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Lloydminster and Frog Lake First Nation signed a friendship agreement Saturday, formalizing a partnership built over three years of joint economic development work.
Mayor Gerald Aalbers signed the agreement at Frog Lake, representing the city. Council approved the signing at Monday’s regular meeting.
The agreement grew out of the Community Economic Development Initiative, a national program the two communities joined in March 2025. That program winds down in 2027.
City Manager’s Office staffer Katlin Ducherer told council ahead of the signing that the agreement keeps the relationship alive after the program ends.
“Essentially what it is, is the CETI partnership ends and there’s no longer any facilitated meetings,” said Ducherer. “This Friendship Agreement says both communities will keep working together, whether it be at an administrative level or through Council.”
Coun. David Lopez, who sat on the working group, said councillors pushed to keep the agreement strictly between the two governments.
“We didn’t try and bring in outside partners,” said Lopez. “It should be council to council. It should be council making the decisions and not having any outside factors trying to influence what either side of the party was doing.”
The agreement also calls for each council to review and renew it after municipal elections, since Lloydminster and Frog Lake now share the same election schedule.
Coun. Michael Diachuk, also on the working group, said touring Frog Lake’s water, sewer and housing developments left an impression.
“We can get lost in some of the impressions in the media because there’s a lot of media, certainly on social media, around what’s going on in Frog Lake,” said Diachuk. “But to be able to see some of the work they’ve done, it was impressive, and it looked very positive.”
Ducherer said the city also wants to support Frog Lake’s land holdings in Lloydminster as the First Nation works through a required neighbourhood structure plan.
Council voted unanimously to approve the agreement Monday. Lopez moved the motion, seconded by Coun. Jason Whiting.
