The northwest community of Bowness offers plenty of diversity, thanks to the area's long and varied history. Just take a stroll along the main street and you will feel as though you have stepped back in time.

"Bownesians have this incredible sense of pride. They are proud that they are a small town in the big city," said Jacqui Esler, executive director of the Mainstreet Bowness Business Improvement Area and former main street business owner.

Perched along the shores of the Bow River in Calgary's northwest, the adjacent communities of Montgomery and Bowness share a powerful sense of history.

"Bowness is now 116 years old, with generations of families that still live and work here," said Jacqui Esler, executive director of the Mainstreet Bowness BIA and former main street business owner.

There is something special about living close to the river – waking up in the morning to the sounds of water swishing along the banks and birds singing their morning symphony.

It's that sense of getting away from it all that is attracting people to the riverside communities of Bowness and Montgomery. Both communities boast a deep and storied history – originating as villages and then towns before being amalgamated into the city – which led to the development of a distinctive flavour and culture that is still visible today.

As Calgarians continue to navigate the challenges of an intense economic downturn and a global pandemic – in addition to the standard curveballs life tends to throw one's way – many are re-evaluating their priorities in hopes of a brighter future.

As people tire of self-isolation and its negative health impacts, the idea of cohousing is becoming more attractive than ever. Imagine neighbourly, small-town friendliness meets convenient city living; the privacy and independence of single-family living, but with added space and social amenities available in the form of shared common areas; and a diverse mix of residents, from retirees to young families.

Year of Construction: 1928

Address: 8539 48^th Ave N.W.

Community: Bowness

Architectural Style: American Colonial Revival

When it comes to staging a home, the best advice is usually to make it look like you'd want to live there. But what do you do when you're staging a space that will be home to vehicles rather than people?

If you think year-round outdoor living is out of reach for Calgarians, you haven't paid a visit to the new community of Rockland Park.

As northwest Calgary's first master-planned community in more than 10 years, Rockland Park draws on open spaces, well-tended parks, and a network of trails and pathways to craft a four-season recreation hub.

Inhabited by First Nations people long before settlers had notions of calling the banks along the Bow River home, the Bowness/Montgomery area has a history that predates most communities in Calgary.

Bowness would later become one of the city's first satellite communities, complete with its own streetcar line, as part of a scheme by landowner John Hextall to develop an exclusive suburb "in a natural scenic setting of great beauty."

With nearly 270,000 members at 1,400 branches across the country, the Royal Canadian Legion includes everyone from serving or retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP to regular civilians. What they share is a desire to support those who served Canada and a commitment to improving their communities.

Living by the water has always been equated with exclusivity.