Ontario transplants Andrew Palmer and Vicki Bernier built their dream home in Okotoks' MountainView

Andrew Palmer and Vicki Bernier had been tossing around the idea of relocating to the Calgary area to be closer to family and to carve out a better lifestyle for their family. With two teens – Kaelyn, 15, and Jake, 13 – and two dogs, finding the right home in the right neighbourhood was a key factor in the couple's decision-making process. They found the perfect match with Excel Homes in the Okotoks community of MountainView.

Fun facts and top attractions in Okotoks and surrounding areas

Chestermere is poised for western expansion

When you're one of the fastest growing communities in Canada, there's only one thing to do as an encore: grow some more.

Located just east of Calgary, Chestermere's rapid development placed the city fourth in Canada for growth over the past five years. Now, a comprehensive expansion plan is coming to fruition. The Waterbridge Master Area Structure Plan provided a long-range planning context for more than 2,400 acres along Chestermere's western border, and the city's population of 20,000 will expand as well – in fact, it is set to double.

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.

As former mayor of Okotoks and a current REALTOR® there, Sandi Kennedy has a unique view of what the town was, is and will be.

From 1988 to 1994, Kennedy headed up a town council that had to deal with the diverse wants and needs of individuals and businesses during a period of tremendous growth. The town had a population of about 5,500 when she took over the mayor's chair, and surged during her term in office – today, the number sits at nearly 30,000.

Born and raised in the southern Alberta foothills, Kennedy still lives in Okotoks, and took the time to talk about what the town's future might look like as it continues to grow.

Michelle and Hollie Cressy put down Alberta roots with new Sunset Ridge home

Newlyweds Michelle and Hollie Cressy landed in Alberta nine years ago – Hollie from Australia and Michelle from Hamilton, Ont. Both came for work opportunities and a new experience, each thinking that it would only be a short-term stay, but the beauty and majesty of the Rocky Mountains captured their hearts. The couple, who were married in 2015, had previously been renting an apartment in Calgary's inner-city and considering taking the plunge into homeownership. A trip to Cochrane to visit friends in March 2016 sped up their plans.

Despite lack of liquidity, land remains a solid investment

At first glance, buying empty space might sound like the road to ruin. But for many investors, land has become a path to a balanced, and profitable, portfolio. While that doesn't mean it's for everyone, land is certainly worth a closer look from investors weighing their options.

Land as an investment can take many forms: institutional investment by life insurance companies and pension funds, farmers renting out land for revenue, active farmers purchasing land for future investment or expansion, and developers/investors buying for future residential or commercial development.

Chestermere Lake's evolution from slough to city centrepiece

When Jen Peddlesden and her family moved to Chestermere Lake 40 years ago, people told her she was crazy.

At that time, what is now a 2.65-square-kilometre waterway was merely a "slough, just a place to put a boat," and was primarily a backyard playground for nearby Forest Lawn residents or the Calgary Yacht Club, which has been headquartered there since 1933.

Airdrie's history is full of colourful people and interesting stories

When R.J. Hawkey arrived in the region of the Airdrie Station House along the Calgary to Edmonton railway, he became one of the first private land owners in the fledgling community.

Hawkey decided to build a school on some of his land, and set himself up as Airdrie's first teacher.