Springbank, Alberta
ringbank is a rural community in southern Alberta in Rocky View County. It is
located immediately west of the City of Calgary, east of Highway 22, south of the
Bow River and north of the rural community of Elbow Valley. Both the
Trans-Canada Highway and Lower Springbank Road (north of Highway 8)
connect Springbank to Calgary.
Springbank consists mostly of country residential acreages developed with estate
homes. The adjacent rural communities of Bearspaw to the north, across the
Bow River, and Elbow Valley to the south also consist mostly of country
residential acreages.
Eastern portions of Springbank have been annexed by Calgary since the early
1980s. These portions are now developed with the Calgary neighbourhoods of
Springbank Hill, Aspen Woods, West Springs, Cougar Ridge, Crestmont and
Valley Ridge.
Springbank is named after Springbank Creek which flows southeast into the
Elbow River. The descriptive name for this creek was first applied to the
municipal district in 1918 (M.D. of Springbank). It was first given as a school
name circa 1887-89 because of the numerous springs breaking out of the sides
of the lesser coulees all over the district. Most of the early settlers located near
the springs.
Harmony is a planned residential community of approximately 707 ha (1,750
acres) adjacent to the Springbank Airport that received planning approval through
the adoption of a conceptual scheme by Rocky View County in February 2007,
with a neighbourhood plan for the first stage of Harmony subsequently approved
in October 2008. Harmony is planned to have 3,500 residential dwelling units at
full build-out, which could accommodate approximately 10,000 residents.
Residential built forms in the community will include single detached,
semi-detached, townhouse and apartment dwellings. Other planned land uses in
the community include commercial retail, business park and schools, as well as
open space features such as a regional park, playfields, greenbelts, a golf course
and a recreational lake. In mid-2012, it was anticipated that it would take 15
years to build out the community.
Although the future community received prior planning approvals in 2007 and
2008, the application for the first stage of subdivision in 2012 still met with local
resistance. Concerns were expressed by the Springbank Airport Business and
Pilots Association over the long-term incompatibility of the community with the
pre-existing airport. Concerns included safety as well as speculation that future
residents would complain about the noise associated with the airport's
operations. Other local stakeholders expressed concerns about the impacts
Harmony would have on the existing rural community and the loss of farmland.
Rocky View County Council approved the subdivision application for the first
stage of the community in early July 2012.
Calaway Park, an outdoor family amusement park, is located in Springbank.
Golf courses in Springbank include the Pinebrook Golf Club, Glencoe Golf and
Country Club, Springbank Links Golf Course and Elbow Springs Golf Course.
The Springbank Airport is located within Springbank. It was the 12th busiest
airport in Canada in 2011 in terms of total aircraft movements.
Schools located in Springbank, operated by Rocky View Schools, include:
-Elbow Valley Elementary School (kindergarten to grade 4);
-Springbank Middle School (grades 5 to 8);
-Springbank Community High School (grades 9 to 12).
-The high school is located within the Springbank Park For All Seasons, which
also includes an ice arena and a curling rink.
Private schools in the area are Webber Academy, Rundle College, and Edge
School for Athletes.
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