Lakeside vacations are a favourite summer getaway but living at the lake year-round might be a problem if you had to commute to the city to work. Which helps explain the popularity of the increasing number of urban lake communities in and around Calgary – where more than a dozen have sprung up over the last 40 years.

It’s all about the lifestyle the body of water offers. Who wouldn’t want to live in a neighbourhood that has four-season outdoor fun right outside their doorstep? Ice skating in the winter, swimming (and maybe even midnight skinny dipping) in the summer, plus the peace and tranquility that a lakeshore setting adds to a home’s ambience, all without having to give up the easy convenience of city life.

Kelly Dowd, a business owner raising a young family in the new southeast community of Auburn Bay, says the lakeside lifestyle is perfect for their needs. “It’s like living in a resort, we have both the convenience and amenities of living in the city and still enjoy the relaxed lifestyle you can only find in a lakeside resort home,” Dowd says. “Also it’s a great way to entertain guests from out of town. They get a real resort-style vacation and you don’t even have to leave the community,” he adds.

There’s also the feeling of familiarity it gives recent migrants from water-abundant provinces like Ontario, Manitoba and even Saskatchewan. “It makes them feel at home,” says Sutton Group realtor, Tammie Dowd (no relation to Kelly).

But it’s really all about the lifestyle. “It’s like camping without the packing,” says Tammie, who specializes in lake homes, and whose passion for lake communities began when she moved into Lake Sundance, where she still resides, in 1992.

Lake luxury
While homes right on the lake tend to be a little more expensive, and most have additional yearly community fees, the consumer demand for such lakeside residential properties remains high.

Tammie says that even with the recent downturn in the economy, urban lake homes are still being snapped up. “I will be the first to admit that homes in lake communities don’t come cheap. But they retain their value better,” she says. “In older neighbourhoods…they close schools there because the kids grow up and move away, parents stay, the neighbourhood gets older and young families tend to shy away,” she points out. “That’s the opposite of a lake community, it’s a revolving door of young families which keeps the communities forever young and vibrant.”

Lake community homes command top dollar (homes right on the lake can easily go upwards of one million dollars depending on the community), add to that the annual cost for lake privileges, which average about $250 depending on the location and size of the home. But Tammie thinks it’s all worth it. “My kids grew up spending their time by the lake, which I would prefer rather than have them hanging out at the mall. That alone makes it all worthwhile.”

Lake lots
There are total of 15 man-made lakes in and around Calgary, the majority of which are in Calgary’s southeast, including: Lake Bonavista, Lake Bonaventure, Lake Chaparral, Midnapore, Lake Sundance, McKenzie Lake and the newest ones of Auburn Bay and Mahogany. Two smaller lakes located in the northeast are Coral Springs and Taralake, and the northwest has Arbour Lake.  

Just outside the city, the communities of Heritage Pointe and Elbow Valley each have their own lake, as does Monterra at Cochrane Lakes to the west and, of course, Chestermere and its 750-acre lake to the east.

Genstar Development opened the first lake community in Calgary in 1969 when it unveiled Lake Bonavista. It made such a splash that Genstar follwed up with four more, including Lake Bonaventure, Lake Midnapore, Lake Sundance and their latest creation, Lake Chaparral, which continues to make waves in the market with its forward-thinking, resort-style amenities.

Genstar Development Manager Paul Boskovich, says Lake Chaparral has a lot to offer residents.  “The community has a full time recreation director who programs fun activities for the entire family including skating, basketball, swimming, fitness classes, tobogganing, tennis, canoeing, fishing, hockey and more.  Aside from the lake itself, homeowners also love the wading pools and the waterfalls and the 20-acre park.” 

Auburn Bay, by Carma Developers, offers much of the same amenities. Carma Vice-President Bob Clark says, “Auburn Bay was created to be reminiscent of cottage country and a place where families instantly felt at home.  The true attraction to lake communities is the atmosphere created. They are ideal surroundings to watch your family grow.”

Hopewell’s Mahogany is still taking shape, but its 63-acre freshwater lake with 21 acres of beachfront area will be the biggest in town. It will have six distinct residential neighbourhoods, a dynamic Urban Village, 74 acres of naturalized wetlands, two unique residential islands and 265 acres of green space.

“Mahogany represents the future of complete community living in Calgary; a place where a connected community interacts harmoniously with a respect for nature, appreciation for historically-inspired architecture, and equal access to outstanding urban and natural amenities,” says Hopewell Residential Communities Marketing Manager Scott Hamilton. 

Let there be water
It takes a lot of thought, preparation and money to create one of these urban lakeside havens. Clark says about 1,000,000 cubic-metres of dirt need to be moved to excavate a lake to a depth of 25 feet. He adds that the lake must be lined with an appropriate impermeable liner to prevent water loss and mechanically aerated to keep oxygen content level to discourage algae growth and sustain fish stock at the lake.

Then there is the added consideration of lakeside amenities. Clark says a lot of thought and preparation went into designing the Auburn House community centre at Auburn Lake. “It was designed to be complementary to the cottage country theme of the community and can be expanded in the future to fully service a community of 18,000.

“Amenities such as the beach, water park and pleasure skating area, the toboggan hill, and the waterfall must be fully thought-out in advance of construction and designed to meet the needs of all residents,” he adds.

For amenities, few can beat the world-class golf course that is the backyard at The Lake at Heritage Pointe. The 2006 SAM Awards’ community of the year winner has a 28-acre lake next door to the 27-hole Heritage Pointe Golf Club. “The best thing is we’re just outside Calgary, great resort amenities and still just a short drive to the city,” says The Lake at Heritage Pointe’s Marilee Hill.

Cost, however is the biggest challenge today in building these multi-million dollar lake communities, says Genstar’s Boskovich.  “Not only does it present a huge upfront cost but you also dedicate a large portion of your project to recreational use.  This type of project made more sense in the past and will require very large land holdings to make sense today.”

This is exactly why, says Tammie Dowd, it would be a smart move to buy your urban lake home now when interest rates remain low. “There is a limited supply of these properties in town,and it’s a good investment that pays for itself in the long run.” CL

Some of Calgary’s newest lake communities and their builders:
Auburn Bay by Carma Developers
Single family:
Baywest Homes
Cardel Homes
Cedarglen Homes
Jayman MasterBUILT

Multi-family:
Mosaic Montage by
Hawthorne Homes
Echoes of Auburn Bay
by Discovery Homes
Eden of Auburn Bay
by Heartland Homes

Lake Chaparral by Genstar Development
Single family:
Homes by Avi
Jayman MasterBUILT
Cardel Homes
Cedarglen Homes
Shane Homes

Multi-family:
Stonewater by Avi Urban
The Chaparral by Pointe of View

The Lake at Heritage Pointe by Intergulf-Cidex and Upper Lakes Group
Albi Homes
Cidex Signature Homes
Greenboro Homes

Mahogany by Hopewell Development
Single family:
Jayman MasterBUILT
Sabal Homes
Stepper Custom Homes
Trico Homes

Multi-family:
Attached homes exclusively
by Sabal Homes

Taralake by Genesis land Development
Single family:
Reliant Homes
Point Grey Homes
Elite Homes
Reid Built Homes
Homes by Us
Vanity Homes Douglas Homes

Multi-family:
The Aqua by Generations