Meet the Calgarians Building the Green Line – Alyssa No Runner
Meet Alyssa No Runner, the Lead Indigenous Construction Monitor for the Green Line LRT SE Project. Since July of 2025, Alyssa has overseen the Green Line Indigenous Construction Monitoring Program, an invaluable component of the construction phase.
“My work is important for a project like the Green Line because it sets a precedent and a blueprint of how big construction projects can work with the different Treaty 7 Nations,” says Alyssa.
The Green Line Indigenous Construction Monitoring Program was created to enhance The City’s awareness and understanding of the diversity of Indigenous traditional land use, sacred sites, and historical knowledge. Monitoring programs are increasingly recognized as essential to responsible development across Canada.
Development of the program was done with consultation of: the Blackfoot Confederacy comprised of the Kainai, Siksika, and Piikani First Nations; the Îethka Nakoda Wîcastabi comprised of the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley/Good Stoney First Nations; the Tsuut’ina First Nation; and the Métis of Calgary Districts Nose Hill and Elbow.
“The reason why I got my educational background was to build relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities through educating the public on the archaeological heritage,” explains Alyssa.
Alyssa leads rotating monitors from the participating Nations to conduct ground surveys for different plants and animals that could be present on site. Collaborating with many Nations and their unique knowledges widens the scope of information available about the land being built on. Indigenous monitors bring deep knowledge of local ecosystems and traditional land use practices.
As part of the monitoring, soil is sifted for possible cultural materials that could be present on site. This could include projectile points, tipi rings, hearths and fire broken rock.
Green Line’s Construction Monitoring Program is a commitment toward reconciliation. The program aims to create opportunities for meaningful participation in a large infrastructure project on Treaty lands, respect Indigenous knowledge systems, and build collaboration between Indigenous communities.
To hear more from Alyssa about her work, check out the video.
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