Fort Chip gets 2,000 acres of new reserve land

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The Fort Chipewyan Cree band has received its first parcel of reserve land; close to 2,000 acres which is rich in red granite.

The 1,300 member band located about 627 km north of Edmonton has already received a cash settlement of $26.6 million.

The crown land transferred from the province to the federal government is one of seven land parcels which makes up a land claim package agreed to by the band and both levels of government in December 1986.

"The reason that this parcel of land is transferred in advance of the others is we're proceeding with developing the granite that's on our reserve," says general manager Simon Waquan of the Cree band.

The community-owned Fort Chipewyan Development Corporation plans to start mining the granite in the spring as soon as the snow is melted away from the rock, says Dave Tuccaro, project coordinator.

The Devils Gate site, as it is known locally, will be the only granite quarry in Alberta and Waquan says the red granite "is practically non-existent on the market today."

Under a pilot project the Alberta government has committed to three years of purchasing the granite which will be used to side the exteriors of government buildings.

Land which lies within Wood Buffalo National Park at Peace Point has gypsum and good agricultural potential, too, says Waquan. Three other land sites are located on three different lakes and long range plans include building fishing lodges and promoting tourism.

The remainder of the reserve land has been surveyed and will be transferred to the band within the next year.

The corporation is made up of the Cree band, Fort Chipewyan band and the Metis local.