City hoping to sign memorandum of understanding with Bearspaw First Nation

The move follows a recent push by the city to establish closer ties with neighbouring Indigenous groups, as part of ongoing reconciliation efforts

The City of Calgary is planning to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Bearspaw First Nation, after inking similar agreements with the Blackfoot Confederacy in 2025 and Siksika Health Services earlier this year. At Thursday’s intergovernmental affairs committee meeting, members will be asked to support a recommendation to approve the pact and request Mayor Jeromy Farkas to sign the MOU at a future joint signing event with Bearspaw First Nation Chief Darcy Dixon. Regardless of Thursday’s vote, the motion would still require ratification by city council later this month.

But if both Calgary’s and Bearspaw First Nation’s councils support the agreement, a signing could take place this fall, a city report suggests. The move follows a recent push by Calgary’s municipal government to establish closer ties with neighbouring Indigenous groups, as part of ongoing reconciliation efforts. While MOUs are legally non-binding, the agreements aim to establish collaborative relationships and are part of a broader initiative to engage local Indigenous groups in areas of mutual interest and partnership, the city report states.

In May 2025, the city signed its MOU on communication and co-operation with the Blackfoot Confederacy — Calgary’s first with an Indigenous neighbour. In April this year, the city formalized a similar pact with the Siksika Health Centre, a medical centre located on the Siksika Nation’s reserve, east of Calgary. The agreement “formalizes a long-term partnership rooted in reconciliation, mutual respect and shared goals” for community wellbeing through sport and recreation, according to a previous news release.

It also emphasizes a shared commitment to addressing racism and stereotypes, advancing Truth and Reconciliation and promoting Blackfoot culture, language and history. A similar MOU is currently underway with Tsuut’ina Nation, who requested an agreement with Calgary back in November 2024, according to the city’s report. The Alberta government has also reached and maintained three MOUs with First Nations since 2019.