Annexation

Annexation is a provincially-legislated process governed under Municipal Government Act. Lands are transferred from one municipality to another to accommodate future urban growth and development. The new municipality provides services and their regulatory authority to protect public health and safety.   

In Alberta, annexations are regulated by the Land and Property Rights Tribunal (formerly Municipal Government Board). The annexation process involves negotiations between local governments, public engagement with property owners, a formal review by the Land and Property Rights Tribunal and the Minister of Municipal Affairs. The Minister of Municipal Affairs brings forward the annexation orders to Cabinet. If approved or approved in part, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta signs the order. Further details about the annexation process can be found on the Land and Property Rights Tribunal website.

Annexation helps ensure key elements of The City’s long-term growth requirements, strategic interests and future opportunities are achieved, including:

• Safeguarding The City’s ability to accommodate its significant rate of growth
  • Maintain and expand a variety of growth directions to promote competition in the residential marketplace, provide a measure of housing affordability, and provide more certainty to maintain The City’s historic growth management approach.
• Developing a relatively compact, contiguous, efficient, and cost-effective urban form that mitigates sprawl and benefits the Calgary region.
• Promoting fiscal fairness and equity in the Calgary region through an approach to governance whereby all urban development remains under one municipal jurisdiction.
• Protecting key environmental and watershed corridors.

Annexation remains one of the primary means by which our city has grown, see the History of Annexation Map for an overview of Calgary’s growth.

Creating urbanized areas enhance major services, including the planning of transportation and utilities services, uses resources more efficiently, captures growth, gains a tax base and helps with regionalization. Landowners receive enhanced and additional services and programs not typically offered by rural municipalities.

Annexation of land does not mean immediate development or urbanization. Development and urbanization are a product of inputs such as planning, servicing and market demand. The City has a well-developed process to realize development in locations that are or can be serviced with high-quality urban infrastructure such as transportation, safety, and utilities.

As development and urbanization takes place, residents and businesses are further exposed to a wide range of services not offered by rural municipalities.

Municipal property taxes enable The City to deliver services such as Police, Fire & Emergency Response, and roads, but it also helps pay for other things, including social programs, and recreation facilities.

User fees services, such as water, wastewater, and waste & recycling, are provided as lands are further developed or where services can be provided logistically while remaining fiscally responsible. Learn more about all our City services and programs.

The Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Calgary Transportation Plan (CTP) are The City’s long-range land use and transportation plans that look 60 years into the future. The Plans help shape how the communities we live and work in grow, develop and evolve over time. The MDP and CTP were updated in 2020 as our city continues to change and grow.

The City has also begun a process to consult with local community members and businesses to plan for future development at the community level through the Local Area Planning process. The City currently has over 200 policy documents that guide local area development and redevelopment within the city. The Local Area Plan process anticipates revisiting those 200 policy documents and implements approximately 42 local area plans, which will direct where and how we develop the city within its current boundaries. This process is anticipated to be approximately a ten-year-long process and will generally begin in areas within the inner-city and work outwards towards the municipal boundaries. Our long-range plans make sure City staff, communities, developers, business owners, citizens and Council are working together to build a great city. Learn more about Planning for Calgary’s future.

Properties annexed in OC 487-1995 are located in Springbank Hill, Aspen Woods, Cougar Ridge, West Springs, Discovery Ridge, Coach Hill and residual areas to the west of the city. 

The properties are a mix of everything. Predominantly residential acreages, vacant residential lots, farm land, special purpose land, recreational and Institutional properties.

Properties covered in Annexation Order OC 487-1995 have continued to be assessed and taxed by The City of Calgary on the same basis as if the property had remained within the Rocky View County.  Once the annexation order expires on December 31, 2025, the annexed properties will be assessed using the market value valuation standards and subject to the same taxation rates as comparable properties in the city of Calgary. 

The January 2026 assessment notice will be based on the market value standard and used to determine the share of property tax. Then The City’s municipal and provincial property tax rate will be applied to these accounts based on the property type (residential, non-residential, or farmland) when the tax bills are mailed in May 2026.

The taxation clause under the Annexation Order 487-1995 provides the impacted properties a Rocky View County tax rate for 30 years, which will expire on December 31, 2025. After this date, The City of Calgary municipal and provincial property tax rates will apply to the annexed properties identified. All property types affected by this annexation order will see an increase in their property tax.

Per the LAND AND PROPERTY RIGHTS TRIBUNAL (alberta.ca) procedures, The City negotiated with Rocky View County regarding the lands proposed to be annexed in 1995. This included consulting with landowners on the future assessment and taxation of annexed lands. The assessment and taxation system is legislated to ensure fairness in the taxation of property. The City and Rocky View County explored various options with landowners to mitigate the financial and potential tax impacts of annexation. This included maintaining the Rocky View County tax rate for 30 years, which was added to the conditions of the annexation and confirmed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council in 1995.

Municipal property taxes are the primary way The City delivers services and programs that Calgarians need and value every day. We provide a wide range of City services not offered by rural communities. The City is working to educate Calgarians on how these dollars are calculated, collected, and used to provide City services. Delivering value through our City services and programs requires proper planning throughout the year. 

• Police Services: Crime prevention and education, law enforcement and criminal investigations to make Calgary a safer place.
• Fire & Emergency Response: Responds to fires, emergencies, accidents, hazards & specialized rescues
• Public Transit: Safe, effective, reliable and affordable public transportation. Including supporting specialized transit. 
• Streets: Building & maintaining Calgary streets, & keeping you safe with reliable roads
• Sidewalks & Pathways: Plans, designs, builds & maintains sidewalks & pathways to keep you moving
• Parks & Open Space: Manages Calgary's parks, urban green spaces and natural areas. In addition, cemeteries and urban forestry services.
• Recreation Opportunities: Recreation, sports & leisure & registered programs for a healthy Calgary
• Affordable Housing​: Safe and affordable homes for lower-income Calgarians 
• Citizen Engagement & Insight: Safe, fair & accessible feedback & participation in our government
• Social Programs: Services in communities to support, protect and enrich Calgarians' lives

Review all tax-supported and user-fee City services and programs at calgary.ca/services. Learn more on calgary.ca/ourfinances. 

Calgary continues to maintain below-average residential property taxes relative to a cross-section of major Canadian cities and regional neighbours for a representative two-storey house. Learn more about how our property tax and utility charges measure up nationally. 

Residential property owners experiencing financial hardship, regardless of age, may be eligible for a credit/grant of the increase on your property tax account. To learn more about the eligibility of this program, please visit Property Tax Assistance Program (calgary.ca).

In 1988, The City of Calgary applied for a comprehensive annexation to the then Local Authorities Board.  The annexation application included the East Springbank area to the west of the city of Calgary. Following numerous public meetings, planning studies and draft plans, The City and Municipal District (MD) of Rocky View adopted the East Springbank Joint General Municipal Plan in May 1994.  

The City of Calgary formally initiated the annexation by giving written notice to the MD of Rockyview on January 6, 1995. Copies of the notice were sent to the Municipal Government Board (MGB) and all affected local authorities. The notice included a description of the lands proposed for annexation, reasons for the annexation, and proposals for consulting with landowners and the public. In addition, The City gave notice that an inter-provincial municipal negotiations committee composed of representatives of The City and MD of Rockyview had been established.

A series of public meetings were held between November 1994 and March 1995. The public meetings were advertised in the Calgary Rural Times, Rocky View Five Village Weekly and the Calgary Herald. Representatives from the MD of Rocky View, City of Calgary, effected school boards and residents attended the meetings. The purpose was to provide information about the proposed annexation, solicit comments and identify issues that needed to be addressed through the negotiation process.

In addition to the public meetings, The City mailed newsletters to interested parties to create awareness of decision to proceed with the annexation, announce the dates of public meetings, and provide information on the progress of inter-municipal negotiations, decisions and impact of those decisions. 

The agreement was signed by the City of Calgary and MD of Rocky View on April 3, 1995.  On April 12, 1995, The City of Calgary filed a negotiation report with the MGB. The negotiated settlement between The City and MD of Rockyview included a joint request for certain assessment conditions to be attached to the annexation that addressed the concerns of landowners and a compensation package for the MD. In addition, The City and MD requested that the annexation be made effective July 1, 1995.

The MGB advised The City, MD of Rockyview and affected local authorities that there appeared to be general agreement with the annexation and that if no objections were received by May 19, 1995, the Board would make its recommendation to the Minister. No objections were filed by any of the notified parties, resulting in approval of the annexation agreement, as recommended by the Municipal Government Board.

Please contact 311 to discuss any additional City service inquiries you might have that are not related to your property's assessment.

The City provides services and programs to annexed properties that are logistically and financially feasible. Each location is unique, and some services might be provided while others require further urban development.