Edmonton gondola needed better Indigenous consultation, councillor says
The sole city councillor to vote in support of a gondola across Edmonton's river valley says the outcome may have been different if there were better Indigenous consultation.
A recommendation that a city agreement with Prairie Sky Gondola be terminated passed 12 to one on Monday.
Karen Principe, councillor for Ward Tastawiyiniwak, was the lone vote against nixing the project.
But she says more meaningful consultations with Indigenous people were needed before signing the land-lease agreement with Prairie Sky.
The gondola project has been criticized for several reasons, including financial risks to the city and controversy around building on the Rossdale Burial Site.
The Rossdale Burial Site is an Indigenous burial ground that has been recognized as a cemetery by the City of Edmonton since 2005.
The decision comes after a meeting last week where citizens, councillors and the Prairie Sky Gondola team discussed the project.
"It was a very tough decision," said Principe. "I just thought that it was such a great, creative idea and something unique for Edmontonians."
Chief Darlene Misik of Papaschase First Nation sent out a statement Thursday, saying her community supported the Prairie Sky Gondola Land Agreement.
"Without this opportunity to access and develop our significant presence beyond the appearance of what is quite frankly an unkept cemetery, the city will wait yet another 15 years or until something else triggers a discussion before considering that perhaps something should be done at the Rossdale Flats," Misik wrote.
Nisha Patel, former Edmonton poet laureate and disability justice activist, wrote an essay against the gondola.
"I feel immensely grateful to the amount of people who fought and reasoned for this outcome," Patel said.
Patel's essay focused on the Indigenous burial site, the city's transit needs and the financial implications of the project.
"As someone who has lived in areas with low to no transit options and now lives in a high transit corridor, I'm very sympathetic to the many folks who rely on transit alone."
While the city has halted the project, Prairie Sky Gondola could still revise its plan and propose the project again.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2022
___
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.