Here’s a nice walk through the bedroom community of Chestermere Alberta using pathways and sidewalks. It takes in residential neighbourhoods, there’s a stretch down by the lake and it’s all quite pleasant. While a longer one, it’s flat and overall pretty easy going. This is the Chestermere Town Loop, an in-town kind of adventure and we enjoy ones like this from time to time.
You could start almost anywhere along the route and in our case, we found easy parking along West Chestermere Drive, by a small park, and began there. This road keeps close to the lake and on the water side are some of the most desirable properties in town. There’s some big, expensive houses here and a few older cottages mixed in that look quite out place. Continue south on the wide pathway.
Chestermere Town Loop: a nice in-town loop and another Chris & Connie adventure.
Come to the south end of the Chestermere Lake and turn right. The canal empties into the lake here, which acts as an irrigation reservoir and in turn feeds two other canals. These bring life giving water to what is otherwise overly dry farm land east of Calgary.
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The canal dates back to the early 1900s and fed by the Bow River out of Calgary. There’s a foot-bridge here where you can cross over and get a good look everything.
Take to the paved pathway beside the canal and head west. This the far end of the Western Headworks Canal Pathway and if you’re ambitious you could follow it all the way into Calgary. It’s best biked (see: Calgary to Chestermere bike), although we walked it one time, many, many years ago. At thirty plus clicks, it was a super workout and left us exhausted but happy.
It’s not the most exciting outing, but interesting none the less and worth bragging about on account of the distance covered.
Take the first right and follow the path as it meanders behind homes, then take the first left and cross a road. Come to a green space and now it’s a series of ponds and while these are pretty, they also serve a function. They give storm water a place to go and prevent flooded streets. Make a little detour into Rainbow Falls Park if you like and take in the view from the upper platform.
It’s good they’re putting more nature and green spaces into these new neighbourhoods, In this instance they’re necessary given the low lying nature of the land here and resultant high water table, but whatever the reason, it’s welcomed.
You’ll pass behind many backyards and it seems more than a few are home to apples trees. These seems to grow well out here and by appearances each had produced a bumper crop. Pies and jam for everyone!
There’s the occasional road to cross, and then more ponds. Here were kept to the west side of each, but there’s paths on the far side too. The route bends right and keeps to a narrow green belt on an easterly heading. At the power lines turn left and hit Merganser Drive, turn right then quickly left on Lakeside Greens Drive, the main road into a golf course community and surrounded by fairways. Along here you’ll be on town sidewalks but mostly today’s route is on pathways.
Lakeside Greens Drive takes a hard right and soon after hit the pathway along West Chestermere Drive and turn left. Now there’s more lakeside homes and in a short while come to Anniversary Park. It’s a nice green space, with a beach, picnic areas and oftentimes quite busy. This becomes our lunch stop and we always find time to sit down for a spell, relax and enjoy some good eats. It’s a little custom of ours and makes every outing something a bit more special.
Chestermere Lake is shallow (max about 7m, but usually less) and often weed-choked. But it’s the closest lake to Calgary and so a water recreation mecca. You’ll see people boating, fishing and if you visit in winter, doing a bit of skating. Waterfront property is coveted and if put up for sale, quickly snapped up.
Cross the lake on a Chestermere Boulevard, go left at Cove Drive, then right on Cove Road and take to the pathway heading north. This the Cove neighbourhood, but you already knew that.
Meander this way and that, through the backyards of suburbia, and at the north end of he lake hit Cove Park. There’s a playground and small beach here. Cross over a canal exiting the lake and then loop around Crystal Park Pond. This is the more roundabout way, but we wanted to extend the fun. You can bypass it if you want and we always recommending mixing it up anyway.
Down by the lake, continue south into John Peake Park and this is the only section without houses lining the shore. At the parking lot, go left towards West Chestermere Drive, turn south and follow it back to your ride. A couple clicks and you’re done.
This is quite an ordinary trek in every sense, but still quite enjoyable. The mountains remain our true love, but fun and adventure can be found anywhere if you only look. We had a great time, but then again we always do and got a decent workout too, so that ain’t bad.
Chestermere Lake is man made but before it was a low lying wetland, so only made bigger once hooked to the intake canal. It covers close to a few square kilometres and the surrounding town home to about twenty two thousand people. Into the 1990s it was known as the Summer Village of Chestermere Lake, but a population boom staring in the early 2000s has afforded it city status now. Almost everything here is new and it’s just a short jaunt to get into Calgary.
”These two are amazing!! I love following their adventures and the photography is ….. jaw dropping. Enjoy your working vacation, Chris & Connie!! I’m looking forward to living vicariously.” Dayna Kent.
If you wish more information about this route or if you love to chat don’t hesitate to contact us!
Date of adventure: August, 2021. Location: Chestermere, AB. Distance: 14km total. Height gain maximum: Minimal. Height gain cumulative: See above. NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate and may differ slightly from other trip reports (including our own).
(A long read) After twelve years it's time to put a face to the name and come clean on something. That's rarely-seen Chris in the photo, one half of Team BIGDoer, my best friend for almost thirty years and orchestrator of everything you see here. For his entire adult life, he's battled a deep depression.
Mostly it's manageable, but there are extended bouts where it's crippling and his life comes to a grinding halt. Sometimes there are days or weeks where he's lost. Sleep does not come easy at this time and further aggravates the issue. As he ages, it's worsening and seems intent on destroying him from the inside.
If you see a lack of posts here, or ones poorly worded, confusing or simply off, it's from one of these periods.
Through all this, he remains as kind, thoughtful and loving as ever, but is somewhere else. To the family, it's just Chris and accepted as it should be. The kids and grandkids adore him no less. Until today, however, this has been hidden from the outside world, although closer friends and some readers were probably already suspect of his condition. I hope admitting this does not break the site.
He finds clarity when we're out and doing things, hiking or documenting something historic and it's only THE reason this page and our website exists. It's therapy. Then he's a new and passionate person, but the monster as he calls it always returns. The Beer Parlour Project has brought out a side I've never seen and when out in the field he's never been so on point and confident.
This post is not for sympathy but to inform. Just so you know where he is and here's what you can do to help (a last ditch request)...
If you see a missed comma or oddly worded sentence in a post, please be kind. You'll probably see his uncertainty when he's off and be nice there too. But if you like what you see, even if the write up could be presented better, post your encouragement. Say something and say it loud...it's important and will keep him sharing. Help Chris get better by cheering him on.
Other than some photos that are mine, everything else comes from him. All the tiring research and the writing (he admits he's NOT a writer), are his.
Chris puts every dollar he makes into this "project of a lifetime", and it's supplemented by donations from readers who enjoy the content. If you want to help...
Admittedly he was not thrilled with the idea of posting this but agrees it probably should be said, even if it makes him uneasy. He doesn't like appearing in photos either. He's so shy, thinks he looks goofy and hates his husky eyes. I love them and they're windows into a wonderful, complex and quiet, but tortured soul. It breaks my heart when he's in a bad space.
This image comes thanks to photographer Arturo Pianzola and was captured while exploring the historic Riverview Mental Hospital in Coquitlam BC. Chris thought since he was in the area last year, he'd stop by to visit with a grandfather he never really knew, who spent his last years at the facility and is buried on the grounds.
Thanks for listening and your understanding. Hopefully we'll see you next week. Johanna (Connie).
Journey of Natty Gann (Disney 1985) and the same location in the Crowsnest Pass 2014. We're visiting the Pass over the new year, as we often do, and this time we'll be staying at a house that appears (briefly) in the film. How cool, eh? Chris has decided it's time on this visit to reshoot this and other Natty Gann comparison shots we did from ten years ago. Stay tuned!
This scene was shot in historic downtown Coleman and shows the former Holyk's Grocery. It was built in the early 1900s and the store closed in the '60s. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Johanna (Connie).
From 2015. Rob Pohl and his strange old-style view camera joined us in documenting the Laing House (with permission). Head down to the comments to see an amazing coincidence with something I found inside.
From the Crossley slides, it's an undated view of Towers School, out near Cluny Alberta. It was originally called Swastika School but that's before the word and symbol were ruined by negative connotations. Built 1922. Gone? _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
The same alley in downtown Calgary's west end, in the 1970s & today. You have to look hard to see the connection! The area was quite run down back then and is in stark contrast to all the shiny condo towers seen present day. Calgary Place West, an apartment block, appears in both images although it's barely a sliver in ours. Check the comments for more info.
Photo credit: James Tworow collection. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
Lost highways (2022): a section of old #93 in Southeastern BC. That BIGDoer-mobile is gone now but quite famous and had a following of its own. Old mine roads, cow paths, 4x4ing across fields - no problem and people would recognize us out in remote areas just by this car. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
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