Summary#

On March 31, 2026, Calgary City Council approved, as amended, the terms of reference for updating Calgary and Chestermere’s existing Intermunicipal Development Plan (IDP). The goal, as described by City staff, is to guide the two municipalities’ work on a plan that better reflects current rules and growth near their shared boundary; this decision did not approve the updated plan itself.

• The terms set out how City staff, a joint committee of elected officials, and both Councils will work on the update. Both Councils will decide whether to approve the final IDP.
• Councillor Clark’s amendment added that Calgary and Chestermere will consider the effects their plans and development have on the region.
• City staff may make minor administrative changes to the terms; major changes require consideration by the Intermunicipal Committee.
• The current IDP, approved in 2020, remains in place while the update is prepared. The report says bordering municipalities must have IDPs by November 30, 2027.
• The decision carried 15–0. The supplied minutes record no opposing votes.

What it means for you#

• Residents of Calgary and Chestermere: This decision starts the process for updating planning rules near the shared boundary; it does not itself change land use rules or approve development.
• People who may want to take part: City staff are to lead engagement during the plan work. Public engagement was not required or undertaken on the terms of reference themselves.
• Both municipalities: Their administrative working group will do the technical work and lead engagement. Their elected officials’ joint committee will provide oversight, advice and recommendations, and help address issues.
• Both Councils: They retain the authority to approve or reject the final IDP. The report says work will formally begin once both Councils approve the terms; the supplied material does not say whether Chestermere Council has done so.

Money#

The project has existing one-time operating funding confirmed in Calgary’s 2026 Budget Adjustments, and the report says no new funding is required.

• The report gives no total project cost.
• Calgary has applied for an Alberta Communities Partnership Grant. If successful, the grant would reduce the financial contribution required from both municipalities; the amount and outcome are not given.

What is unclear#

• What the future public engagement will involve, and when or how residents can participate, is not stated in the supplied material.
• The terms of reference attachment is not included here, so the detailed steps for resolving disputes and the boundary between “minor” and “major” changes cannot be verified.
• The supplied material does not confirm whether Chestermere Council has approved the terms or provide a schedule for completing the updated IDP.

Case for#

• City staff say the 2020 IDP does not fully reflect current legislative requirements or the changing planning context. Updating it could help the municipalities meet the November 2027 deadline.
• Staff say coordinated planning can help align roads, infrastructure and land use near the boundary, and protect City investments.
• The terms establish roles for staff, the joint committee and both Councils, while keeping final approval of the updated plan with the two Councils.

Case against#

• Residents were not engaged on the terms of reference. Although staff are to lead engagement during the plan work, the supplied material does not explain how that participation will work.
• The decision sets a process but does not settle future land-use choices. Those choices—and any disagreement between the municipalities—remain to be worked through and approved later.
• The report does not give a total project cost or say how much a possible grant would reduce each municipality’s contribution.