BIGHORN – During the Tuesday (Aug. 11) MD of Bighorn council meeting, a request came from the McDougall Stoney Mission Society, which is currently involved in a controversial restoration project, asking council to reallocate its Community Services grant to an event celebrating the restoration of the McDougall Church, scheduled for this fall.
The society was originally awarded $1,200 from the MD of Bighorn on Jan. 8, with funds allocated to support the 2020 events program.
“The Community Services Board (CBS) would like to say it is good to see how inclusive you are being with all area neighbours and renewed interest in the location,” Community Service Coordinator Deb Grady wrote in the grant approval letter.
Earlier this year, the Stoney Nakoda Tribal council spoke out against the project, saying it was not an act of Reconciliation.
"Our official position is we are not in support and we do not consider the [project] to be a community building, we consider it a church ... one that has a long and painful history to the Stoney Nakoda people,” Stoney Tribal Administration CEO Ryan Robb told the Outlook last month.
The Nation also asked the province to remove the historic designation of the site, citing the monument’s “painful history.”
In July, the province emailed a statement to the Outlook stating the church's historic resource designation is "not under review," but did not clarify if the request to remove the designation is still under evaluation, or has been dismissed.
The province has yet to clarify where the request stands.
In the meantime, the society has continued the restoration project on the basis of the approved building permit, president of the society Brenda McQueen explained in an email at the time.
"It is our understanding that there is no formal process for removing the designation as a provincial historic site and that it is the decision of the minister responsible … We are not involved in this process and have no knowledge of the status of this request,” McQueen wrote last month.
Now the society is requesting the $1,200 that was set aside to assist with the development and running of events at the site of the McDougall Memorial United Church, be reallocated to the fall grand opening event.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented us from having formal events to date at the site, out of an abundance of caution. However, our new plan for utilizing the grant money is to use it to expand the events on the weekend of September 12-13 at which the newly restored church will be unveiled to the public,” Kent McQueen, of the society wrote in the request letter to council.
McQueen said the money would also allow the society to “greatly increase participation of the Stoney Nakoda Nation in the way of singers, drummers, dancers, as well as providing honoraria for additional elders.”
In a draft of the event poster, organizers encourage the public to "Save the Date."
Titling the event, The Pathway to Peace the grand opening of the restored historic McDougall Memorial United Church is scheduled to kick off on Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with entertainment and family picnics. The poster also notes Stoney Nakoda Arts and Crafts will be available for purchase.
Bighorn administration recommended council approve the reallocation request.
Without discussion, council unanimously approved the $1,2000 reallocation to the grand opening.
