Akers II Pre-reserve Land Designation Referendum Vote
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What prompted the acquisition of the Akers lands?
In the late 1800s, 888 acres of Blood Tribe reserve lands were taken from the Blood Tribe by the Canadian Department of the Interior pursuant to alleged surrender. The Blood Tribe disagreed that the reserve lands were surrendered. In 1970, 219 acres of reserve land was returned to the Blood Tribe. The Blood Tribe filed two specific claims with the Government of Canada with respect to the balance of the lands. As a result, the Blood Tribe and Canada entered into two settlement agreements wherein the Blood Tribe received compensation for the purposes of acquiring and converting 669 acres of land to Blood Tribe reserve status.
2. What are the Akers 1 Lands and Akers 2 Lands?
The “Akers 1 Lands” are the 444 acres of land acquired on behalf of the Blood Tribe via the first settlement agreement with Canada. The “Akers 2 Lands” are the 216.78 acres acquired on behalf of the Blood Tribe. There is a remaining right to acquire and convert to reserve status an additional 8.22 acres of land.
3. What is the status of the Akers 1 Lands?
On October 25, 2017, a referendum was held and the designation of the Akers 1 lands pursuant to the Pre-reserve Designation document was assented to by a majority of the voting members of the Blood Tribe who voted in the referendum.
4. Is the Akers 2 Pre-reserve Designation similar to the Akers 1 Pre-reserve Designation?
Yes, as the Akers 1 Lands and Akers 2 Lands will be fully-integrated, the Pre-reserve Designation for the Akers 2 Lands is substantially similar to the Pre-reserve Designation.
5. What is the purpose of the Pre-reserve Designation referendum?
Pursuant to the Indian Act, reserve lands cannot be leased, nor can any rights or interests be granted in reserve lands unless they have been designated. The Pre-reserve Designation permits the Akers 2 Lands to be leased and subleased for commercial, retail, agricultural, recreational, light industrial, institutional, and educational purposes.
6. How does designation impact the Blood Tribe’s interest in the Akers lands?
A designation does not extinguish the Blood Tribe’s interest in the reserve lands. Reserve lands which are designated do not lose their status as reserve lands — they remain part of the Blood Tribe’s reserve and are still held for the use and benefit of the Blood Tribe.
7. How will the Pre-reserve Designation benefit the Blood Tribe?
The Pre-reserve Designation will permit the Blood Tribe to develop the Akers 2 Lands for economic benefit of the Blood Tribe’s members by leasing the Akers 2 Lands to individuals or entities so that they may reside or operate their business or other ventures on the reserve lands.
8. Will the Designation create economic opportunity for the Blood Tribe?
Yes, the mandate of the Blood Tribe Akers Development Trust is to maximize the sustainable generation of revenue from the Akers 1 Lands and the Akers 2 Lands. This should create employment and other economic opportunities for Blood Tribe members.
9. How long is the term of the Designation?
The term of the designation is ninety-nine (99) years from the date the Akers 2 Lands are set apart as reserve.
10. Will tenants pay taxes to the Blood Tribe?
Tenants will make payments for the purposes of maintaining and serving the property. These payments could take the form of operational costs or property management fees and will pay for the ongoing maintenance and service of the Akers 2 Lands. Items addressed by these payments may include roadways and traffic infrastructure, utilities infrastructure, landscaping, and garbage disposal and recycling.
11. Where are the Akers 1 Lands and Akers 2 Lands located?
The Akers 1 Lands and Akers 2 Lands are located east of Coalhurst Alberta and border both Highway 509 and the Oldman River.
Akers I & Akers II Nominal Rent Referendum Vote
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the “Head Leases”?
The Commercial Leases with Canada for the “Akers 1 Lands” and “Akers 2 Lands”.
2. How will the Blood Tribe enter into the “Head Leases”?
The Blood Tribe has authorized the creation of the Blood Tribe Akers Development Trust to manage the development. The Blood Tribe Akers Development Trust will incorporate the Blood Tribe Akers Development Trust Corporation to enter into the Head Leases on its behalf.
3. Who will be the trustees of the Blood Tribe Akers Development Trust?
There will be seven trustees. The majority of trustees must be Blood Tribe members. At all times, no more and no less than three of the trustees must be members of Council. One trustee must have ten years of experience in the commercial leasing industry in Alberta and one trustee must have ten years of experience in the commercial property management industry in Alberta. Until the lands are fully developed, one trustee must have at least ten years of employment with the commercial property industry.
4. What are the “Subleases”?
The Subleases are the subleases between the Blood Tribe Akers Development Trust Corporation and Blood Tribe Entities for the various phases of the development.
5. What are Blood Tribe Entities
Blood Tribe entities are entities wholly owned and controlled by the Blood Tribe.
6. What is the purpose of the Nominal Rent Referendum?
The purpose of the Nominal Rent Referendum is to determine whether Blood Tribe members approve the charging of nominal rent by Canada Head Leases and in subsequent Subleases with Blood Tribe Entities.
7. What is fair market rent?
Fair market rent is the most probable rent that certain lands should bring in a competitive and open market, reflecting all conditions of the Lands. The rent payable pursuant to the Head Leases was appraised in 2025 at an average of $4,717.00 per year or $3,116,899.26 cumulatively.
8. How is fair market rent determined?
Fair market rent is determined by property appraisals conducted from time to time.
9. How is fair market rent returned to the Blood Tribe?
Fair market rent is paid to Canada and returned to the Blood Tribe at the discretion of the Minister of Indigenous Services.
10. What is nominal rent?
Nominal rent is a very limited rent charge — in this case, $1.00 rent payable for the entire term of the respective Head Leases and Subleases.
11. How will the charging of nominal rent in the Head Leases benefit the Blood Tribe?
The charging of nominal rent in the Head Leases provides the Blood Tribe with greater flexibility and control in how it structures its economic arrangements. It reduces Canada’s influence over the Blood Tribe, eliminates the Blood Tribe’s obligation to subsidize rent during development, and allows the Blood Tribe to make use of profit derived from the lands without delay.
12. How will the charging of nominal rent in the Subleases benefit the Blood Tribe?
The charging of nominal rent in the Subleases allows the phase Blood Tribe Entities to develop their respective portions of the lands without the obligation to finance and pay fair market rent during development.
13. Does fair market rent guarantee that the lands will be profitable for the Blood Tribe?
In a vacuum, the charging of fair market rent will guarantee that the lands return market rent to the Blood Tribe. However, until the lands are producing rent from third-parties, that rent will either be subsidized by the Blood Tribe or financed. This means that the Blood Tribe will either need to pay itself or pay interest to pay itself.
14. Will nominal rent limit the profitability of the Akers lands?
No. Nominal Rent only limits the rent payable to Canada under the Head Leases and the rent payable by Blood Tribe Entities under the Subleases to $1.00. The charging of nominal rent will not limit the economic potential of the lands or the revenue derived from the lands by the Blood Tribe.
15. How will the Blood Tribe promote the profitability of the Akers lands?
The mandate of the Blood Tribe Akers Development Trust is to reasonably maximize the sustainable generation of revenue from the Akers lands.
16. Why has Blood Tribe council selected a Blood Tribe Akers Development Trust to administer the lands?
Trust agreements allow for very comprehensive and specific requirements. If those requirements are not followed, then personal liability arises for the trustees.
17. What will happen with profits generated by the Akers lands?
The Blood Tribe Akers Development Trust will first re-invest the profits into the development of the Akers lands and, once the lands are developed, will pay all profit to Chief and Council of the Blood Tribe on behalf of the members of the Blood Tribe.
18. Will the charging of nominal rent preclude the charging of fair market rent in subleases?
No. In fact, the Designations require that fair market rent be charged in subleases to non-Blood Tribe Entities and in any sub-subleases.
19. Why is the Blood Tribe Akers Development Trust Corporation required?
Trusts are contractual entities. The Blood Tribe Akers Development Trust Corporation is a corporate entity and will act on behalf of the Blood Tribe Akers Development Trust.
20. Why must there be a separate nominal rent referendum?
Canada requires that First Nations make the decision to proceed with nominal rent separate from the decision to designate lands.
21. Why are there not separate referendums to confirm nominal rent for the Akers 1 Lands and Akers 2 Lands?
Canada’s requirements for confirming nominal rent permitted a combined referendum.
22. Are there criteria that sublessee entities must hire Blood Tribe members?
This will be a consideration at the time that sublessee entities are created.
