Chestermere
Chestermere is a city of about 20,000 people (2016) in the Calgary Region. It is largely a commuter town of Calgary and surrounds Chestermere Lake, a small reservoir that was constructed for irrigation and now used for recreation.
Understand
Chestermere Lake was established in 1907 when a dam and canal system was built on a natural wetland as a irrigation reservoir for area settlers. Following the irrigation development, the lake began to be used for recreation with people building cabins and staying along the lake during the summer months, with a slow increase of permanent residents. In 1992, Chestermere was incorporated as a town just over 1000 permanent residents, but by 2014 the population has grown to 17,200, and was incorporated into a city the following year.
Get in
Chestermere is about immediately east of Calgary's eastern perimeter, with it being less than 10 minutes east of Stoney Trail (Calgary's ring road) and about 20 minutes from downtown.
Chestermere can be reached from Northeast Calgary on Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway), which is also known as 16 Avenue NE. Another option is to take 17 Avenue SE (formerly Highway 1A) from Southeast Calgary.
By bus
- Calgary Transit. 307 Max Purple provides service from downtown Calgary.
- J&L Shuttle, ☏ +1 403-528-8851, toll-free: +1 877-217-5577, jandlshuttle@hotmail.com. Shuttle service from Medicine Hat and Calgary.
Get around
Chestermere Boulevard is the main roadway through Chestermere. There is also a network of walking paths which encircle the lake and connect the different neighbourhoods.
Do
Chestermere Lake is in the heart of Chestermere, with lakeside parks and beaches being:
- 🌍 Anniversary Park.
- 🌍 Cove Park.
- 🌍 John Peake Memorial Park. Site of the public boat launch.
- 🌍 Sunset Park.
Activates available in Chestermere Lake including boating (both motorized and non-motorized), fishing, and swimming in the summer, as well as skating and snowmobiling available in the winter.
- Golf
- 🌍 Lakeside Golf Club, 555 Lakeside Greens Drive, ☏ +1 403-569-9111, info@lakesidegreens.com.
- Boulder Creek Golf Course, 333 Boulder Creek Drive, Langdon (20 km SE of Chestermere), ☏ +1 403-936-3644.
Buy
- 🌍 Chestermere Station (Chestermere Blvd & Marina Dr). The main business area of Chestermere, which has basic suburban shopping including a grocery store and chain restaurants.
Eat
- 🌍 Choice Pizza, #8 140 East Chestermere Drive, ☏ +1 403-235 6662, + 1 403-264-7575. Su-Th 2-11PM, F Sa 2PM-midnight.
- 🌍 Crazy Pasta, #405 320 West Creek Drive, ☏ +1 403-454-4022. Features fresh (made in-house) and imported Italian foods. Offers eat in and take home.
- 🌍 Delhi Express, #105 320 West Creek Drive, ☏ +1 403-454-1616. Daily 11:30AM-9PM. Indian cuisine.
- 🌍 Rasoi, #204 175 Chestermere Station Way, ☏ +1 403-764-5355. Daily 11AM-10PM. Indian and Hakka Chinese cuisine.
- 🌍 Van Son, #307 100 Marina Drive, ☏ +1 403-248-8331. M-F 11AM-8PM, Sa Su noon-8PM. Vietnamese cuisine.
Drink
- 🌍 Dockside Bar & Grill, 109 East Chestermere Drive, ☏ +1 403-248-4343, manager@docksidebarandgrill.com. Daily 11AM-11PM. Located on Chestermere Lake with a full menu.
Sleep
There are no hotels in Chestermere. The closest hotel accommodation can be found 15 minutes away in Northeast Calgary.
- 🌍 Mountain View Calgary Camping, 244024 Range Road 284 (Conrich Road), Rocky View County (between Chestermere and Calgary city limits, just off the Trans-Canada Hwy), ☏ +1 403-293-6640, toll-free: +1-877-707-0677.
Go next
- Drumheller. Home of the world-famous Royal Tyrrell Museum, which houses many palaeontological specimens.
Routes through Chestermere |
Banff ← Calgary ← | W E | → Strathmore → Medicine Hat |
END ← | W E | → Beiseker → Saskatoon |