Cold Lake First Nations Land Use Plan

BACKGROUND

Located within Treaty 6 boundaries approximately 300 kilometres northeast of Edmonton near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, Cold Lake First Nations is a Denesuline Nation with approximately 2900 members, over 1300 of whom inhabit the Nation’s three reserve communities: "LeGoff" (Indian Reserve 149),"Cold Lake" (Indian Reserve 149 A) and "English Bay" (Indian Reserve 149 B). Other members reside in nearby centres such as Cold Lake and Bonnyville, or in larger urban centres such as Edmonton. Cold Lake First Nations has identified the overarching vision of the Nation as “empowerment; improved quality of life; and self-sufficiency” and publicly available materials created by the Nation indicate that the mandate of Chief and Council and the Economic Development department is to provide “a livelihood for a livelihood”, such that Nation members have an equivalent opportunity to derive a livelihood from their traditional lands, as other parties operating within the territory derive profit from its resources. A comprehensive land use plan will help Cold Lake First Nations achieve these goals.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

Land use planning is essential for determining how Cold Lake First Nations' land base will be used in the future. Planning processes such as this one, requiring active community involvement, result in the development of plans that consist of goals and objectives for the community, policies to describe how the objectives will be achieved, and maps to identify current and potential future land uses as well as other activities (e.g., utilities or environmental constraints). Land use planning specifically integrates the goals of sustainable development, good governance and economic viability. It also strives to balance opportunities for economic development with stewardship and/or protection of a First Nations' land and resources.

CERTES SOLUTION

We are pleased to assist Cold Lake First Nations in developing a Comprehensive Land Use Plan for its reserve lands. We understand that Cold Lake First Nations’ intent is to create a Land Use Plan that will guide the Nation’s strategies for sustainability, future development, resource use and traditional site management and protection. The Plan will be a living document that can be used as a tool in tracking measurable results to report back to the community and identify successes and areas of improvement.

We believe in a participatory approach to community planning and understand our role is that of a facilitator, working with Cold Lake First Nations’ staff, leadership and members to develop a Land Use Plan that meets the needs of the Nation. Our team’s Land Use Planner is a Registered Professional Planner in good standing with the Canadian Institute of Planners and is well versed in the Institute’s Statement of Values.  

We know that engaging community members in planning processes and maintaining momentum once a plan has been adopted is challenging. To address this challenge, we include fun and interactive community engagement sessions within the planning process and create a Land Use Plan that is easy to read, visually appealing and accessible to all members.