Rocky View County Begins New Regional Planning Frameworks With Chestermere and Neighbours

Rocky View County is moving forward with a new chapter in regional cooperation following the dissolution of the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board (CMRB), launching updated planning and servicing agreements with neighbouring municipalities including Chestermere, Calgary, Airdrie, and Cochrane.
At its April 28 council meeting, Rocky View County (RVC) approved several steps designed to formalize future collaboration with surrounding communities through new Intermunicipal Development Plans (IDPs) and Intermunicipal Collaboration Frameworks (ICFs).
The move comes after Rocky View County voted in December 2024 to withdraw from the CMRB, a regional planning body originally created by the Province of Alberta in 2017 to coordinate growth, transportation, infrastructure, and servicing among municipalities in the Calgary region. In February 2025, the remaining eight member municipalities unanimously agreed to dissolve the board altogether.
With the regional board now winding down, municipalities are required under Ministerial Order No. MSD:025/25 to establish updated bilateral agreements with neighbouring communities by Nov. 30, 2027.
For Chestermere residents, the most notable development is the creation of a new Intermunicipal Development Plan between Rocky View County and the City of Chestermere.
Senior Regional Planner Kaitlyn Luster told council that while the County and Chestermere have historically worked together on planning matters, the two municipalities do not currently have a formally approved IDP in place.
“Administrations will work together to draft a new Interim Circulation Protocol separate from these Terms of Reference by the end of July 2026,” Luster noted during council discussions. The protocol will remain in place until a finalized circulation process becomes part of the completed IDP.
The circulation protocol helps determine how municipalities notify and consult one another regarding development applications and planning matters near shared boundaries. As growth continues east of Calgary, coordination between Chestermere and Rocky View County has become increasingly important for issues involving transportation, utilities, land use, emergency services, and regional infrastructure.
The new agreements are intended to create clearer communication channels while reducing the potential for disputes between neighbouring municipalities as development pressures continue across the region.
In addition to the Chestermere discussions, Rocky View County also approved updates to existing IDPs with Calgary, Airdrie, and Cochrane.
Council additionally approved a new Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework with the City of Airdrie. The ICF replaces a previous Master Shared Services Agreement and establishes governance structures for shared municipal services moving forward.
According to Intergovernmental Advisor Keagan Andrew, both municipalities felt their servicing needs were not fully addressed under the former CMRB structure.
“Recognizing an opportunity to strengthen local collaboration, the municipalities approved a Master Shared Servicing Agreement in 2024,” Andrew said. “The MSSA affirms the municipalities’ shared commitment to a collaborative intermunicipal relationship and establishes a governance structure to support existing and future shared service agreements.”
The new ICFs are expected to cover a broad range of regional service areas including transportation planning, water and wastewater systems, emergency services, recreation, solid waste management, and dispute resolution processes.
Terms of Reference for ICF negotiations with Calgary, Chestermere, and Cochrane were also approved during the April 28 meeting.
Rocky View County noted that each municipality will conduct its own public engagement process as negotiations continue. Cochrane has already indicated it intends to use a more targeted engagement approach, while Rocky View County says it will ensure residents have opportunities to participate throughout the process.
Funding for the work will come through Alberta’s Community Partnership Intermunicipal Collaboration Program. Rocky View County and its municipal partners have secured grants valued at approximately $200,000 per project, with the funding expected to cover project costs.
For communities like Chestermere, where rapid residential and commercial growth continues to reshape the landscape, the agreements could play a significant role in determining how future infrastructure, transportation networks, and municipal services are coordinated across shared boundaries.