Metis Settlements Land Registry

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The Metis Settlements Land Registry was established on November 1, 1990 to protect, secure and maintain the records and registered interests in Metis settlements lands. The eight Metis Settlements are areas of land that were set aside for the Metis people. These lands were set aside under the authority of the Metis Betterment Act 1939. On July 1, 1989, the Government of Alberta and the Metis Settlements entered into an agreement called the Alberta Metis Settlements Accord.
This agreement lead to the enactment of legislation that:
  • granted the fee simple interest in those lands to the Metis Settlements General Council
  • gave the settlements the power to create interests in land
  • provided for the establishment of the Metis Settlements Land Registry to record and register the rights and interests in settlement lands

The grant of the fee simple interest in the settlement lands is set out in the eight Letters Patent and confirmed by the Metis Settlements Land Protection Act. The area of the settlements is described by eight boundary plans filed in the Alberta Land Titles office. The grant includes the fee simple interest in the roads, road allowances and the beds and shores of water bodies located within the settlement boundaries.

An interest in settlement lands must be authorized by an Act, a General Council policy or a by-law made pursuant to a General Council policy. The General Council Land Policy defines some of the interests that settlement member may hold.

Under the provisions of this policy, a Metis Title interest is created in every parcel of land in the settlements. The Metis Titles do not include areas within road plans, road allowances and the beds and shore of water bodies. Only a Metis Title holder can grant lesser interest to another member or a non-member. A settlement member can hold the Metis Title to any number of parcels with a total area of 175 acres or less and a member can also hold one more Metis Title to a parcel of land with an area of less than 168 acres.