On Monday, councilors voted 12-1 to take the land deal with the company proposing the gondola only as an update and not approving a city land lease for the project. Coun. Karen Principe was the lone vote against taking the proposed Prairie Sky Gondola land deal as an update only. Prairie Sky could reconsider the proposal, but would need to present additional information to assuage councilors’ concerns about the project. The company wanted to build a 2.5km gondola from downtown to Old Strathcona, with no taxpayer money to contribute to the project. Several community members told council last week they were concerned about the project’s potential impact on the river valley and on land considered sacred by indigenous people at Rossdale Flats. When asked for comment, Prairie Sky Gondola told CTV News Edmonton that the company will issue a statement regarding the city council’s decision.
A NEW STANDARD FOR INDIGENOUS CONSULTATION
Coun. Anne Stevenson made a motion to receive the land agreement proposal as information only. Stevenson said she was initially skeptical of the project, but saw it as “an exciting idea” and “a homegrown Edmonton initiative.” “But as we went through this process it became clear that there are much wider considerations and implications of this project, particularly given the importance of the Rossdale area to Indigenous people,” he added. After hearing from interested community members about Rossdale’s history and meaning to Indigenous Edmontonians, Stevenson said the city has work to do to promote reconciliation there and in other projects. “It’s our duty to uphold the same standards we were discussing about the gondola,” he said. For Mr. Sarah Hamilton, there are still other ways to experience the city and river valley up close, such as the high level tram. “The city does not need to have another infrastructure project that does not meet public expectations, privately or publicly funded,” Hamilton said. “Also, I think we have a transit system that we’re trying to meet the expectations of the public, and I’ve always thought that, I’ve been concerned that this (gondola) discussion has detracted a little from the necessary improvements that we need to make to our transit system,” he added. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said there is a “lack of clarity” about the project’s business case and risks to the city, including the environmental impact on the river valley and what would happen to the gondola infrastructure if Prairie Sky went bankrupt. “I think these could have been resolved, maybe, if we had gone to the next stage (of the project),” Sohi said. “But one thing to me is fundamental, which is the difference in this, which is the lack of authentic engagement with indigenous communities.” Sohi added that while the city has not granted approval for the project at this time, Edmonton is still open for business for innovative projects. “I know of a number of companies and a number of projects that have gone ahead with very meaningful consultation with Indigenous communities,” he said. “If anyone thinks that meaningful consultation is a barrier to business development, business growth, that’s absolutely not the case.” “Receiving this for information provides clarity for future investment that this expectation here from Edmontonians that we want to live our value of reconciliation with Indigenous communities.”
