Tsuu T'ina Nation 145, Alberta
Tsuu T'ina Nation 145 is the name of an Indian reserve in southern Alberta, Canada. It is the home of the Tsuu T'ina Nation. The reserve was created by Treaty 7. Reserve lands are between Southwest Calgary, Alberta in the east and Bragg Creek, Alberta (Range Road 52) in the west. The north boundary is just south of Alberta Highway 8 and bounded by Calgary's 146 Ave SW in the south. [3]
The land is a former Canadian Army training camp, active from 1910-1996, when the land was turned over to the Tsuu T'ina Nation.
Demographics
- Population in 2001: 1,982
- Population in 1996: 1,509
- 1996 to 2001 population change (%): 31.3
- Total private dwellings: 632
- Population density per square kilometer: 7.0
- Land area 283.14 km2 (109.32 sq mi) [2]
Ring Road
The city of Calgary has long desired the acquisition of lands on the reserve to build a portion of a proposed ring road. The Glenmore Reservoir, which is one of Calgary's sources of drinking water, is a major cause of traffic problems. The ring road would connect from approximately the Sarcee Trail/Glenmore Trail intersection all the way to Alberta Highway 22X, alleviating traffic congestion in the south. The proposed route of this ring road would cut across the corner of the reserve bordering the reservoir.
The Nation has built a casino on their land and the government may grant permission to do so in return for an agreement to sell the land to the government. A source of opposition to the proposed road comes from the environmental community which doesn't want to see major infrastructure built through land considered valuable to a fragile ecosystem. There have been discussions on and off regarding commencement of this project since the early 1990s. During the national day of action on June 29, 2007, the chief of the Tsuu T'ina threatened to blockade the new ring road if demands for more lands and money from the tax-payers were not met. The Calgary city council announced on July 1, 2007 that the threat of blockades will most likely result in the construction of the ring road being put on hold indefinitely.
The land swap necessary to build the ring road through the reserve was rejected in a referendum by the Nation in 2009, and the City of Calgary announced that alternative plans will put the ring road on municipal and provincial lands only.
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