The problem being
@CplKlinger that that has been ongoing for the last 50 years. Indigenous leaders have strong opinions both pro and con re Rossdale development and every opinion wants to be considered the #1 in importance. The City Council and Mayor were elected to lead, not kick the can down the road!
Respectfully, I think that the consultations envisioned in this motion are of a completely different league to those that have been done in the past. For example, as recently as 2001, EPCOR was in the midst of a multi-year effort to expand the Rosedale power plant. It led to bitter encounters with nations including the Metis and Blackfoot, who accused EPCOR of not properly consulting with them, hiding the true number of bodies buried at the site, and wanting to build on their ancestors. This was very reminiscent of most Indigenous consultations done across Canada; they tend to be led by non-Indigenous institutions - like municipal, provincial, and federal governments - and thus are either haphazard, do not take traditional Indigenous practices or cultures into account, and overall perpetuate colonial practices and institutions. This is not to say that these institutions don't necessarily have good intentions, but until recently, it was normal for them to undertake consultations and projects without having any Indigenous voices at the table internally. A lot of unconscious biases can, and do, slip by as a result.
I am not naïve enough to expect consensus. In fact, it would be quite racist of me to assume that Indigenous Peoples are monolithic. However, I am trying to be realistic here. Considering our history with the treatment of Indigenous perspectives by non-Indigenous institutions, it is not unreasonable for the city to organize a formal round of consultations that is spearheaded by Indigenous Peoples. If done properly, and it is far too early to tell whether the city will do a good job with structuring it, then it will give projects in this area a badly needed social license to operate. Consensus? Heck no. But very important resilience to maintain support throughout the inevitable barrage of criticisms.
It's not just the gondola, or city-sponsored projects. For *any* private developments that could occur in the context of the Rossdale ARP, whether they be mixed-use buildings or unique businesses, they could point to these consultations in order to avoid having to start this over each bloody time. I'm sure the consultations won't satisfy every Indigenous person, but given the context we're in, I think it's the best shot we have at moving past our ghosts here.
That being said, I do worry about the gondola maintaining investor support during this process, given the uncertainty involved. Council did drop the ball in that regard. I'm not sure what they could do differently to balance both interests in the meantime, but there must be something.
edmontonjournal.com
