Partial ring road opening in Calgary once again disrupted by Indigenous protester

CALGARY -

After more than five years of planning and construction, the final section of the southwest Calgary ring road opened to traffic Saturday.

The stretch connects Highway 8 to Macleod Trail S.E., and accounts for approximately 20 per cent of the entire highway.

The section is about 31 kilometres in length.

But as the portion was unveiled and officially opened to traffic, a massive deal between the province and the Tsuut’ina Nation was once again called into question.

An Indigenous man who says he was displaced by construction rushed the podium to remind Calgarians that not everyone in the nation is on board with the agreement.

Seth Cardinal Dodginghorse had similar remarks during another unveiling in October 2020, when he made headlines for chopping off his braids in a show of mourning.

"Just because you name a road the Tsuut’ina Trail, that does not mean that harm hasn't been done," he said. "I challenge the Tsuut’ina people to fight for the land, to fight for our treaty rights and more. We deserve more."

In 2013, the nation agreed to allow the highway in exchange for $340 million and 5,000 acres of Crown land. The decision was also put to a referendum that showed an overwhelmingly majority in favour of the project.

"Our legal obligation is the minimum obligation, and I'm of the opinion we went beyond that," former transportation minister Ric McIver told CTV News.

"We also have to respect the wisdom of the elders who blessed this road, we have to respect the wisdom of the knowledge keepers, we have to respect the wisdom of the chief and council," Mayor Naheed Nenshi said. "The opening of this section of our ring road is an important link for our city's future growth and transport infrastructure."

Dodginghorse disagrees. On Saturday, he once again asked drivers to avoid the stretch.

In total, the southwest leg cost more than $1.4 billion to build.

Once it is fully complete, the ring road will consist of 101 kilometres of free-flow travel.

The final section, known as the west Calgary ring road, is expected to open in 2024.