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KFN and Ottawa settle long-running land dispute

Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River Reserve (Jun 26/06) - K'atlodeeche First Nation (KFN) received a $275,000 cheque from the federal government on June 16 to settle a long-running dispute over land.

From 1974 up to several years ago, the Ministry of Transport (now Transport Canada) and later NAV Canada used about a square mile of land on the reserve for a guidance system site for the Hay River Airport. "They took it, but they never paid for it," says Chief Roy Fabian.

The site is located just off Highway 5, about seven km east of the access road to the reserve.

The band sent a proposal to the federal government in 1996 on how to deal with the issue.

"Canada sat on it," Fabian says, noting the band then took the matter to court in 2002.

The chief says the federal government approached the band in October about a possible out-of-court settlement and negotiations followed.

"We're happy to settle the issue," Fabian says.

Some of the $275,000 will go towards legal, travel and administration expenses incurred over the years.

Fabian says the remaining money, probably just over $200,000, will go into a band trust fund.

The land is now empty, except for a few power poles.