Agenda Item No.: E.1.f.
Consultants’ Reports on the West Rossdale Area and Their Implementation (West
Rossdale as a Special Study Area)
Recommendations:
1. That the April 13, 2004, Planning and
Development Department report
2004PDP047 be received for
information.
2. That the Mayor send copies of the
Rossdale Historic Land Use Study and
the Rossdale Flats Aboriginal Oral
Histories Project Report to the Minister
of Community Development.
3. That the lands identified on Attachment
4 of the April 13, 2004, Planning and
Development Department report
2004PDP047 be released for sale and
development subject to conditions as set
out in the April 13, 2004, Planning and
Development Department report
2004PDP047.
4. That a service package be included in
the draft 2005 Budget to undertake
geophysical and possible archaeological
investigations, if required, shown on
lands depicted on Attachment 1 of the
April 13, 2004, Planning and
Development Department report
2004PDP047.
5. That amending bylaws for amendments
to the North Saskatchewan River Valley
and Ravine System Area Redevelopment
Plan Bylaw, Rossdale Area
Redevelopment Plan Bylaw, and
rezoning for lands identified in
Attachment 5 of the April 13, 2004,
Planning and Development Department
report 2004PDP047, and a road closure
bylaw for lands identified in Attachment
6 of the April 13, 2004, Planning and
Development Department report
2004PDP047, be brought to a City
Council Public Hearing meeting.
6. That Administration make an application
to the Minister of Government Services
Routing:
Delegation:
Written By:
April 13, 2004
File: 2004PDP047
to obtain an Order in Council from the
Provincial Cabinet, pursuant to the
Cemeteries Act, exempting the lands as
identified on Attachment 5 of the April
13, 2004, Planning and Development
Department report 2004PDP047, with
conditions to accommodate the proposed
re-interment ceremony and to recognize
the site as a historical cemetery.
7. That the concept plan for the cemetery,
as shown in Attachment 7 of the April
13, 2004, Planning and Development
Department report 2004PDP047, be
approved for implementation, and that
Administration present a revised capital
budget request to Council during the
2005 Capital Priorities Plan Budget
deliberations.
8. That a service package be included in
the draft 2005 Budget to undertake a
phased city-wide archaelogical survey
based on document research.
Report Summary
This report deals with the past, present and
future of the West Rossdale area. It
provides an overview of the activities
undertaken to date concerning the
construction of the traditional burial
grounds/Fort Edmonton Cemetery. It
identifies the processes, procedures and
timetable for implementation. The report
also seeks Council’s authorization to
proceed with legal processes, which will
support the construction of a memorial,
reinterment of human remains and ongoing
care of the site.
Previous Council/Committee Action

At the January 22, 2003, City Council
meeting, the following motion was
passed:
Executive Committee, City Council
L. Benowski/R. Millican/J. Tustian/W. D. Burn/D. Kloster
D. Fraser
Planning and Development Department
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Consultants’ Reports on the West Rossdale Area and Their Implementation (West
Rossdale as a Special Study Area)
That Administration report back to
Executive Committee, after the
Historical Land Use Study is
completed, on the findings of the
study, as well as keep the Committee
apprised on the future steps to be
taken on the development of this
special study area.
Report
 City and Provincial Processes Administration will undertake a process
(see Attachment 8 which summarizes the
10 steps) to ensure that the correct
timelines and procedures are followed in
conformance with provincial legislation
and city bylaws. These steps will ensure
that actions of Administration will be
carefully co-ordinated and implemented
in accordance with the Historical
Resources Act, the Cemeteries Act and
the Municipal Government Act.
Administration wishes to do it right the
first time and take the time to do it
correctly.
 Trolley System / Rossdale Road
Realignment and Closure – City
Council has to make a decision on the
future of the trolley system. A report
concerning this issue was considered at
the March 16, 2004, Transportation and
Public Works Committee meeting. A
tentative date for a non-statutory public
hearing concerning the future of the
trolley system is scheduled for June
2004. The Committee also directed
Transit to undertake consultation with
the community. A small portion of
Rossdale Road that exists over the
cemetery must be closed and realigned.
A budget adjustment to fund the
proposed construction was approved by
City Council on March 23, 2003.
Transportation and Streets Department is
proceeding with required permits and
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detailed investigation of proposed pole
locations associated with the roadway
realignment, and will report back to
Transportation and Public Works
Committee if any modifications to the
proposed plan are required.
Plan Amendments / Rezoning / Road
Closure Bylaws – The North
Saskatchewan River Valley and Ravine
System Area Redevelopment Plan
Bylaw requires amending since the City
will be recognising a new use, a
cemetery, in the river valley. The
Rossdale Area Redevelopment Plan
Bylaw requires amending since any
future development in the West Rossdale
area must be extremely sensitive to
cultural and archaeological concerns.
This direction is not currently included
in the existing plan. A direct
development control provision is
required for the cemetery and memorial
area to provide specific future direction
as to how the area should be cared for.
The closure of a small portion of
Rossdale Road will be legally
implemented through the road closure
bylaw. Once all of the bylaw
amendments are completed, an Order in
Council will be requested from the
Provincial Director of Cemeteries.
Order in Council – An Order in
Council is required to exempt the City
from certain sections of the Cemeteries
Act since the City will be creating a
‘historic cemetery’ versus an
‘operational’ one.
Construction of Cemetery Memorial –
The working drawings and specifications
for the construction of the historic
cemetery and memorial will be tendered
at the appropriate time in the process.
This will ensure that the memorial
design as created by Manasc Isaac
Consultants’ Reports on the West Rossdale Area and Their Implementation (West
Rossdale as a Special Study Area)
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Architects and approved by the
stakeholders will be constructed.
Interment – The remains of seven
individuals are currently located in the
Department of Anthropology at the
University of Alberta. Concurrent with
all of the above activities will be the
establishment of appropriate reinterment
protocols to help ensure reburial of the
existing and future remains, at the
appropriate time, back into the historic
cemetery. In addition, any future human
remains found in the Rossdale Historic
Land Use Area will be reintered in an
appropriate location within the historic
cemetery.
Stakeholder Consultation – To date,
the stakeholder consultation has taken
place through the design of the
memorial. The Rossdale Historical Land
Use Study will be released and explained
at a public meeting scheduled for 6 p.m.
on Wednesday April 7, 2004, in the Old
Timers’ Cabin. Further stakeholders
views will be sought through the nonstatutory public hearing on this report by
the Executive Committee scheduled for
Wednesday April 21, 2004, at 1:30 p.m.
Stakeholders will also have an
opportunity to express their views on
bylaws at a public hearing before
Council. Stakeholders will be consulted
on further investigations and their
results.
Planning and Development Department
thanks the stakeholder groups and civic
and provincial departments for their
assistance, co-operation and patience on
this project.
Budget / Financial Implications

In order to implement Recommendation
4, the City of Edmonton contribution
will be $130,000. The Alberta Historical
Resource Foundation will be approached
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for a matching grant of $130,000 in
2005. The Edmonton Public School
Board will also be asked for their
contribution of $15,000.
The budget for construction of the
memorial will be included in the 2005
Capital Priorities Plan submission by
Corporate Services Department. There
would also be fundraising activities for
the project, including submitting
applications for grants to the Provincial
and Federal Governments.
The appropriate source of financing for
the implementation of Recommendation
8 concerning the future phased archaeological survey is the City and the
Province. The cost of this survey is
estimated at $50,000 and can be phased
over two years. The Alberta Historical
Resources Foundation will be
approached for a matching grant of
$25,000.
Legal Implications
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The implementation process is in
accordance with the Municipal
Government Act, Historical Resources
Act, the Cemeteries Act, the Safety
Codes Act and the City’s bylaws,
practices and procedures.
The Province requires a resolution from
Council regarding an Order in Council,
which the provincial cabinet must
approve.
Justification of Recommendation
1. Rossdale Historic Land Use Study by
Commonwealth Historic Resource
Management Ltd., dated February 2004,
(see Attachments 1 and 2 which contains
a map and report summary with
recommendations) and the Rossdale
Flats Aboriginal Oral Histories Project
dated February 2004 (see Attachment 3
which contains a report summary), were
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Consultants’ Reports on the West Rossdale Area and Their Implementation (West
Rossdale as a Special Study Area)
undertaken to address issues arising
from the creation of the traditional burial
grounds/Fort Edmonton Cemetery
located in West Rossdale.
2. The Honourable Gene Zwozdesky,
Minister of Community Development,
sent a letter to the Mayor dated
August 24, 2001 (see Attachment 9),
encouraging the City to conduct research
into the West Rossdale area due to its
historical and archaeological
significance. Both reports should be
officially transmitted to the Minister to
demonstrate to the province that action
has been taken in this regard.
3. The City of Edmonton has put on hold
the sale of city-owned lands in West
Rossdale until the Rossdale Historic
Land Use Study is completed. Land will
be sold with conditions relating to urban
design guidelines for West Rossdale and
standard reporting procedures as
required by Alberta Community
Development.
4. Lands which Commonwealth Historic
Resource Management Ltd. has
identified as undisturbed will be subject
to geophysical investigations first
followed by possible archaeological
investigations to clear as soon as
possible any future uncertainties.
Attachment 1 shows sites requiring
additional investigation. Geophysical
investigations may include terrain
conductivity, metal detection and/or
ground penetrating radar. The
stakeholder groups will be kept informed
of the investigations and their results.
These activities will help to implement
Recommendation 7 of the Rossdale
Historical Land Use Study concerning
the need for further geophysical
investigations and possible
archaeological digs.
5. These bylaw amendments are required
for issuance of Development and
Building Permits for the construction of
the cemetery and memorial and to
protect the existing park uses.
6. This recommendation is pursuant to
Section 65 (2) of the Cemeteries Act of
Alberta.
7. The concept plan for the traditional
burial ground/Fort Edmonton cemetery,
as shown on Attachment 7, has the
concurrence of the stakeholders and
should be approved for implementation.
Additional funding is required and will
be submitted for City Council’s approval
in the 2005 budget.
8. A phased, city-wide archaeological
survey should be undertaken which will
involve document research only with no
digging. Planning and Development
Department should undertake this study
as a prudent planning step to help
identify potential and existing
archaeological sites in Edmonton.
Background Information Attached
1. A Map Showing Selected
Recommendations from Commonwealth
Historic Resource Management Ltd.
Consultant’s Report, February 2004
2. Executive Summary with Report
Recommendations Concerning the
Rossdale Historic Land Use Study by
Commonwealth Historic Resource
Management Ltd
3. Executive Summary, Rossdale Flats
Aboriginal Oral Histories Project
4. City of Edmonton Lands to be Released
for Sale Subject to Development
Conditions
5. Approximate Area to be Designated a
Cemetery and Rezoned from PU (Public
Utility Zone) and A (Metropolitan
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Consultants’ Reports on the West Rossdale Area and Their Implementation (West
Rossdale as a Special Study Area)
6.
7.
8.
9.
Recreation Zone) to DC2 (Site Specific
Development Control) Provision and A
(Metropolitan Recreation Zone)
Approximate Area to be Closed through
Road Closure Bylaw
Concept Plan for the Traditional Burial
Grounds / Old Fort Edmonton Cemetery
Required Provincial and Municipal
Planning Processes to Establish and
Construct the Traditional Burial
Ground/Fort Edmonton Cemetery and
Reinterment - A Summary of 10 Steps
Letter from the Minister of Community
Development Mr. Gene Zwozdesky to
Mayor Smith dated August 24, 2001
Background Information Available on
Request
1. Rossdale Historic Land Use Study
2. Rossdale Flats Aboriginal Oral Histories
Project
Others Approving this Report
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R. Millican, General Manager,
Transportation and Streets Department
D. Kloster, General Manager,
Community Services Department
J. Tustian, General Manager, Corporate
Services Department
W. D. Burn, General Manager,
Asset Management and Public Works
Department
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