The McCauley Community League lost its fight to prevent Ambrose Place from continuing its development at 9629 and 106 Avenue. On October 30, the Alberta Court of Appeal declined to hear the League’s appeal to stop the 42-unit apartment, which is aimed at homeless Aboriginal adults with addiction issues, mental illness, or physical disabilities. The League argued against the development due to the over-concentration of social housing in the area and zoning issues.

Ambrose Place is a project of Niginan Housing ventures, a non-profit society which began construction on the development in 2010. Last March, the construction was suspended after a court ruling that the MCL was denied the opportunity to fight the development permit. The city issued a new permit which the MCL was trying to fight, but the presiding judge with the Court of Appeal did not believe the case would be successful.

Construction was set to resume shortly after the ruling. On the evening of the Court of Appeal’s decision, the MCL posted this statement on its Facebook page:

“We are disappointed, but as determined as ever to continue conversations about the spatial concentration of poverty, the need for balance in our community, and the necessity of real community consultation, wherein we actually get listened to.”