Chestermere, Alberta
Encyclopedia
Chestermere is a town adjacent to the City of Calgary in the Province of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
within Rocky View County. It is largely a bedroom community of Calgary and is a member municipality of the Calgary Regional Partnership
Calgary Region
The Calgary Region is an area centred around Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It consists of the City of Calgary, Rocky View County and the municipalities it encloses, and the Municipal District of Foothills No. 31 and the municipalities it encloses. The Calgary Census Metropolitan Area and Calgary...
. The town surrounds Chestermere Lake
Chestermere Lake
Chestermere Lake is a man-made reservoir in Chestermere, Alberta, Canada.It was built in the 1880's by the Canadian Pacific Railway, for irrigation of the area between Calgary and Strathmore. It is presently used mainly for recreation purposes, such as swimming, windsurfing, fishing and skating ....
.
Early settlement
Prior to the 20th century, the area around what is now Chestermere Lake was settled by only a few farmers. When the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
was established in the 1880s, more and more people came to settle in the west. To make farming more productive, settlers began to determine ways to irrigate their land. As a natural wetland, Chestermere Lake was considered to be perfect for use as a balancing pool for the Western Irrigation Block. By 1907, a dam and canal system had been built, the wetland developed into a lake, and farmers began using the water for irrigation.
Summer village
Following the irrigation development, the lake began to be used for recreation. People would lease land from the Western Irrigation District (WID) build cabins and stay on the lake during the summer months. In 1959, the Chestermere Cabin Owners Association (CCOA) was incorporated with approximately 50 members. The CCOA held events, bought a fire truck for the community, worked to reduce pollution in the lake, planted trees, and arranged for electricity and natural gas for the cabins.As more people began to live around Chestermere Lake, residents wanted to secure long-term leases. In 1975, the CCOA bought the land from the WID and then transferred it to the residents. By 1977, the lake boasted 120 permanent homes and gained official status as the Summer Village of Chestermere Lake on April 1, 1977. As a summer village, the residents of Chestermere gained more political influence and were able to begin adding services and amenities or encouraging infrastructure and developments such as fire and protection services, improved roads, a community hall, street lights, a recreation centre, local businesses and a golf course.
Town
By 1992, Chestermere’s population had increased to 1,043 permanent residents. On March 1, 1993, the Summer Village of Chestermere Lake officially changed its status and name to the Town of Chestermere. Becoming a town gave the residents more local and political authority. The town continued developing amenities and services for residents and its population has grown to 14,285 residents as recorded by its 2010 municipal census.Demographics
The population of the Town of Chestermere according to its 2011 municipal census is 14,682, a 2.8% increase over its 2010 municipal census population of 14,285.In 2006, according to Statistics Canada census data, Chestermere had a population of 9,564 living in 3,165 dwellings
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
, a 148.0% increase from 2001. The town has a land area of 8.91 km² (3.4 sq mi) and a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 1073.4 /km2.
Attractions
- Chestermere LakeChestermere LakeChestermere Lake is a man-made reservoir in Chestermere, Alberta, Canada.It was built in the 1880's by the Canadian Pacific Railway, for irrigation of the area between Calgary and Strathmore. It is presently used mainly for recreation purposes, such as swimming, windsurfing, fishing and skating ....
– Chestermere is well known for its lake. In the summer, it is used for waterskiing, wakeboarding, fishing and a variety of other water sports. It also provides day use parks for launching boats and family areas for the enjoyment of the outdoors. Chestermere Lake is also home to the Calgary Yacht Club. - Chestermere Water Festival – The Chestermere Water Festival is an annual celebration of summer at the lake.
- BikingCyclingCycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
and skateboardingSkateboardingSkateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
– Chestermere is connected to the Calgary bicycle pathway system at the south end of West - Chestermere Winter Festival – The Chestermere Winter Festival is an annual celebration of Winter in a small town.
Chestermere Drive (by the canal) and has bike trails surrounding the lake, a BMX
Bicycle motocross
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
park and a skate park.
- Golf Course – Lakeside Greens Golf Course in Chestermere is a semi-private 18 hole golf course.
- Camp Chestermere – Camp Chestermere is a ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
camp located on the southeast end of Chestermere Lake.
Neighbourhoods
- Rainbow Falls
- Paradise Meadow
- Westmere Estates
- Lakeview
- The Cove
- Westcreek
Education
The public schools in the town are Chestermere High SchoolChestermere High School
Chestermere High School is a public high school in Chestermere, Alberta, Canada. About 900 students enroll at this school.-External links:*...
, Chestermere Lake Middle School, Prairie Waters Elementary School, and Rainbow Creek Elementary School. Public schools in the town are run by the Rocky View School Division, which includes several other communities surrounding Calgary.
For publicly funded Catholic education, the town falls within the jurisdiction of the Calgary Catholic School District
Calgary Catholic School District
The Calgary Catholic School District is the Roman Catholic separate school board in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It also serves the neighboring communities of Airdrie, Chestermere, and Cochrane...
, which runs the St. Gabriel the Archangel school for grades K-12.
Most educational needs beyond this (e.g. post-secondary education) are met within Calgary.
Churches
- Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and School
- Chestermere Christian Fellowship
- House of Prayer Alliance Church
- Friday Prayer for the Muslim Community
- St. Gabriel the Archangel Roman Catholic Parish
Contemporary issues
Although Chestermere is considered a separate municipality in its own right, its proximity to Calgary has led to occasional questions regarding possible future absorption by Calgary as it grows.On August 1, 2007, the City of Calgary annexed an extensive tract of land from Rocky View County, which placed Calgary's eastern city limits one section (1.6 km or 1 mi) from the Chestermere's western town limits.
Meanwhile, the Town of Chestermere's March 2007 Growth Study proposed annexation of, among other areas, the intervening land between Chestermere and the newly expanded Calgary boundaries. On March 13, 2009, Chestermere's annexation was approved resulting in a shared municipal boundary with Calgary.
New developments
- Bayside Community – The Bayside Community is a proposed new neighbourhood that would include both residential and commercial areas.
- Spray Park – The town is currently investigating the development of a spray park.