Elbow Valley

Elbow Valley is an exceptional community just West of Calgary. Very easy access to the expansive activities and events in Bragg Creek and Kananaskis country as well as City amenities…such a short drive to the mountains and so much beauty in this community. Let me know if you want to learn more about Elbow Valley and the unique lifestyle opportunity that it presents to you and your family.

Community Vision

Elbow Valley is a magnificent natural landscape. Located only minutes west of Calgary, it displays the entire untamed splendor of the Alberta foothills. Rolling open meadows are set against wooded slopes, and the intimate views of peaceful river valleys contrast with dramatic vistas of the hills and mountains.

In this extraordinary setting there is a community of rare quality. Drawing on the best traditions of architecture, and looking to the land itself for design inspiration – its forms, its colors, its plants and materials – it is a community in harmony with its natural setting. Selected as Canada’s Best Community, this is a special place that will stand on its own for years to come. It is a condominium community comprised of a wide variety of discriminating residents. Our common goal is a community of lasting beauty.

Development Philosophy

The Elbow Valley philosophy has evolved over a period of many years. Rooted in a deep sense of admiration for the land, it has grown into a vision for a new kind of community, built in harmony with the natural environment and drawing on the best traditions of life in the Alberta foothills. A series of Open Space Guidelines have been written to relate the history of Elbow Valley, and to explain our vision for the new community – its design, its amenities and its fundamental connection with the foothills landscape.

Developers and residents have worked hard to make this a community like no other. Elbow Valley is to be an intimate community of neighbors, embracing the natural beauty and splendor of the land and continuing the heritage of foothills settlements. The past and future residents appreciate all that this land has to offer as a place for people to live, learn and grow.

History of the Land

People have made their homes in Elbow Valley for more than 2,000 years, drawing the waters of the Elbow River and finding shelter and sustenance in the valley environment. Archaeological studies have revealed a total of 19 prehistoric native encampment sites in the area, including a buffalo killsite and a processing campsite. Four of these have been deemed by Alberta Culture to be culturally significant. In the design of the new community, these have been protected by incorporating them into the natural open space areas or have been archaeologically studied, excavated and mapped, with the artifacts preserved for future generations.

The buffalo killsite is located on the steep, higher batiks of the valley, with its associated processing camp nearby on the Elbow River. The associated processing camp is nearby on the Elbow River. Three other significant sites are found along Lott Creek.

These camps are thought to have been the home to a range of endeavours including the processing of bison, lookouts for spotting game, and various other campsite activities. The two Lott Creek sites have been incorporated into the Lott Creek Natural Interpretive Area.

In 1886 the Elbow Valley site along what is now Lott Creek was homesteaded by Henry Allan Gray. After some years on the land, Gray left, later to become the first Anglican Bishop of Edmonton. The property was sold to Stephen Lott, after whom the creek is named.

This history of human settlement is a small part of the much larger geological history of the area, back to the time when glacial ice covered the area. Elbow Valley is a land rich in history and natural beauty. These two key assets have been focal points for its planning and development.

Development Philosophy

“Elbow Valley – a country retreat on the west edge of Calgary conserving and respecting nature.” When you first visit Elbow Valley, you will be impressed by many things: its tranquility, its subtle colours and the rich variety of its landscape. In its enduring hills and timeless rivers it seems a land of constants. However, it is also a land of change; colours shift with the passing of a cloud and with the passing of the seasons. There is in Elbow Valley the potential for a new kind of community designed in harmony with this splendid landscape, its streets embracing the peaceful valleys and its homes drawing on the land itself for their form and detail.

The history of this property is important in our vision for Elbow Valley. The traditions of life in the Alberta foothills – the sense of respect for nature and a cherishing community – can guide us in creating a new community in the same spirit.

Elbow River and Lott Creek

The Elbow River and Lott Creek have, over time, shaped the dynamic topography and nourished the native vegetation that provide the superb natural setting for Elbow Valley. Conservation of these waterways and associated landscapes is a primary objective of the development plans for the community. Water quality in the waterways was safeguarded by careful erosion control during the construction period and by revegetation of natural grass, shrub and tree cover.

Forested Slopes

The heavily forested woodlands of the north facing slopes are among the most prominent natural and visual amenities of the site. A mixture of Aspen, Spruce and Willow blanket the slopes and provide shelter for the area’s diverse wildlife. Conservation of the slopes is vital in achieving the vision for Elbow Valley.

On the north facing slopes above Lott Creek the home sites are large with an average size of 2 acres. The homes are carefully sited to retain the majority of native tree and shrub growth. By minimizing cuts for utilities and roadways and by nestling the homes amongst the trees, the scenic integrity of this highly visible slope is preserved. The north facing slopes above the Elbow River are very steep, precluding development of any type. These heavily treed slopes are to be conserved in their native state.

Sourced from the Elbow Valley Residents club website.

Elbow Valley Real Estate Properties For Sale

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