By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
After providing a letter demonstrating the municipality’s support for building up Tamke Road to a primary weight highway standard between Highways 11 and 219, the RM of Corman Park has now signed a of understanding (MOU) setting out a framework for co-operation with the RM of Dundurn, the City of Saskatoon and the Whitecap Dakota Nation.
RM of Corman Park councillors passed a motion at their May 27 meeting to sign an amended MOU that includes a new section outlining the need for sufficient public consultation on the project.
Reeve Joe Hargrave was also appointed as the RM’s representative in future joint meeting and planning sessions around the project, with Division 3 councillor Lyndon Haduik serving as a back-up.
As outlined in the document, the MOU establishes that the municipal and First Nation partners agree to share relevant data, reports, and technical information; collaborate on future grant proposals or correspondence with federal and provincial authorities; and respect timelines and decision-making processes necessary to advance the project.
It does not impose any legal obligation on the RM to provide any funding for the upgrade of Tamke Road.
Back in 1953, the Department of National Defence (DND) and the RM of Dundurn reached an agreement to close roads within the Dundurn Military Reserve, with the condition that the DND provide continued pubic access across the base.
In 2014, the DND unilaterally closed Strathcona Road, effectively removing the only east-west access across the RM.
In 2018, Dundurn launched a $100 million lawsuit against the Canadian government over the closure of the access, which disrupted patterns of commerce; for instance, the public could no longer get to the Dakota Dunes Casino and golf course through the military base like they used to be able to. (The Whitecap Dakota Nation, incidentally, was a class member in this lawsuit.)
The MOU states that upgrading Tamke Road between Highways 11 and 219 would be a “potential resolution” to this lawsuit.
While discussions around this project been taking place for some time, the RM of Corman Park was only recently made aware of the upgrade despite being the actual owner of Tamke Road.
As mentioned earlier, RM councillors resolved at their April 29 meeting to send a letter of support showing its support for the project without budgeting any money for costs associated with its construction.
Since then, Chief Darcy Bear of the Whitecap Dakota Nation had engaged in discussions with Dundurn reeve Travis Libke and Saskatoon mayor Cynthia Block, which led to the MOU coming to the May 27 meeting.
At the same meeting, councillors indicated they had received a number of calls from residents with concerns about the project.
For instance, Division 8 councillor Wendy Trask said she had received a call from an education program about how that road passes through a site where they conduct their classes.
While he supported signing the MOU, Hargrave supported amending the document to ensure sufficient public consultation was carried out.
“I think that we have to make sure that we’re there and we’re speaking for our constituents and their concerns,” said Hargrave.
“There’s a still a long process to go, but we do need to have that seat at the table to be able to have that discussion with the other partners.”