Chestermere City Council is making the city’s commitment to reconciliation official by adopting a formal Land Acknowledgment as the new corporate standard. The resolution, passed at the June 23 meeting, means all city staff and representatives will now begin public events, official functions, and committee meetings by honouring the Indigenous peoples historically tied to the area.
The acknowledgment specifically recognizes the Blackfoot Confederacy and the land covered by Treaty 7, where Chestermere now sits. The move brings the community in line with many other Alberta municipalities that have already adopted similar practices. Council heard that formalizing this practice ensures a consistent and meaningful recognition of Indigenous history across all city-led gatherings.
Looking ahead to a different kind of community milestone, Deputy Mayor Schindler put forward a motion directing city staff to add a 50-Year Anniversary event to the 2027 Events Calendar. Chestermere traces its municipal roots back to becoming the Summer Village of Chestermere Lake in 1977, though the lakeside community first organized as the Chestermere Cabin Owners Association back in 1959. Details about the anniversary celebration will be developed by administration, but the move signals Council’s intention to mark the community’s journey from a small summer village to the growing city it is today.
In other business, council dealt with a request from the Chestermere Regional Community Association, or CRCA. A motion to direct up to $5,000 from existing CRCA funding toward lighting improvements in the space used by the Chestermere Whitecappers Association was defeated. The vote leaves the lighting upgrade in limbo, continuing a broader conversation about how the city and Rocky View County share responsibility for upgrades at the shared facility.
All of these decisions came from a busy June 23 meeting, and residents can track future council actions through the City of Chestermere’s resolutions page or learn more about the area’s deep roots on the city’s history site.
