Summary

With 28 urban reserves currently established in the province, urban reserves serve as a governance and economic model, which is now part of the economic and business landscape of Saskatchewan. The evidence suggests that the number and distribution of such urban reserves will be growing in the future.

This assessment indicates that urban reserves appear to have had a positive economic impact on First Nations. Urban reserves also appear to have created various positive community and social impacts. Although, some of the potential community and social impacts listed were inconclusive for some urban reserves due to the fact that the research needed was beyond the scope of this report. The potential impacts on the community in which these urban reserves were established also appear to be positive for some communities, but remain inconclusive for others.

Due to the research restraints imposed by the capacity of this report, many questions still remain to be answered. For example, are First Nation -owned businesses on urban reserves more successful than First Nation-owned businesses on rural reserves? Are First Nation-owned businesses on urban reserves more successful than First Nation-owned businesses in non-reserve urban areas? If urban reserves were not established, would the same level of First Nation or Aboriginal employment opportunities that currently exist on urban reserves be present in non-reserve urban areas? Do urban reserves create any implications for the local real estate market? Do urban reserves reduce the level of dependence on federal government funding?

As well, the major question of whether urban reserves are the best tool for assisting First Nations in achieving economic independence still remains to be answered. Although there are arguments to support the notion that the establishment of urban reserves help to achieve this goal, further research is still required to determine a conclusive response to all of these questions.

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