Sask. Court of Appeal denies White City's request to annex 4,000 acres from RM of Edenwold

A land dispute that’s been taking place just east of Regina for the past six years has been put to rest, according to the Rural Municipality (RM) of Edenwold.

A news release published Monday from the RM stated that the Town of White City’s attempt to annex nearly 4,000 acres of land belonging to the RM has now been dismissed by the Saskatchewan Municipality Board (SMB) and the Court of Appeal of Saskatchewan.

The almost 4,000 acres in question included the entire community of Emerald Park, the release said.

“Emerald Park residents and the entire RM can be assured that we will continue providing the good governance that our ratepayers have come to enjoy. With this legal dispute now over, we would sincerely like to offer White City success with its ongoing plans to develop its town centre,” RM of Edenwold Reeve Al Trainor said in the release.

Trainor added that both municipalities can prosper and be good neighbours through cooperation.

The RM of Edenwold said that the court of appeal granted the Town of White City leave to appeal the Jan. 12, 2023, boundary alteration decision issued by the Saskatchewan Municipal Board Boundary Committee with the hearing taking place on Oct. 31 of 2023.

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In that initial decision the annexation request was also denied.

In January of 2023, the Town of White City said that it was concerned Emerald Park’s growth, which they estimated to be 85 per cent in 10 years, would surround White City and impeded the town from expanding infrastructure and its own tax base.

“This is very dangerous, as far as we know in Saskatchewan there are no other communities facing anything close to that level of encroachment,” then White City Mayor Brain Fergusson said in 2023.

On Monday, current Mayor Mitch Simpson expressed his disappointment with the decision.

“This is an unfortunate and disappointing result of many years of working to adhere to the Provincial Government’s directions and statements of provincial interest related to long-term planning and growth,” Simpson said in a news release.

According to the Town of White City, the number of barriers to growth and other development around the existing town encompasses 55 per cent and will reach 85 per cent in the near future.

White City said that in comparison to other communities in the province with a population of 1,000 or more, the average amount of development on urban borders is 10 per cent.

“White City will move forward with responsible and intelligent planning for growth in our community and continue to engage the provincial government for support and clarification for a long-term planning horizon,” Simpson said.

He went on to say that the town’s next steps include updating its official community plan and zoning bylaw that will be based on input from the community, as well as best practices and comprehensive research to “provide the best roadmap for our community going forward.”