To mark this year’s National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21), I spoke with Bryce Starlight, Vice President of Business Development with Taza Development Corp. about the exciting economic development called Taza happening on the territory of the Tsuut’ina Nation, just west of Calgary.

A blend of residential, retail, commercial and office spaces with parks and natural areas, the development involves a 50-50 land development partnership between Tsuut’ina Nation and Canadian real estate developer Canderel.

Having lived next door to Tsuut’ina Nation for going on 15 years, I’ve seen the development come alive including a new Costco, but Bryce explained that the idea of utilizing the 1,200-acre site dates back to at least the 1970s: “We were looking at the interface between the Tsuut’ina and the city and looking for ways to diversify our economy.”

For his part, Bryce said he has always been interested in the Tsuut’ina’s economic diversification. Key to this is “treating Indigenous rights as paramount to everything that we do. And not just the text of the treaty, but also the intent behind it, which is that the land is intended to allow us to prosper and continue to take care of ourselves and to be forward-looking. When it comes to our community and economic development, it’s a question of what does the modern-day buffalo look like? Self-determination isn't just about political structures.”

“We see economic development as a pathway to not just the overall health and well-being of the Tsuut’ina, but also of our individual members, so we are always looking for ways to have them participate directly in the projects. We also are always looking at ways to ensure that our individuality, our culture—the historical understanding of what Tsuut’ina means—are front and centre.”

Running parallel to the importance of community is the importance of collaboration and partnerships, including bringing in the multi-market expertise of Canderel.

“You don't have to do partnerships; our relationship with Canderel was a strategic choice. “It's a vast project—1,200 acres is huge for any developer—and to do it in a way that respects Indigenous culture while navigating the complexities of the federal government makes it extra challenging. We wanted a partner willing to work with us on a long-term basis so it’s a sustainable source of revenue for the community and we got the right partner in Canderel.”

“Even though we're focused on land development right now, we're always looking for opportunities to invest as a vertical developer or operator so the Tsuut’ina has a long-term supply of revenue that isn’t reliant on just one or two enterprises.”

With the pressing need for more housing in the province to catch up and keep up with its population growth, it’s great to see that residential development is part of Taza with Bryce noting that up to 6,500 multi-family units are in the works. “One of the great aspects of this is that it opens the door to members of our community to be able to move into a more urban setting with amenities in walking distance while still living on reserve. It also creates opportunities for cultural exchanges between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who are living together.”

Before I let Bryce get back to work, I asked him what success looks like for the Taza development going forward.

“There are a lot of positive things that are going on in terms of the development itself, from the commercial and retail to the residential—and more to come! But the success I see is more than those pieces. It's also on how we are structured as a partnership and how we actually work together as a community and as a business.”

“Our board, for example, is based on a consensus-based model. So we have to agree on what we think is the right approach. There is a mechanism for breaking a tie, but in nine years we haven't had to use it. So it's been successful in that both parties have identified, and are working toward, outcomes that work for one another.”

On behalf of the Twenty-Four team and ATB, I’d like to thank Bryce for taking the time to share his insight into the exciting economic development taking place on the Tsuut’ina Nation.

Answer to the previous trivia question: After Alberta (+20,562), Manitoba added the most people in the first quarter of 2025 (+3,307).

Today’s trivia question: According to the 2021 Census, how many Indigenous people live in Alberta?