Calgary Metropolitan Region Board to Cease Operations by May 1

In a unanimous decision on February 7, 2025, the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board (CMRB) voted to dissolve its operations, with plans to cease all activities by May 1. This move follows the Alberta government’s announcement in November 2024 that it would discontinue its annual $1 million funding to the CMRB and make membership voluntary for participating municipalities.
Established in 2018, the CMRB was a non-profit coalition comprising mayors and reeves from Calgary and six surrounding municipalities: Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere, Okotoks, High River, and Foothills County. The board was formed to support development, economic sustainability, and long-term planning in the Calgary region.
The decision to disband the CMRB has been met with mixed reactions. Foothills County, which had previously expressed dissatisfaction with the CMRB’s growth plan, welcomed the dissolution. Reeve Delilah Miller stated, “We see this as a huge win for rural Alberta to keep our autonomy and run our municipalities the way we know how.”
Conversely, municipalities like Okotoks are considering alternative regional planning approaches. Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn remarked, “Certainly what Foothills County decides to do has an impact on what potentially the Town of Okotoks will look at.”
As the CMRB prepares to wind down, municipalities are exploring new avenues for regional collaboration to address growth and development challenges in the Calgary area.