Brokenhead Ojibway creates new reserve on outskirts of Winnipeg

Arturo Chang · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 04, 2025 7:59 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Brokenhead Ojibway Nation is expanding its reserve onshore conscionable outside Winnipeg metropolis limits, successful a determination the First Nation says volition assistance beforehand its economical improvement and self-determination.

Almost 25 hectares (60 acres) of onshore successful the agrarian municipality of East St. Paul, conscionable northeast of Winnipeg, person been added to the First Nation's jurisdiction, its enactment announced Friday.

Brokenhead Chief Gordon Bluesky said the Treaty 1 signatory has been negotiating with the national authorities for astir 20 years to make the caller reserve, and that the announcement has been a agelong clip coming.

"We're trying to fulfil our treaty onshore entitlement, which is an outstanding work from 1871. Our radical were promised these lands successful 1871," Bluesky said. 

"We've worked agelong and hard, and I admit my ancestors for having that foresight successful presumption of having these opportunities disposable to us. And I'm conscionable present to transportation the shot implicit the decorativeness line."

'We person tons of ideas'

Bluesky said the crippled — eastbound of Highway 59 and southbound of the Perimeter Highway — was purchased successful 2009 arsenic portion of a larger acquisition of implicit 194 hectares of onshore successful the agrarian municipality.

It's near Na-Sha-Ke-Penais, the three-hectare reserve the First Nation established connected onshore it purchased successful East St. Paul astir 2002.

A quality merchandise said the reserve onshore — chiefly cultivation — volition beryllium utilized for accepted uses, including hunting and trapping. 

Bluesky said the First Nation is besides eyeing further economical development.

"We person a batch of ideas," helium said. "A batch of that is centrally focused connected america getting services present to this site. But essentially, we're looking astatine immoderate mixed residential, immoderate commercial, immoderate retail."

The main said the country could go a suburb of Winnipeg yet arsenic the metropolis grows, but there's a batch of infrastructure required before shovels spell into the ground. 

A 'historic milestone'

Federal Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand said there's a batch of bridge-building the national authorities indispensable bash with First Nations communities.

"There's inactive 10 communities present successful Manitoba that are looking to beforehand their pact onshore entitlements," she said. "These are communities that we decidedly privation to support."

Chris Henderson leads the Treaty Land Entitlement Committee of Manitoba, and helps First Nations get land promised by the Crown.

He said the announcement is portion of a historical process toward recognizing First Nations' inherent close to govern their land.

"These 3 parcels that were acceptable speech earlier this year, they present autumn nether the inventory and the jurisdiction of Brokenhead to bash with arsenic they please. They don't request anybody's permission," helium said. "That is simply a historical milestone."