Rumour has it that a new residential community in Calgary's deep southwest takes its name and heritage from an upscale and eclectic inner-city Toronto borough with oodles of history.

Yorkville, the brainchild of Mattamy Homes, is designed around a family friendly outdoor lifestyle that promotes active and healthy living – the kind of lifestyle that cultivates connectedness and interaction.

From north to south

The Cowboy Trail winds through the Alberta foothills, showcasing some of the most beautiful scenery our province has to offer. Along the way are many unique communities and attractions that road trippers won't want to miss.

Top attractions in picturesque Priddis

When many people think of Priddis, the first thing that comes to mind is often the quiet hamlet southwest of Calgary that bears the name. However, the Priddis area has so much more to offer, including world-class golf, beautiful acreage properties, luxury homes and vast natural areas to explore.

Priddis provides picturesque, rural lifestyle in Calgary's shadow

Ed Osborne, the president of the Priddis Community Association and a former agricultural consultant, recalls when he relocated from the Calgary community of Woodbine to Priddis some 15 years ago.

"I grew up on and off my uncle's farm in Manitoba. I always wanted to live in the country," said Osborne, adding the allure of rural living is what drew him to the tiny hamlet about 10 kilometres west of Calgary's city limits.

Calgary-area rural communities offer residents a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city

As a former farm kid, four-time Canadian bareback champion, and former Calgary Stampede rodeo and chuckwagon manager, Robin Burwash has spent almost every day of his life enjoying the rural-lifestyle dream he now sells as a REALTOR®.

When he talks of finding space and relaxation amidst the trees and hills of acreage properties around Calgary, it comes from personal experiences.

Burwash spent 16 years as a professional bareback rider, and grew up on a farm that eventually became part of the city, not far off of Country Hills Boulevard.

During the years he spent working in Calgary with the Stampede, the best moment of his 45-minute commute to his Black Diamond acreage, he says, was crossing the city limits and entering the wide-open space of the country.

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.

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.

Amenities and adventure a stone's throw away from Calgary

Immediately south of Calgary, the MD of Foothills has everything one could need for a natural escape from the hustle and bustle of city living.

Incorporated in 1954, the MD had a population of 21,258 as of 2011, an increase of 7.7 per cent compared to 2006. Aside from agriculture and industrial operations, the MD surrounds the communities of Okotoks, High River, Black Diamond, Priddis, Blackie, Turner Valley, Heritage Pointe, Aldersyde, Cayley, De Winton, Longview and Millarville.