About the Association

About the Area

You are living in Richford, a newer neighbourhood in the city that overlooks the Blackmud Creek Ravine. This part of the city was once part of Papaschase First Nation land. Papaschase was a signatory to Treaty 6 at Fort Edmonton on August 21, 1877, under which they were entitled to land in south Edmonton. The Papaschase are a group of Cree people descended from Chief Papaschase's Band of the 19th century. Read more about the interesting history here.

Your municipal ward is IPIIHKOOHKANIPIAOHTSI (Pronounced: E-PEE-OK-KA-NEE-PIU-TSI-YA). In 2020, Edmonton City Council renamed wards using a panel of representatives from First Nations in Alberta Treaty areas numbered 6, 7 and 8, as well as members of the Métis and Inuit communities. Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi is a Blackfoot word that honours traditional grounds where bison were harvested. The Blackfoot (Nitsitapi) people primarily lived in southern Alberta, and many nations are still centred there, but they also migrated north to the Edmonton area as they followed bison.

About the Community

In December of 2000, Royal Gardens at Blackmud Creek Ltd. (Rohit) established the Royal Gardens at Blackmud Creek Homeowners Association as a non-profit company under Alberta’s Companies Act. In 2010 the Association became completely self-managed by the members.

Some of the key responsibilities of your homeowners’ association are maintaining the perimeter and dry pond fences; electricity and repair of lamps on the Ellerslie Road and dry pond fences. HOA fees remained low at $191 per year from 2005-2023. In 2024 there was a 13% increase to $220 per year. 

A major expense is painting and maintenance or replacement of the perimeter fence. The Reserve Fund Study determines what the HOA needs to cover these expenses.

Annual Highlights

Over the years, the HOA organized some neighbourhood clean-ups followed by a barbecue. One year, 106 Street hosted a block party.

2020

• Board of Directors: No elections held because there were no meetings during pandemic. 

2021

• Board of Directors: Doug Alloway (President), Marcia O’Connor (Vice-President), John Heritage (Treasurer), Jim Ross (Secretary), Jasmeen Nijjar, Cori Foged, Laura Buckler, Glinda Schuster (June-Dec 2021), Shelby MacLeod – elected June 15, 2021

• Website established

• Facebook community group created

• Perimeter fence painted

2022

• Board of Directors: Marcia O’Connor (President), Howard Wang (Vice President), John Heritage (Treasurer), Jasmeen Nijjar (Interim Secretary), Shelby MacLeod (Director/Webmaster) – elected June 14, 2022

• Reserve Study completed

2023

• Board of Directors: Marcia O’Connor (President/Acting Secretary), Elizabeth Marshall (Treasurer), Shelby MacLeod (Director/Webmaster), Nav Atwal (Director), Jasmeen Nijjar (Director*) – elected May 11, 2023

• Property Administrator – John Heritage

2024

• Board of Directors: Marcia O’Connor Elizabeth Marshall, Shelby MacLeod – elected May 8, 2024 

• Property Administrator – John Heritage

• Community Garage Sale in May

• Newsletter hand-delivered to all residents in June