The history of the Calgary Yacht Club (CYC) is inextricably linked to the city of Chestermere and mirrors the growth of the city contends local historian and CYC member Michael Hooper.
“You really can’t have Chestermere without the yacht club,” he said.
Just like the city started as a recreational village and developed into what it is today, the CYC started out as an informal recreational group and slowly developed into a formal club for sailing enthusiasts.
Hooper spoke on this topic to a group of 18 interested residents at the CYC April 18.
“We had a real nice cross section of attendees,” he said, “We had members there and then we had people from the community and members of the historical society.”
The earliest beginnings of the CYC can be traced back to three individuals, Michael O’Sullivan, Roy Lea and Morris Shyback in the 1920s.
“They started to sail themselves on Chestermere Lake,” he said.
“And what happened was they met each other, then eventually they got all similar type boats, they started racing against,” said Hooper.
As the closest navigable body of water to the City of Calgary, the popularity of the lake as a recreation spot grew.
In 1932, as more and more people started to take interest in sailing the lake, they officially formed the Calgary Yacht Club, registering as a society under the Alberta Societies Act.
They named their club for Calgary and not Chestermere because at that time Chestermere as a community didn’t really exist and Calgary was the closest city to the lake.
“Chestermere was strictly a rural area,” he said.
The next big name in the development of the club was A. B. Himmelman, a boat builder who had moved to Calgary from Nova Scotia.
In Calgary, Himmelman took his skills as a boat builder and converted them to building houses.
Although his career had changed, Himmelman still had a passion for boats and sailing and soon joined the club and was elected the CYC’s first Commodore.
Since its founding, the yacht club has had several different clubhouses in several locations around the lake.
“In the 20s…there was no yachting facilities to speak of,” said Hooper.
The sailors operated from an area known as Hophner’s planks.
“Which was the store at the north end at the time,”
The store was owned by the Hophner family, giving the launch location it’s name.
The first boat house was built in the early 1930s where anniversary park is now.
“After one year they said well this isn’t where it should be, it should be across the lake,” said Hooper.
In the winter, the boat houses were slid across the ice to the east side of the lake.
Docks were built after Himmelman built and raffled off a boat to raise funds for the construction.
A club house soon followed.
In 1951, the club house was moved to its current location at 635 East Chestermere Drive.
The original club house lasted until autumn 2010 when it was demolished and replaced with the current building.
Just like the Chestermere is linked to the Yacht club, so to is Hooper.
He has been involved with the club his whole life. His parents were members of the club before he was born.
“I like to say I was born as a member,” laughed Hooper who has been a member for over 50 years.
“My whole lifetime really,” he said.
In addition to being a long-time member, Hooper was the club’s Commodore for the past three years. His dad is also a past Commodore.
“We’ve had a long history,” he said.
“I’ve always heard stories about the club when I was a kid,” said Hooper.
It has been a goal of his to compile the club’s history before it is lost to time.
“That’s the goal, to preserve the history we have,” he said.
The club’s 100-year anniversary is coming up in 15 years and Hooper is hoping to build on his presentation, adding even more details and history for that milestone.
“The club’s gone through a lot, it’s been around a long time,” said Hooper.
