Senators and Algonquin Anishinabe Nation plan ‘economic partnership’ at LeBreton Flats

The Ottawa Senators and the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation are working toward establishing a “long-term economic partnership” as plans for a new arena at LeBreton Flats continue to take shape.  “Through ongoing discussions, both parties have identified a strong alignment in their commitment to creating Ottawa–Gatineau’s next great gathering place – one that recognizes and honours the deep cultural and historical significance of these lands to the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation,” said a joint statement from the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation and Senators Sports & Entertainment on Thursday. The statement added that this collaboration “reflects a shared desire to bring communities together while respecting the history, identity, and future of the land.”  The two parties “look forward to continuing these conversations and building on this important relationship as plans for the site evolve,” according to the statement. More details on the partnership will be shared once a memorandum of understanding has been finalized, the statement added. A spokesperson declined to provide further information on Thursday. The Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn referenced the news on their website on Thursday. "After many years of talks and negotiations, real progress is being made on one of the biggest partnerships ever created. These achievements are the result of years of negotiation, by a unified Algonquin negotiation team led by the Chiefs and Councilors of Pikwakanagan and the Algonquin First Nations in present day Quebec. "Such a partnership with a professional hockey team could be the first of its kind for any First Nation in Canada. These business ventures are expected to provide significant revenue for Pikwakanagan as we develop those land parcels and link them to the Ottawa Sens business franchise. That revenue is forecasted to be substantial, ongoing and will provide much needed financial support for our own Algonquin self-determination and self-sufficiency," the community said on its website. In a conversation with OBJ earlier this month, Cyril Leeder, president and CEO of the Ottawa Senators, said the team was in a due diligence phase of the LeBreton Flats project.  “We’re in a planning phase where you’ve got to figure out what we can accommodate on the land. We are looking at remediation planning, like how the site is to be cleaned up before work and development can proceed. So we’re looking at financing alternatives and we’ve got an Indigenous land claim that we’ve been dealing with,” Leeder said.  With many “balls in the air,” Leeder told OBJ that his team is confident that progress is being made and that a timeline for shovels to be in the ground would be set in the first quarter of 2027.  “There’s just too many of these big issues we need to solve and, until we figure those out, we’re not going to be in a position to say when we’re moving there,” he said. The Senators purchased 11 acres of land at LeBreton Flats from the National Capital Commission last August. In a statement at that time, the NCC said the agreement was a “key step in bringing a major events centre and arena district, including mixed-use development, to LeBreton Flats.” The cost to build the arena has been estimated at between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion, while surrounding infrastructure, such as hotels, restaurants and office buildings, is expected to cost three to five times that amount.  Before Michael Andlauer and his group were successful in their bid for the ownership of the Ottawa Senators in September 2023, Dylan Whiteduck, then-chief of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, endorsed the bid of Los Angeles-based businessman Neko Sparks. A May 2023 statement from Whiteduck said the opportunity represented a generational opportunity to secure meaningful economic, social and cultural reconciliation, and that the First Nation had signed a non-disclosure agreement to determine the scale and structure of the investment with the community. At the same time, rapper Snoop Dogg, who was part of the Sparks bid, alluded to reports that a First Nations group would have an equity stake, without naming a specific nation. The Algonquins of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg have a land claim on LeBreton Flats, where the hockey team is planning to build a new arena. The Algonquin Anishinabe Nation is comprised of the following 11 Algonquin Anishinabe First Nation communities from both sides of the Kichi Sibi (Ottawa River): Kitigan Zibi, Pikwàkanagàn, Abitibiwinni, Apitipi Anicinapek, Barriere Lake, Kebaowek, Kitcisakik, Lac Simon, Long Point, Timiskaming and Wolf Lake. -With files from David Sali and The Canadian Press.