Despite market setbacks and price drops in nearby Calgary, the Okotoks housing market managed to emerge relatively unscathed from 2018.

Okotoks REALTOR® Alison Marshall says there is still strong demand for the amenities and small-town charm inherent to the Okotoks lifestyle.

Okotoks is the land of opportunity for developers and prospective residents alike

"An easy sell." That's how Okotoks' economic development specialist Alexandra Ross describes the process of attracting developers to the town.

"Okotoks has all the amenities of a big city, including its own Costco store, but it still has a small-town feel," said Ross.

Southwest ring road is poised to usher in new era of growth in Calgary's south end

It's been a long time coming, but the southwest section of Calgary's ring road is finally being built, and the city's developer community is among those most thrilled to see construction going ahead.

"It's really going to open up growth in the area, and provide not just opportunities for new communities, but also existing ones," said Steve LePan, director of sales and marketing with Anthem United.

"We're certainly happy to see it moving forward, because it would have had a negative impact (on our development in the area) if it had not been approved."

With a multitude of projects underway in Okotoks, Chestermere and south Calgary, Anthem United is set up for a busy year

The name may be new, but the passion for creating communities remains as ingrained as ever.

Just last month, United Communities completed the process of changing its name to Anthem United, which reflects its corporate relationship with the Vancouver-based developer, investment and management company, Anthem.

Founded some 83 years ago as United Management, this is only the second time the company has changed its name. In the 1990s, the rebrand to United Communities came about when the company's focus shifted to greenfield development, says Steve LePan, marketing director for Anthem United.