O'Chiese First Nation Chief Douglas Beaverbones (right) cuts a giant red ribbon alongside Alberta Premier Jason Kenney at the Cambridge Hotel in Red Deer on July 20, 2021. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

opportunity abound

O’Chiese First Nation celebrates taking ownership of Cambridge Hotel

Jul 20, 2021 | 2:47 PM

“Miigwech.”

That word, which is Ojibwe meaning ‘thank you,’ was repeated by several speakers and represented the feeling in the room Tuesday as the new owners of Red Deer’s Cambridge Hotel celebrated their purchase.

O’Chiese First Nation bought the hotel in Oct. 2020, but couldn’t hold a true celebration until now due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Amid drumming, dancing and regalia, Chief Douglas Beaverbones stressed this is a huge achievement for his people.

This further accomplishes O’Chiese’s goal of becoming more financially independent and less reliant on government hand-outs, he added.

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“We took a risk, a big gamble purchasing this during COVID, but our leaders did a lot of legwork. We have big plans ahead of us over the first five years. It’s a huge centre,” Beaverbones said, not getting into specifics.

(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

“This is for our whole community. It’s big for our elders and future children. It’s an honour to be where I am right now and looking at what we’ve done for our nation. We want to be prosperous and build a better future.”

Asked if the purchase, in some form, represents reconciliation, Beaverbones noted he spoke with Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer before signing on the dotted line.

“I told her we want to try and set a foundation to get along and be a united front; First Nations and the City of Red Deer,” he said. “I believe we can overcome racism here and all over Canada. Red Deer is a good city and I’m proud to have ownership in this city. I believe we can overcome obstacles, and that our nations and cities can get along.”

Veer spoke during the ceremony, saying the purchase means a return to economic vitality at the site.

She said the project will provide Red Deerians and Canadians alike new opportunities for Indigenous cultural awareness, respect and appreciation.

“The City of Red Deer supports the vision of O’Chiese Hospitality, and all that this means for not only the people of Red Deer and central Alberta, but as an example for our province and country, and our community’s shared journey towards reconciliation,” said Veer. “We remain, above all, committed to living out truth and reconciliation locally, not just in word or symbolic gestures, but in our attitudes and our actions through the new paths we are forging together.”

Premier Jason Kenney also took part in the ceremony, which included a ribbon-cutting alongside Chief Beaverbones.

Kenney noted the hotel is one of the biggest and most well-known in the province, saying the purchase is the culmination of many years of work by the O’Chiese.

“You are taking charge of your destiny and determining your path forward. The revenues generated out of this hotel will be reinvested in your nation, in the education and development of your young people and their talent, and also in other businesses that will continue to strengthen your resilience and financial independence, and your autonomy,” Kenney remarked.

“We can talk about self government, but it doesn’t matter very much if nations are dependent on Canadian governments for their income. Real self-government comes with financial independence, and that comes with entrepreneurship, with enterprise, and participating fully in the economy in a way this hotel now represents.”

Alberta Legislative Assembly members Adriana LaGrange, Jason Stephan, Jason Nixon and Rick Wilson also spoke, as well as AFN Regional Chief Marlene Poitras, Red Deer County Mayor Jim Wood, Clearwater County Deputy Reeve John Vandermeer, and Red Deer-Mountain View MP Earl Dreeshen.

O’Chiese First Nation is located on Treaty 6 land, about 140 kilometres northwest of Red Deer, near Rocky Mountain House.