Charlottetown backs Friends plan for experimental farm

The City of Charlottetown announced Thursday it's backing a development plan for a large green space in the centre of the city from Friends of the Farm, instead of the Mi'kmaq Confederacy plan.

The experimental farm land is currently held by Agriculture Canada. It declared the land surplus in 2002, and debates about what to do with it have continued ever since, even though the federal government has since said the land is no longer surplus.

In May, the Mi'kmaq Confederacy released its plans for the 35-hectare green space, and briefly enjoyed the support of the Friends of the Farm, a group that came together specifically to lobby for a plan to keep the farm green. The Friends of the Farm plan dates back to 2004.

Janice Simmonds of Friends of the Farm expressed her pleasure Friday that the city had finally chosen to back its plan.

"This is a magnificent centrepiece for Charlottetown and a once in a lifetime opportunity," said Simmonds at the news conference, her voice shaking with emotion.

"We have respectfully submitted this proposal to the government of Canada with the firm belief that this is the best possible option."

If it gets the land, the city proposes to sell off three hectares. The proceeds, $700,000, would go to maintain the 32 hectares as green space.

The city itself would buy 1.5 hectares of the land on University Avenue, just north of the RCMP headquarters, and build a new fire station. Another 1.5 hectares would be sold along Mount Edward Road, just north of a residential subdivision, for light institutional use.

Both developments would be away from the intersection with Belvedere Avenue, in order to preserve the vistas from those corners.

The city would create a municipal Crown corporation to manage the land, governed by a board of directors including members of Friends of the Farm.

Mayor Clifford Lee called it a magnificent opportunity.

"The City of Charlottetown will probably never see again such an important opportunity to add to its public space like that provided by the transfer of the experimental farm lands."

Confederacy not invited

The Mi'kmaq Confederacy wasn't invited to the announcement, but a representative came anyway.

"It came as a shock to us," said Jeff Brant, director of socio-economic development for the confederacy.

Brant said federal government policy requires that surplus lands must first be offeredto aboriginal people.

"[If it doesn't] then you have a legal problem, if they don't follow their own policy and don't follow through with their duty to consult with First Nations," he said.

Even thoughthe land is no longer considered surplus, Lee feels Ottawa is ready to hand over the farm. The city wants to enter into a memorandum of understanding with Ottawa before the end of 2009, and see the transfer no later than March of next year. Lee has already told the federal minister in charge of P.E.I., Gail Shea, about the plan.

Lee said the city needed to make its move before it was too late.