The former Calgary Metropolitan Region Board (CMRB) is getting a retooling of sorts, only with new and improved collaboration among members and less meddling from the province.

Plus, this one goes back to voluntary participation.

Back in November 2024, the Government of Alberta ended funding for the CMRB, effectively dissolving the provincially mandated organization. It was an eight-member non-profit government corporation that had been in operation since 2018. Calgary, Airdrie, Chestermere, Cochrane, Okotoks, Foothills County, and Rocky View County were a part of that group.

Now, what’s old is new again, as the City of Calgary will enter into a Regional Table Memorandum of Agreement, after a decision that involved a closed-session discussion among councillors attending the Dec. 10 Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) Committee meeting.

This agreement is similar to the previous voluntary Calgary Regional Partnership of years gone by.

“Going forward, there were some challenges with the former CMRB and quite a bit of bureaucracy around it,” said Karen Holz, manager of regional planning with the City of Calgary.  

“There’s a new opportunity to really look at a fully collaborative table where folks can come together, talk about regional issues, as there’s many things that cross boundaries.”

Holz said there are numerous cross-jurisdictional needs around recreation spaces, economic corridors, and transit.

“There’s a lot of different issues and things that cross municipal boundaries that would be helpful to have a regional discussion around, and this is the opportunity to do that,” she said.

Previous Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver, after announcing the removal of provincial funding for the former CMRB, said it was always intended for the group to end up self-funded.

“The CMRB has worked hard, and we are hopeful that they will choose to continue to work together to responsibly plan and manage development. Our government is open to suggestions on how each board can work collaboratively, and we look forward to their ideas as we move forward,” McIver said at the time.

Coun. Johnston questioned the redundancy

There is $1 million in funding that was remaining with the CMRB as it shut down. Forming this new collective will tap into that funding, according to officials.

Ward 14 Coun. Landon Johnston questioned the need for another committee.

“How is this regional table any different than, let’s say, Alberta Munis, or the current committees we have with Foothills, Rocky View and Chestermere. Do we not already have committees? This just feels redundant,” he said.

“It just seems like this program was ended by the province, and then we’re just trying to keep it going.”

Mayor Jeromy Farkas said there’s a need for regional partners all at the table, beyond the existing bilateral partnerships. Plus, he said, without the group, $1 million in provincial funding left over from the CMRB would essentially go to waste.

Farkas also said that the biggest difference between this group and the CMRB was voluntary participation.

“The province isn’t mandating us to work together, and that’s even more exciting than not because when you think about the level of eagerness that all of the partners have around the table because they want to be at the table,” he said.

“This time around really shows a great opportunity for a reset all around, and we can show the provincial government, as well, our interest in hunting together as a pack.”

Farkas said his perspective on the regional collaboration has changed since he was a councillor. He said he was initially a CMRB skeptic.

“There was a lot of confrontation. There was frustration around the table in terms of Calgary being seen to only be in it for Calgary without necessarily extending a broader eye for the benefits of the overall region,” he said.

“This regional table allows us to hit reset with our neighbours, as well as to broaden the mandate.”

The committee approved entering into the multi-party agreement at a Dec. 12 Regional Table meeting.