Tentative S.W. ring road land deal inked with Tsuu T'ina
Final leg of Calgary ring road would go through native reserve land
A tentative deal has been reached to build the southwest leg of Calgary’s ring road through Tsuu T’ina First Nation land.
Transportation Minister Ric McIver announced the agreement between the province and the band council late Wednesday.
The deal would allow the province to use some reserve land to build part of the road west of the city.
It must be approved by band members in a referendum on Oct. 24.
A previous deal between the band and province collapsed in 2009 when it was rejected by voters.
That arrangement would have seen the band give up 400 hectares of reserve land in exchange for $240 million and the possibility of 2,000 hectares of government land stretching west to Kananaskis.
Speaking to CBC Radio’s Calgary Eyeopener on Thursday, McIver provided no specifics about the new deal.
He said the province is committed to letting the Tsuu T’ina people consider the proposal before making the details public.
“After coming this far with them I think it’s important to honour the process that they must go through and be good partners right to the end on this thing,” he said.
The tentative agreement is similar to what was on the table in 2009, he said.
“And those details will come out if indeed the deal is ratified.”
No matter what happens with the vote, the federal government would still have to approve the deal as well, McIver said.