Tsuut'ina Nation disputes claims by protester of south west ring road
Saying it was being done "with some significant regret," the chief and council of the Tsuut’ina Nation issued a statement Tuesday, refuting claims made by a protester of the south west Calgary ring road, which is part of a deal between the nation and the provincial government.
During a ceremony to open the final section of the southwest portion earlier this month, Seth Cardinal Dodginghorse went to the podium to remind Calgarians that not everyone in the nation was on board with the agreement.
Cardinal Dodginghorse made a similar protest a year earlier, when he told an assembled at the opening of a 12-kilometre section of Tsuut'ina Trail -- south of Glenmore Trail and north of Fish Creek Boulevard -- that his family had been displaced improperly, before cutting off his braid.
In their statement Tuesday, the Tsuut'ina officials refuted those claims.
"Mr. Cardinal has intimated that his voice was not heard in the debate around the transfer of Tsuut’ina lands for the South West Calgary Ring Road," it read.
"While Mr. Cardinal has family ties to our community, he is not a citizen of the Tsuut’ina Nation. Mr. Cardinal is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation.
"Mr. Cardinal has also intimated that his family was treated unfairly and that family members were evicted and made homeless. This is simply untrue. Each citizen of the Tsuut’ina Nation that was affected by the transfer of land was financially compensated. Where citizens had to be relocated, citizens were built new houses."
In 2013, the nation agreed to allow the highway in exchange for $340 million and 5,000 acres of Crown land. The decision was also put to a referendum that showed an overwhelming majority in favour of the project.
"The decision to transfer the land was not an easy one and took many years of negotiations," read the statement.
"Like with any matter involving land, the community was fully engaged and consulted. Tsuut’ina Nation citizens overwhelmingly approved the transfer in a referendum. As in all votes, some people will not like the outcome. But that does not afford the right to try to overturn or disrupt the decision, and the mandate it provides, by misrepresenting it."
In total, the southwest portion cost more than $1.4 billion to build. Once fully complete, the ring road will consist of 101 kilometres of free-flow travel.
The final section, known as the west Calgary ring road, is expected to open in 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.