After years of consultation and research, the City of Chestermere is building a new $39.5-million civic recreation centre.

Chestermere Mayor Marshall Chalmers says the project is an important one, as Chestermere has seen significant growth in recent years. The city is the third-fastest-growing community in Canada and second in Alberta to only Airdrie.

After breaking ground in April, a project is underway to expand the Vivo for Healthier Generations recreation centre into a true community hub in northeast Calgary.

Even though it is chock-full of cutting-edge design and brimming with bells and whistles, that's not what's drawing buyers towards Westman Village, a new neighbourhood within the award-winning community of Mahogany. Instead, it's the lifestyle, including convenience, walkability, access to Calgary's largest man-made lake, and loads of downtown-style amenities.

"What really sets the development apart are the amenities and the self-contained structure of Westman Village," said Jay Westman, chairman and CEO of Jayman Built, the developer and builder behind the project. "The only thing that we don't have is a gas station."

Located in the family friendly community of Wentworth in Calgary's prestigious upper west side, Wentworth Pointe by Trico Homes is a collection of luxury townhomes surrounded by numerous amenities, shopping centres, highly sought-after schools, and transit routes.

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.

The year is 1960. Calgary's population sits at 234,428. Completion of the Trans-Canada Highway is still two years away. A new $1-million terminal at McCall Field welcomes airline passengers, with the first non-stop, transatlantic flight from Calgary to Amsterdam still a year away. The first two buildings on the new University of Calgary campus open and the newly minted community of Brentwood sits on the very edge of the city.

How times have changed.

Ask anyone who lives across a broad swath of south Calgary for their favourite spot to go for a walk, jog or leisurely bike ride, and the No. 1 answer is bound to be Fish Creek Park.

Tucked away just five minutes north of Airdrie and less than half an hour away from Calgary, the hamlet of Crossfield offers the best of small-town living, plus quick and easy access to the rich amenities of two vibrant cities.

It's a fact that wasn't lost on Creation Communities, a developer and homebuilder with a knack for identifying small, well-located towns that offer a connected, vibrant and affordable lifestyle.

Unless your haggling skills are rusty, you would never try to talk sellers up on their price. Yet, when it comes to condo fees on new-build units, going low could come at a high cost down the road.