"Life at the lake is just better," said Tannis Anstey, marketing manager for Calgary communities at Brookfield Residential, while explaining the vision behind the community of Auburn Bay.

"It was really inspired by the cottage lifestyle. We wanted to create a four-season lake community where everyone feels welcome and neighbours become friends."

Family on a "mini-vacation every day" at their new Auburn Bay home

The moment Jennifer and Justin Humphries drove through the entrance gates into Auburn Bay, one of Calgary's newest lake communities, they were sold on the lake lifestyle. That was five years ago in 2012, when the couple was living in McKenzie Towne and had recently had their first child. They wanted more from their neighbourhood, and lake living was a top priority. Auburn Bay checked all of the couple's boxes.