It is pleasantly surprising that there are still some old wooden signs around town, peeking out from trees, innocently sitting at corners, or lovingly kept up as part of local history, gently reminding us of how things change without us really noticing. The Camp and Water Park ( Surf City) was a great source of fun for kids back in the 80s with its giant water tap hanging in the sky to fool the kids that this really was where the water came from. It’s life was short ( one season) and only the sign and the little booth to take your money remain visible. You can see these on your way to the Recycling Depot at Chestermere Public Works.
And one, if not the only, of the very pastoral cedar road signs left still sits very proudly ( and firmly) at the corner of East Lakeview Road and Lakeview Rise. I recall that the Summer Village Council did not want anything too flashy and the cedar signs fit the bill. But we are a big town now–not the little summer village for which these were adequate. (They were hard to read in the dark!).
And honouring the history of the development, Lake Ere Estates has recently repainted their sign. It was erected back in 1975 when the development was incorporated but now has a fresh new coat of paint.
In the routines of our drives around town not just signs can blend into the background. Such is the case with Lift Station #10. What, you say? This cement building is located at the junction of #1A Highway (soon to be Chestermere Boulevard) and Rainbow Road. It is easily missed, but soon it will be much easier to notice and instead of a grey cement building that blends into the background, it will be a pleasure to look at. The Chestermere Historical Foundation joint project with EPCOR will have it wrapped with historic black and white photos as murals. The Foundation will present the final draft of the mural photos to Town Council, Tuesday June 4th 6pm. Stop in if you would like a sneak peek–if not the official unveiling will be on Saturday July 27th, 11am on the patio outside the Town of Chestermere Library. For more on Chestermere history go to www.chestermerehistory.org
