Just southwest of Calgary, Alberta, the Tsuut’ina Nation is building a master-planned community for 12,000 people on 1,200 acres of its land near Weaselhead Flats and North Glenmore Park. The $10-billion mixed-use Taza project, including more than 6,500 residential units, is being built in partnership with Canderel, a Montreal-based developer and is one of the largest First Nations developments in North America.

Taza is a model for future Indigenous-led economic initiatives across Canada and North America, says the Indigenomics Institute. “It really comes back to creating long-term, beneficial economic opportunities not just for Tsuut’ina Nation, but also for the wider Calgary region,” says Bryce Starlight, Taza’s vice-president of development.

“This signifies another major step forward for Taza and is reflective of the economic and social vision the Tsuut’ina Nation and its leadership have had for decades,” Chief Lee Crowchild said in 2019. The name Taza, which describes an amazed expression that “something wondrous is coming,” is derived from the traditional Dené story of The Girl Who Married a Star and was gifted by the Tsuut’ina Elders.

The collaboration between Tsuut’ina Nation and Canderel, which began in 2016, demonstrates how Indigenous communities and corporate partners can work together to show how Indigenous-led planning can sustainably shape communities. Taza’s vision is clear: to show that it’s possible to balance creating prosperity while also preserving culture and heritage within the community.

While it is on Tsuut’ina Nation land, it is built for everyone. “I see this as an opportunity for cultures to come together and to start bridging the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people,” says Starlight. “This is about intentional design that brings people together, where they can feel that it is a safe place to share ideas and share cultures, a micro-ecosystem that is going to allow these positive collaborations to happen and evolve.”

Taza will have three interconnected community villages—Taza Park, Buffalo Run and Taza Crossing—connected via Tsuut’ina Trail. Taza Park is a 470-acre master-planned development; Buffalo Run, a vibrant retail, office and tourism hotspot, already up and running; and The Crossing, a future residential village. The Villages are connected via Tsuut’ina Trail, which is part of the Southwest Calgary Ring Road. Each community village has a distinct character built around a guiding philosophy and distinct design principles.

Phase One, the retail hub known as the Shops at Buffalo Run, launched in 2020 with the opening of Costco’s first store on Indigenous land. With 20 checkout registers, including a new self-checkout area, the warehouse features 847 parking spots, with signage in both English and the Tsuut’ina language, Sarcee, and exterior and in-store landscaping and foliage that simulates Tsuut’ina land.

“It’s an honour to be the home of the first Costco on indigenous land,” said Chief Roy Whitney. “Today is a momentous day for both the Nation and for Southwest Calgary.”

More than 30 businesses have opened, including TD Bank’s first branch staffed entirely by colleagues from First Nations communities, and the plaza is almost fully leased. Shoppers see elements that promote the Tsuut’ina culture, from manhole-cover designs to huge murals and art installations. “When you walk into Costco, the first thing you see is giant ‘welcome’ sign, written in Sarcee, the Tsuut’ina language,” says Mr. Starlight.

Three minutes away, the 7 Chiefs Sportsplex & Chief Jim Starlight Centre, the largest sporting and fitness complex in Western Canada, embodies the Tsuut’ina Nation’s vision to connect communities through recreation and sports. There are two indoor NHL-sized rinks with seating for 3,000+ spectators, a media booth and a covered outdoor ice rink for scrimmages and drop-in skating; a 6,500-sq.ft. fitness centre with a running track; and 50,000 sq.ft of event space with seating for 5,000.

“Taza is inspired by the landscape that the land sits on. We worked with the land and the gifts that it gave us, instead of fighting against nature,” says Starlight. That translated to things like working with natural water crossings and drainage, rather than creating storm water ponds and framing them as amenities.

The Taza Water Reservoir at Taza Park, designed by Zeidler Architecture in collaboration with a Tsuut’ina elder, won a 2020 Canadian Architect Award of Excellence for its innovative, culturally significant design. It features a heavy-timber pumphouse and a solar-panelled, symbolic “gateway” fence, inspired by a beaver dam. The Tsuut’ina people are known as Beaver People.

The recently launched Taza Park urban village will feature 6,500 homes, including condos, purpose-built rental housing and seniors’ housing, more than 1 million square feet of retail and commercial space, and 20 acres of ponds, wetlands, parks and four dedicated dog parks.

Homeowners can own their property and improvements, while leasing the land from the Tsuut’ina Nation. It offers a pre-paid 99-year leasehold model.

Before design began, the builders — Brookfield Residential, Crystal Creek Homes and Homes by Avi — undertook in-depth training sessions with Tsuut’ina Nation’s elders and knowledge keepers to understand the nation’s culture and philosophies, focusing on community and connectivity, cultural influences, nature and connection to the land, and economic diversity. They have worked to find creative, site-specific ways to reflect Tsuut’ina culture through materials, orientation and detailing.

“We essentially threw out the book and started from scratch. We intentionally did not want to bring anything into Taza Park from our previous projects,” says Luke Staniscia, senior manager, business development at Brookfield Residential.

Its Rhythm project at Taza Park, a collection of two- and three-bedroom townhomes being built to Built Green Gold standards (one of the highest standards for energy-efficient and sustainable construction in Canada), incorporates all four central pillars that tie back to the sacred elements of Tsuut’ina culture. Connection to land and to people were the overarching inspirations — from the central amenity spaces and outdoor seating benches carved from natural elements like logs and boulders to community gardens.

“This has been such an exhilarating project,” says Staniscia. “Because Taza has its own bylaws, which are much more simplified, streamlined and developer-friendly than the City of Calgary’s, we were able to spend much more time and money on meaningful aspects of the development, including sustainability efforts and on the cultural design elements, rather than wasting money and time trying to check arbitrary boxes on a bylaw compliance list.”

Crystal Creek Homes has incorporated design elements that incorporate Tsuut’ina culture and principles into its two current projects: Black Birch Heights, one- and two-bedroom apartment style condominiums launching in spring of 2026. and Juniper Ridge, bungalow style villas.

“Black Birch was inspired by the natural landscape surrounding Taza on Tsuut’ina Nation and its proximity to Black Bear Crossing, creating a strong and authentic sense of place,” says Richard Daley, president of multi-family homes at Crystal Creek Homes.

Crystal Creek’s Melissa Friesen adds that the approach to design was grounded in respect for the land, the people and the culture. “We recognize that this land holds deep cultural significance, and our work is informed by Indigenous values through collaboration, listening and an emphasis on thoughtful, community-oriented design,” she says, adding that it was a learning process that resulted in more intentional and collaborative designs.

Home by Avi’s Aurora project is a collection of 46 townhomes, half of which will have a secondary suite. “Homes by Avi is proud of our involvement in Taza Park and the opportunity it presents to work alongside both Canderel and the Tsuut’ina Nation in transforming these lands into homes for thousands of families,” said Charron Ungar, CEO of the Homes by Avi Group of Companies.  “From its westside location with outstanding views of the Rockies to its vibrant amenities and connection to major transportation corridors, Taza Park is an unbeatable home investment in a most innovative residential communities”.  

“The builders are really collaborators in cultural expressions; we are all part of design conversation and new ideas. It really comes back to that idea of evolution, leaning into the designs where culture becomes a living, breathing element rather than a piece in a museum,” says Starlight.

Street names reflect Tsuut’ina language (Dene) and geography, while public art and murals developed with Tsuut’ina artists help bring cultural stories to life. Local Indigenous artists collaborate with architects to ensure that cultural representation is thoughtful and meaningful, in landscaping, masonry work, and even the Taza logo, which was developed by a branding expert alongside two local artists.

Since the Taza Park Sales & Marketing Centre opened its doors in May 2025, marking the official start of residential living opportunities, more than 5,700 visitors have visited. Construction is well underway across the site, and this spring, the community welcomed its first residents.

Established retail and service destinations, such as Tsuu’tina Gas, Metro Ford and Wood Automotive Group, are already welcoming visitors. Looking ahead, the planned Retail Main Street and Walmart’s forthcoming opening at Taza Park West signal the next chapter of commercial development.