The community of Acadia sits in southeast Calgary, nestled between Carburn Park and the Bow River to the east and Macleod Trail to the west. Established in 1960, the community is home to nine schools from the public and separate boards – including the city's largest high school, Lord Beaverbrook – as well as a charter school and bilingual schools.

Calgary's lake communities are great for more than just summer fun

While lakes are thought of as a source of summer-time recreation, they also offer plenty of recreational opportunities during the winter months. Just ask Auburn Bay resident Sonja Hayes-Powers. She, along with her husband and two children, moved to Auburn Bay two years ago.

"We moved here specifically to be in a lake community, because it gives you lots of things to do with your kids, both in winter and summer," said Hayes-Powers. "For example, we'll be going to the lake tonight with some friends to go sledding."

Jackie and Michael Bernard stayed put in their first house as the community around them blossomed

When self-professed inner-city people Jackie and Michael Bernard purchased their 1,100-square-foot bungalow as a starter home in 1992, they thought they would stay for a few years, build some equity and then move to a larger home closer to the core. At the time, their home in the Lynnwood Ridge district of Ogden was "really far away" from the action and bustle of the downtown, but over the years, shopping destinations and several other amenities have popped up within minutes of this secret gem of a neighbourhood. As a result, the couple decided to stay put, making their starter home their forever home.