In 1977, Chestermere Lake boasted 120 permanent homes and gained official status as the Summer Village of Chestermere Lake. Cabin owners at that time were first able to buy their properties rather than lease them from the Western Irrigation District.
By 1992, Chestermere’s population had increased to 1,043 permanent residents. On March 1, 1993 the Summer Village of Chestermere Lake officially changed its status and name to the Town of Chestermere. Becoming a town gave the residents more local and political authority. The town continued developing amenities and services for residents, and its population continued to expand at a rapid rate. From 2004 to 2014, the community grew by more than 150%. With a population of 17,203 and expectations of continued growth, Chestermere's Council undertook consultation with residents to determine whether or not to change the community's name to 'city' and on September 29, 2014 Council decided to apply for city status. On January 1, 2015, the community officially became the City of Chestermere. (The Municipal Development Plan projects future growth to 51,842 by year 2039 by conservative measures). |
Saint Gabriel the Archangel Parish Building Committee members have been meeting periodically for the last several years. Meetings were usually held in the library at Saint Gabriel High School. Discussions typically revolved around fundraising, land and church design. The committee has visited several parishes in Calgary and the surrounding areas, collecting insight into building design, size and the pros and cons of building practices. At the beginning of December 2017 Bishop McGrattan shared that as a parish we were moving forward to acquire land for our new Church. Due diligence continues with the land and we expect that details will be confirmed early this spring - yes this spring!
What does this mean for us? Now the real work begins. Our Building Committee has met several times for the purpose of buying land. With that long awaited historic step we now need to move forward with the planning of our Church building. In order to do this in the most effective way, we require more members on our Building Committee. This is the time for those who have a vision for our church and are able to commit to sharing faith, talents and time, to come forward! |