am extremely pleased that working together with the City of Thompson has led to us entering this historic agreement.”
The City of Thompson and KEDC Corporation have been negotiating the agreement for more than two years, while it has been more than a decade since Thompson’s boundaries were expanded to include the Pusiko Policy Area.
The new subdivision planned for the 89 acres of vacant land will be the biggest development in Thompson since its founding in the 1950s and subsequent expansion over the next 20 years. Housing starts have been practically non-existent for the past several years despite the fact that there is a housing shortage in the community.
“Thompson needs more housing and moving forward with this land sale has the potential to result in more new accommodations than the city has seen in decades,” says Smook.
The agreement will be signed by the City of Thompson and Keewatin Tribal Council at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 23 at St. Lawrence Hall in Thompson.
