The games are gone, but its legacy lives on

While the Olympic flame may be long extinguished, warm memories and many benefits of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary are alive and well 30 years later.

"The best thing about the Olympic experience was the forethought that went into its legacy," said Dale Oviatt, senior manager of communications and stakeholder engagement for WinSport.

On Sept. 30, 1981, WinSport, formerly known as the Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA), successfully won the bid from the International Olympic Committee for Calgary to host the XV Olympic Winter Games in 1988.

Calgary's established, inner-city communities shine on screen

It has posed as part of the brutal, snow-covered plains of Minnesota, the demon-riddled streets of Purgatory, and the hospital corridors of a ranching saga.

Fargo, Wynonna Earp and Heartland have all filmed in one of Calgary's oldest neighbourhoods: Bridgeland. The community's quaint main thoroughfare and surrounding streetscapes can reflect different eras and different small towns, says Ali McMillan, Bridgeland-Riverside Community Association planning director.

High River and Okotoks are burgeoning film hubs

Even for those who don't watch CBC's family-drama series Heartland – now in its 11th season – the town of High River has become synonymous with the show.

"Heartland has become a part of the community," said Irene Kerr, the curator and director of High River's Museum of the Highwood. High River poses as the town of Hudson on Heartland. One of the show's most well-known locales, Maggie's Diner, is a building right along High River's Main Street.

"We noticed a shift around 2015, when people who were visiting High River stopped asking about the 2013 flood and wanted to see where they were filming Heartland," said Kerr.

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 region has rich history and bright future on film

You're watching a movie or TV show when something catches your eye.

"I know that place!" you exclaim, as a character enters a pizza place on a city street, or rides a horse through a wheat field with a majestic mountain backdrop.

Calgary and its surrounding areas are becoming increasingly popular as filming locations for major movie and television productions – making famous places that Calgarians know well.

"We have 100 years of history here," said Luke Azevedo, Calgary film commissioner and CEO of the Calgary Film Centre. "We're one of the oldest locations outside of Hollywood for production."

Trendy design pieces for any budget

Calgary's lake communities are great for more than just summer fun

While lakes are thought of as a source of summer-time recreation, they also offer plenty of recreational opportunities during the winter months. Just ask Auburn Bay resident Sonja Hayes-Powers. She, along with her husband and two children, moved to Auburn Bay two years ago.

"We moved here specifically to be in a lake community, because it gives you lots of things to do with your kids, both in winter and summer," said Hayes-Powers. "For example, we'll be going to the lake tonight with some friends to go sledding."

How Calgarians banded together to protect nature and create Nose Hill Park

In the early 1970s, the booming city of Calgary was expanding ever outward.

Developers looking for new areas to build communities cast their eyes upward in the northwest to Nose Hill, which dominated the area landscape.

Nose Hill was prime real estate, untouched by residential development, but it was also viewed by some Calgarians as an important remnant of the fast-vanishing prairie grassland ecosystem.

New developments on Calgary's western edge hope to raise the bar for active, outdoor living

Two major developments in Calgary's northwest will soon solidify the area's reputation as the gateway to Rocky Mountain recreation and winter adventure.

While the nearby Trans-Canada Highway will guide future residents towards mountain playgrounds in Canmore and Banff, the communities of Rowan Park and Medicine Hill will offer their own built-in recreational amenities.

How does your home rate?

Most energy-conscious Canadians wouldn't buy a new appliance without checking its EnerGuide label to see how it rates. EnerGuide labels for homes are starting to catch on with energy-efficient new-home builders. But did you know you can get an EnerGuide assessment for your existing home?