Public transit users in Calgary may soon be able to travel to and from a neighbouring First Nation for the first time.
A proposed Calgary Transit bus route would travel between some southwest communities and The Shops at Buffalo Run, a shopping complex just outside of Calgary’s southwest limits on Tsuut’ina Nation territory that includes a Costco and other amenities.
The proposed Route 103 would provide two-way service to communities to the west of the Southland and Anderson LRT stations, and would complement existing neighbourhood bus routes.
A map of the proposed line shows the bus passing through Braeside, Canyon Meadows, Woodlands and Woodbine, travelling along arterial roads such as Anderson Road, Southland Drive and 24th Street S.W.
The bus would cross Tsuut’ina Trail (the portion of the southwest Calgary ring road that cuts through the Nation’s territory) at an existing overpass on 130th Avenue S.W.
The busy parking lot of the Costco Wholesale located at the Taza development on Tsuut’ina Nation at the west edge of Calgary on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
However, a Calgary Transit official said the bus line is still just a proposal, as representatives from the city and Tsuut’ina Nation continue discussions over the route alignment, timelines and other details.
“That’s all been a great discussion and we’re in the middle of it right now,” said John Lea, Calgary Transit’s senior leader in transit design.
But he said there is sufficient ridership demand for a bus route linking the two communities, noting many southwest Calgarians do their shopping in Buffalo Run.
Not the first time Calgary Transit could leave city’s boundaries
If it does come to fruition, Route 103 would mark just the second time Calgary Transit has extended service outside of city boundaries.
Calgary Transit’s mandate is to provide public transportation within city limits, except in cases where the agency has received council direction to extend service outside of municipal boundaries.
In 2021, the city entered a partnership with the City of Chestermere to extend the Max Purple bus rapid transit line to the lake community just east of Calgary.
Route 103 would require a similar transit service agreement with Tsuut’ina Nation, said Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean, whose ward includes Woodbine, Woodlands and Canyon Meadows.
“I’ve had lots of good conversations with the new chief and council,” said McLean, who is also the chair of council’s intergovernmental affairs committee. “There’s some details to be worked out on cost-sharing, but I’m glad to get the route out there, and get it started.
“We’ve got Costco and lots of good things that residents need to go back and forth to, so I will champion it.”
Mayor ‘very bullish on forging closer ties with Tsuut’ina Nation’
Mayor Jeromy Farkas also voiced support for the new route on Wednesday, saying it reflects the city’s growing relationship with Indigenous and intermunicipal partners.
Connecting Calgary’s public transit with Tsuut’ina Nation also builds on some of the collaboration set in place by a new regional table involving Calgary and five of its neighbour municipalities, Farkas added. That new planning group formed in December, replacing the previous Calgary Metropolitan Region Board.
“I had the opportunity recently with (Chief Ellery Starlight), the new incoming chief of Tsuut’ina Nation, to talk about ways we can better collaborate from the nation-to-municipal perspective,” Farkas said.
“I’m very bullish on forging those closer ties with Tsuut’ina Nation. It’s not just a water utility service that we share — in the future, it will ideally be things like transit (and) economic development, because a rising tide lifts all boats.”
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A Tsuut’ina Nation spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
But a representative from Taza Development Corp., which is a partner of the Nation and the developer behind The Shops at Buffalo Run, confirmed the talks are underway.
“We’re in conversations right now with the City of Calgary to explore the opportunity to extend the city transit system, and really help bridge that relationship between the city and Tsuut’ina,” said James Robertson, the corporation’s president.