Cultural healing farm looking for permanent home
The development of Prince Albert’s Indigenous Garden and Cultural Healing Farm is on hold for now, after parties involved could not agree to terms.
The Indian Metis Friendship Centre of Prince Albert is looking to setup a new facility at the old sanitarium site at North Park Centre. The city would only propose a one year trial, with the expectation the friendship centre would take care of the site’s maintenance. Council eventually decided staff would review the project and come back with a report on a permanent location.
John Hanikenne, president of the Coalition of Aboriginal Peoples in Saskatchewan, wasn’t a fan of the city’s initial proposal. He didn’t appreciate that after a year’s time, the land could potentially be sold off forcing the healing farm to find a new home.
“I would hate to see us get into a lot of cleaning and then it is gone for sale to someone else,” he said. “I would hope that if it would be the wish of council, that we can find another suitable location. For me it hits my heart to have a place like this in our community.”