Foothills Fabulous

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. In addition to providing a picturesque place to call home, the area sits between Calgary and 4,200 square kilometres of Kananaskis Country, meaning residents can be shopping downtown with the same ease they have for more rugged pursuits such as hiking, biking or camping. If those whose outdoor pursuits lean more towards the back nine, the area has plenty to offer local duffers, including the award winning Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club and the Redwood Meadows Golf & Country Club.

With thousands of Calgarians escaping the city every weekend to bask in the outdoor pleasures the area has to offer, it's no wonder sales in the area are on the rise. While undoubtedly modest due to the quaint size of the community, the hamlet of Bragg Creek has seen year-to-date sales rise from just one through the first four months of 2012 to four during the same period this year. The average sale price has also increased, rising by 38 per cent during the same span.

Named for Albert Warren Bragg, who first settled in the area in the late 1800s, Bragg Creek got its first schoolhouse (which still stands) in 1914. Other buildings dating back to the
town's early days, still remain including the historic Trading Post.

Located 25 km west of Calgary, Redwood Meadows is a planned community off the Cowboy Trail. Home to 1,150 residents, the community is built around an 18-hole championship golf course among spruce forest and the Elbow River in the backyard.

The Priddis name was based on Charles Priddis, who donated pieces of land for the Priddis Farmers and Ranchers Hall and St. James United Church. He also aided in the development of the Priddis School by donating land for the building and loaning his home for the first classes until the school was ready for use.

Trading Post - Bragg Creek
Where else can you gas up from a 1920's hand pump while you buy local vine-ripened tomatoes or a juicy T-bone steak; outfit yourself in a new shirt, Cowichan Sweater, or gumboots; purchase a fishing license or best of all try on a pair of genuine moccasins or mukluks? Where else can one conduct all this sort of business around the warmth of a trusty wood heater, admist the aroma of freshly tanned hides? That is the essence of the historic Trading Post to this day.

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Redwood Meadows Golf and Country Club
Redwood Meadows Golf & Country Club was established in 1976 as a nine-hole course before expanding to 18 holes in 1978. Owned and operated by the Tsuu T'ina Nation, the course has been recognized as one of Western Canada's finest championship layouts and was rated by players as one of the top two courses on the PGA Nationwide Tour.

St. James Anglican Church - Priddis
Built in 1904, St. James Anglican Church offers seat capacity for 45. The original church was consecrated in 1906 and held the first Annual Meeting in 1908. Prior to building the church, services were held in the log schoolhouse across the road. Older than the province itself, the old wooden church is still being used today.