Indeed, times have certainly changed for this small town, as the quiet lakeside haven just east of Calgary—which for the longest time didn’t even have a Main Street—is on the cusp of a huge leap in growth as it recently completed the annexation of land that more than doubles its size.

If you haven’t been out to Chestermere in the past few years, you will certainly be in for a bit of a jolt. Growth is evident everywhere; from the number of residential neighbourhoods, to the new services in town, not to mention the grand Town Hall and the rest of Chestermere Station — which can now be considered the community’s main strip.

“We have been the fastest growing town in Canada from 2002 to 2007 with an annual growth rate of 35 per cent,” says Chestermere Mayor Patricia Matthews. “When my family came to town 10 years ago there were about 3,000 people, now our population is at the 14,000 mark.”

Matthews says these are “very exciting times” for the town, especially in light of the annexation of 6,500 acres of surrounding land in March. “We are still striving to keep the small town charm of Chestermere, where you still have that tight-knit community feel, where you can still enjoy relative peace and quiet and a safe environment to raise children and balance this with more amenities and commercial development.”

What gives Chestermere its biggest edge over Calgary’s other nearby satellite communities is that it offers resort-style living without having to sacrifice access to urban amenities. Scenic lakeside living is difficult enough to find in the city, but couple this with Chestermere’s wide array of recreational opportunities that includes an 18-hole golf course and remain just 20 minutes away from Calgary’s city centre, and you have the closest thing to suburban paradise.

Humble origins
The town of Chestermere has come a long way from its humble beginnings. The 750-acre lake that is its crowning glory had a more pragmatic function when it was used as an irrigation source by farmers who settled the area in 1884 and founded the town. The lake was formed in 1906 when the Kinniburgh Slough was dammed and water pooled in the land’s natural depression.

Those first residents of Chestermere probably had no idea what a draw that irrigation headwater would become for homeowners in this landlocked prairie region in the coming years.

The lake is just over five-and-a-half kilometres long by nearly a kilometre wide and is fed, via a canal system, by the Bow River —itself fed with fresh mountain, spring and glacier run-off. It offers many recreational opportunities for all seasons. In the summer, there is water-skiing sailing, fishing, windsurfing, canoeing, and swimming. Migratory birds are drawn to it every fall and spring, and everyone can enjoy the scenic serenity on the two-lane bike path. The ice-fishing in the winter has seen many trophy fish caught. There is skating on the lake and on the ponds and canals that run throughout the community.

Lakeside Greens Golf Course and its adjacent community was the development that really kick-started the most recent growth spurt in Chestermere, with the first new show homes opening in 1991.

Scenic suburbia
Before the 18-hole, semi-private golf course was built, the only water available was well water that was “less than wonderful,” says long-time Chestermere resident and veteran realtor, Marjorie McKay. “When the golf course was approved they brought out the water line from Calgary. When this happened property values went up about 40 per cent,” says McKay, who specializes in Chestermere listings.

Though not all the communities in Chestermere have direct access to the lake, each one has some kind of water feature in keeping with the town’s character. The Trutina family’s new development of Rainbow Falls features a $7 million waterfall, park and extensive walking paths.

“We strongly believe that the communities we develop should offer more than just token green space to residents. We spent a lot of time and money developing our waterfall feature and now it’s been used several times as a backdrop to weddings,” says Tony Trutina of Lionsworthe Homes.

Rainbow Falls is just one of several new communities that have sprung up on both sides of Highway 1A, which runs through the middle of town. Westmere, on the north side of
the highway, is another.

Westmere is a 440-acre master-planned community that offers a very diverse housing mix with townhomes, villas, three-storey apartment buildings, estate homes and a good range of single-family homes. Kinniburgh, on the east side of the lake, has just opened up and is selling prime estate lots.

The new Chestermere
As the town continues to grow, there is added pressure on providing services. In fact, McKay says, “the need is becoming urgent. We need a movie theatre, maybe a bowling alley, something other than the existing recreational opportunities for kids to do in town. Council for the most part is on the right track and are listening to our concerns, but we need proper zoning in place to attract this kind of business.”

A big piece of the puzzle, however, is already in place with Chestermere Station, a 60-acre commercial site with a Safeway, banks, liquor store and a dozen additional commercial units. A Boston Pizza restaurant and a Shoppers Drug Mart will also open soon.

The 36,000-square-foot town office complex adjacent to it serves as the hub of the community’s new downtown core, and acts as the centrepiece of the pedestrian area along the waterfront, which will have boardwalks, restaurants, ice cream vendors and more. It is a perfect spot for summer picnics and lazy weekends fishing.

Matthews says there will be a second high school in town soon to address the growing educational need. There are already two public elementary schools and a separate Catholic school.

Chestermere used to be a secret, but it’s not anymore. “Now people all around Alberta are discovering what we’ve known all along—the quality of life, recreational opportunities and small town atmosphere make Chestermere a fantastic place to live! Your family can have a resort lifestyle while you work in the city just a short drive away,” says McKay. NL