Recreation seekers in the Bragg Creek area will no longer be able to access a large amount of property north and northwest of Bragg Creek, as it is no longer available to the public as Crown land.
According to communication services manager with Rocky View County (RVC) Grant Kaiser, the land transfer was between the provincial government and the Tsuu T’ina Nation as part of the Southwest Calgary ring road deal.
“Of course, the federal government was involved to some degree, because of the status of Native lands,” Kaiser said. “This was, however, primarily between the department of transportation and the Tsuu T’ina.”
A press release issued by the county explained in 2013 the Alberta government signed a deal to acquire approximately 1,000 acres of Tsuu T’ina land bordering Calgary by transferring approximately 5,000 acres of Bragg Creek-area Crown land, and paying $340.7 million to Tsuu T’ina.
The transfer of the Crown land to First Nations land completes the process, as Kaiser understands it. He said it’s important that residents and visitors to RVC are aware of the change in status, as the land has been used for many years for hunting and other recreational pursuits.
“Alberta law allows Crown land to be used by the public for recreation, but now it essentially has the status of private property as it belongs to the Tsuu T’ina,” Kaiser said.
“Basically, anyone who had been using that land for recreation purposes can’t do that anymore. Just like you would want someone to respect your private property, we now need to respect theirs.”
He added since RVC borders 13 municipalities and Tsuu T’ina, Wesley/Goodstoney, Bearspaw and Chiniki First Nations, the county works hard at maintaining good relationships with all its neighbours. As this land is no longer a part of RVC, public access is not permitted without the permission of Tsuu T’ina.
“There are lots of recreational opportunities in the Bragg Creek area, including Bragg Creek Provincial Park, but this is no longer one of them,” Kaiser said. “There’s no shortage of other ways to enjoy this beautiful region and to be good neighbours, we need to respect the property of the Tsuu T’ina.”
While most maps and online resources don’t yet reflect the change, RVC’s maps have been revised to show the new boundaries of the Tsuu T’ina Nation. Visit rockyview.ca and search ‘maps’ to see an updated list.
