Court ruling expands Alberta’s Blood reserve, Canada’s largest
Posted Jun 12, 2019 2:46 pm.
Last Updated Jun 12, 2019 3:07 pm.
OTTAWA — Canada’s largest Indigenous reserve is about to get larger.
Federal Court has found that the federal government underestimated the members of the Blood Tribe in southwestern Alberta when their reserve was created in the 1870s.
The ruling could add up to 421 square kilometres to the band’s reserve, already more than 1,400 square kilometres in size.
The court says the band may also seek compensation in lieu of land.
The reserve, part of Treaty 7 signed in 1877, is located between Lethbridge and Cardston.
The ruling brings to an end a court action that began in 1980.
A separate hearing will be scheduled to discuss how the band should be compensated.
The Canadian Press
