Bragg Creek forges its own identity in Calgary's shadow

For more than 100 years, Bragg Creek has existed in the shadow of the ever-expanding city of Calgary.

Yet the hamlet, located a 45-kilometre drive west of the city, has managed to maintain its enviable lifestyle in a beautiful location along the edge of the Rocky Mountains.

Resident and local business owner Mark Kamachi says he and his wife moved to Alberta from Vancouver 20 years ago to work at a Calgary advertising agency, and they chose to live in the city at first.

However, they found themselves spending many weekends hiking and biking in the mountains near Bragg Creek. Fifteen years ago, they decided to make it their new home.

Plan is expected to provide more housing diversity, increase tourism options

A plan approved by Rocky View County late last year to rebuild Bragg Creek after the 2013 flood will also lift a 20-year building ban on the community and is expected to transform the hamlet from a through-point to Kananaskis with a mature population into a vibrant business community with young residents.

Long favoured by day-trippers, Bragg Creek has seen little change in decades due to the lack of water and wastewater infrastructure to support new residents. Under the new plan, the hamlet will encourage flood-resilient design, including homes raised on piles, roadways with permeable surfaces, and rustic themed landscaping that conceals structural dykes.

"The Hamlet of Bragg Creek is envisioned to be a vibrant commercial core that attracts residents and visitors, a thriving residential community, and a country atmosphere that is in harmony with the natural environment," said Amy Zaluski, acting policy supervisor in the planning department at Rocky View County.

Residents tout benefits of acreage living

Anna Garcia loves her neighbours.

The Bragg Creek resident says they're relatively quiet, active and the kids are cute.

Did she mention they're a family of moose?

"We saw her (the mom) almost daily, licking right off our deck. Those moments are spectacular. It makes us feel exceptionally lucky," said Garcia.

The lure of living so close to nature was too much for Garcia and her husband to resist when the couple uprooted from Willow Park in southeast Calgary to their largely forested Bragg Creek acreage in 2001, where Garcia's husband also owns a furniture business.

Hamlet west of Calgary in midst of revitalization

Asought-after destination for artists and outdoorspeople alike, the hamlet of Bragg Creek is in the midst of a modern-day revitalization.

In late April the community, located just 20 minutes west of Calgary, held a three-day design workshop highlighting areas of importance for the community's revitalization.

Suggestions included re-emphasizing Bragg Creek's reputation as a trailhead community, its small hamlet feel, arts and culture richness and proximity to the Elbow River and Calgary.

Surrounding communities hold their value

The appeal to small-town living just a stone's throw from the "big" city is nothing new. Yet recent housing market intelligence suggests it's more than just lifestyle preferences driving homeowners beyond Calgary's borders.

While slower economic activity has influenced housing markets across the province, CREB®'s latest Surrounding Area Quarterly report found prices in areas surrounding Calgary have remained fairly stable.

Making a home in the scenic and close knit communities of Priddis and Bragg Creek

Boasting some of the world's most beautiful backdrops, Bragg Creek and Priddis offer a veritable cornucopia of mountain-view amenities for local residents.

Bragg Creek's history traces back to 1885 when the area was first homesteaded by brothers Albert and John Bragg. At first, the winters were too harsh for settlers who arrived there. Yet for those who prevailed, trade with the local Nakoda First Nations was fruitful at the original Bragg Creek Trading Post.

The Alberta Government is moving forward with preliminary design, environmental review and community consultation on water diversion and other projects along the Elbow and Highwood Rivers.

"Our government is committed to ensuring Albertans are protected as much as possible from future flood events while at the same time respecting taxpayers dollars," said Robin Campbell, minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.

Ask any Calgarian the best way to spend a weekend off and you'll invariably hear a great deal about the splendor of the Rocky Mountains. Southern Alberta's geographical claim to fame, the area provides an idyllic outdoor setting with plenty of opportunity for adventure.

Sitting just a short drive away from Calgary lay the communities of Priddis, Bragg Creek and Redwood Meadows. Nestled in the heart of the Alberta foothills, the three communities offer a glimpse into what living in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains is all about.

Located on scenic Highway 22, the communities of Redwood Meadows and Bragg Creek offer scenic living and adventures only 30 minutes away from Calgary.

Redwood Meadows is a planned community developed by the Tsuu T'ina Nation in the late 1970s. The area earned its name after a grass fire in the 1940s after which Elders of the Tsuu T'ina Nation, noticing regrowth of poplar and spruce trees had a reddish colour to them, dubbed the area Redwood Yard.