Tawa
Between 1876 and 1891, the Mill Woods region was inhabited by a Metis-Cree band under John Papaschase’s leadership. In response to escalating land costs, the Alberta government established a land bank southeast of Edmonton in 1970. The City of Edmonton crafted a development plan in 1971 and began acquiring land from the province, naming the area after Mill Creek and its lush tree groves. An envisioned multi-use Town Centre was designated on a 250-acre plot in 1969, becoming a hub for commercial, cultural, and social activities at Mill Woods. Tawa, representing the northern half of the Town Centre, features institutional spaces, including the Grey Nun’s Hospital and a sizable school/park site, with commercial clusters in the southwest and residential development from the 1990s to the early 2000s. The name “Tawa,” meaning “you are welcome” in Cree, reflects the neighborhood’s roots in the Cree Papaschase Reserve and honors Aboriginal heritage.