Chestermere: A Home for all Seasons
Chestermere, originally named Chestermere Lake, is a city in southern Alberta, just east of Calgary city limits. Prior to the 20th century, the area around what is now Chestermere Lake was settled by only a few farmers. With the establishment of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s, more people began to settle in the west.
To make farming more productive, settlers began to determine ways to irrigate their land. Chestermere Lake, a natural wetland, was considered 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.
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 1977, the lake boasted 120 permanent homes and gained official status as the Summer Village of Chestermere Lake.
Address
Community: Chestermere
Province: Alberta
Map Location
Latitude, Longitude
51.038295, -113.835396
Map Location