Her guest room contains evidence of Angela’s “wild side”, somewhat belying the “warm and cosy” décor of her 900-square-foot two-bedroom one-bath condo in Calgary’s northwest community of Arbour Lake. There, a shelf displays a Harley Davidson scarf, key chain, and miniature bike, plus the framed photo of Angela standing beside the motorcycle.

Juxtaposed with the motorcycle collection are angels, precious examples of her connection to her extended family. Every Christmas, she and her sisters exchange angels to remember their beloved late mother. These angels are found in Angela’s bedroom, as is their mother’s antique sewing machine, doubling as a television stand.

Angela is an experienced condo dweller, having previously owned one other condominium since her arrival in Calgary back in 1972 from Saskatchewan. “I lived near Rotary Park, north of downtown, while I was working and it was a great location.” When she retired from a large oil company as a geological technical assistant, she looked for new digs: one that had an elevator, underground parking and she wanted to be on the top floor. “I had lived in a condo that was a wooden structure before and I found it to be quite noisy.”

With a vaulted ceiling and gas fireplace, Angela found what she was looking for in Arbour Lake nine years ago. “The vaulted ceiling gives my living room a more airy feel and it seems larger; and I just love my in-suite laundry!” she adds.

“I am very family oriented and am an involved aunt with my niece, nephews and great-nephews.” Pictures of her family are proudly set out in her bedroom, as well as on the fridge. Her great-grandfather’s beautiful wooden mantle clock is, as well as smaller family heirlooms, placed throughout her unit, including some of her mother’s china. “I just don’t have the space for the larger furniture pieces from my family,” explains Angela.
The hallway and walls are decorated as a testament to Angela’s travels, including black and white sketches framed identically for unity. “They are souveniers from all over. I framed them at home. It was easier to transport them flat in my suitcase. I didn’t need another knick knack, so I did this instead!” Other pieces of art gracing Angela’s walls include a birch bark biting from Manitoba, her niece’s art project from Ryerson, a floral piece painted by a friend, and a wax rubbing of a petroglyph from Gabriola Island.

She is enjoying her location in the suburbs. “I do everything over at Crowfoot Crossing, from my shopping, banking, going for coffee and to movies, as well as use the car wash and the pharmacy! There is a nice walking path that takes you to Arbour Lake where I use the canoes, paddle boats, beach and, if I had a fishing pole, even fish! I am a member of the Arbour Lake Residents’ Association and that allows me to use the facilities. I can bring up to 16 people with me for a barbecue!”

From Angela’s large fourth-floor deck, she has a panoramic view of downtown and Nose Hill Park. “The sunrises are very pretty. The view in the summer is nice with all the green and trees, but in the winter it is beautiful, too, with the hoarfrost on the trees. At night, Crowfoot Crossing is lit up and it looks very nice, too.”

Her patio furniture is put away during the winter down in the storage space in front of her van. “I also have an in-suite storage closet which I had modified to store my suitcases and also become a bit of a pantry because my kitchen has somewhat limited cabinetry.”

She wishes she would have had another bathroom, especially when friends and family stay over. Angela would also have liked to remove the wall between the kitchen and living room, but that would have reduced the number of cabinets and the storage in her galley kitchen. With the pass-through window, though, she can still take advantage of the natural light coming from the sliding glass doors in the living room.

Because of the sense of security, good neighbours and knowing that “someone’s around all the time,” Angela feels condo life suits her. Maintenance issues are not a worry either, as her condo fees take care of what needs to be done, including snow removal and mowing of the grass in the common areas. “There is opportunity,” Angela states, “for the residents of the two- building complex to help out in the summer with flowers in the courtyard to enhance the landscaping.” She likes having a mailbox on the main floor of her building. “If we receive a parcel, we even have a box where it can be put so it saves me a trip to the post office!” Also found in the foyer is a book exchange/library, with a variety of reading materials available to the residents.

“I’ve filled my place with pictures from my travels and things that family, friends, and I have made to make it warm and cosy,” explains Angela.
And watch out when she turns 65! She has already been hot air ballooning and taken a rough-and-tumble mountain trail bike ride. What will her sisters have up their sleeves to celebrate their sister’s wild side then?