The City of St. Albert is moving forward with the sale of a significant municipal property on Mission Hill, a site with deep ties to a former residential school, despite formal objections and a plea for pause from the local Métis community.
Council Rejects Call for Pause
On Tuesday, December 21, 2025, St. Albert city council voted down a motion that would have halted the sale of the land at 13 Mission Avenue. The city plans to sell this parcel as a package with the adjacent 15 Mission Avenue, which is owned by Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools. For municipal officials, the sale represents a valuable economic opportunity, promising to transform fallow land into a taxable development close to the Sturgeon River and downtown amenities.
"We're Very Concerned": Métis Community Reacts
The decision was met with dismay and concern from Métis representatives. Joanne Ladouceur, the community engagement lead for the wîcêhtowin Youville Residential School Truthing Initiative, St. Albert Métis District, voiced profound apprehension. "We're very concerned about the possibility that there could be children buried on or near the hill site," Ladouceur told Postmedia.
She argued that the city's action directly contradicts its public commitments to the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) calls to action. "They have contradicted this commitment by authorizing the sale of these lands without any communication or consultation with Indigenous peoples," Ladouceur stated. Her organization fears that by selling the land, the city is transferring its reconciliation responsibilities to any future private owner.
Historical Significance and Legal Complexities
The land in question is not just any development plot. Both properties carry a Level 5 designation on Alberta's Listing of Historical Resources, indicating a high potential for historic and cultural significance. Furthermore, a potential legal hurdle remains: a 115-year-old caveat that stipulates the land must remain a park could still apply, potentially affecting any future development plans by a new owner.
According to a provincial-approved historical inventory assessment from 2022, no excavation or removal of historic sites had occurred at 13 Mission Avenue at the time of the report. This lack of thorough archaeological investigation is at the heart of the Métis community's concerns, as searches for missing children and unmarked graves associated with residential schools continue across the country.
The city's move to sell the land sets the stage for continued protest and highlights the ongoing tensions between municipal economic development and the tangible steps required for meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous communities in Canada.
