Article author:
The Canadian Press
Angela Amato
Gondolas across Edmonton's river valleys are used by indigenous people
The recommendation to terminate the city agreement with the Prairie Sky Gondola was announced Monday. was passed by a vote of 12 to 1.
Tastawiyiniwak Ward Councilor Karen Principe was the only one to vote against abolishing the project.
But she said more meaningful consultation with the Indigenous peoples was needed before signing the land lease with Prairie Sky.
The gondola project has been criticized for several reasons, including financial risks to the city and controversy over its construction at the Rossdale burial site.
The Rossdale Burial Ground is an Indigenous cemetery recognized as a cemetery by the City of Edmonton since 2005.
This decision was made after citizens, councilors and the Prairie Sky Gondola team discussed the project.
"It was a very difficult decision," Principe said. "I thought it was such a great, creative idea and unique for Edmontonians."
Papaschase First Nation chief Darlene Misik said in a statement Thursday that her community would He said he supports the Sky Gondola Land Agreement.
"Without this opportunity to access and develop our significant presence beyond the frankly unmaintained cemetery exterior, the city would wait another 15 years or what. Or wait until something else provokes discussion before thinking that perhaps something should be done.It will be done at the Rossdale flat," Misik wrote.
Her Nisha Patel, a former Edmonton poet laureate and disability justice activist, wrote an essay against gondolas.
"I am very grateful to the many people who fought and reasoned for this result," said Patel. The essay focused on Indigenous burial sites, the city's transportation needs, and the financial impact of the project.
"As someone who has lived in an area with little or no transportation options and now lives in a high-transit corridor, I am aware of the many people who rely solely on transportation. We are very sympathetic.”
Although the city has canceled the project, Prairie Sky Gondola may revise its plans and propose the project again.
This Canadian Press report was first published on August 16, 2022.
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