Developer Anthem United is honouring Chestermere families that have had a significant impact on the history of the community.
The first family that was honoured, is the Hodgson family who owned farmland west of Chestermere Lake.
When the land was sold to Anthem United, Joyce Hodgson wrote into the agreement in 2011 that there be recognition of the land for the family.
In 2021, individuals working in the Anthem United show homes approached the Chestermere Historical Foundation about the request.
“I know the request hadn’t disappeared. We made it known to them that we could be a source to help them do the recognition,” Chestermere Historical Foundation president Jen Peddlesden said. “They decided to do a plaque to recognize the Hodgson family, they liked the idea of recognizing the pioneers of the area and wanted to do a series of signs along the pathway.”
The series of signs on the pathway, “Pioneer Trail,” will showcase the history of Chestermere families.
In addition to the first plaque, Anthem United unveiled a piece of public art, an iron apple tree, in recognition of the Hodgson family created by a Calgary artist.
The iron apple tree is to recognize that there were apple trees on the farm, and at the base of the tree, there will be a plaque recognizing the family. However, due to supply chain issues, the plaque isn’t completed yet.
“That will come later with the other four signs that will recognize other farming families in the community, and that there was a lot of dairying done out here,” Peddlesden said. “We focused on farms in the area, and people who came in what we call the pioneer era, the 1890s, just after the railroad came through.”
Bob Factor from Anthem United was inspired to honour more families in the area, after spending time with Hodgson and planning the family plaque.
“He was so impressed by the stories of the early families who came here that might have been the emphasis for them to widen the whole idea of recognizing families,” Peddlesden said. “Anthem was so impressed by the story that they wanted to expand that and give more recognition to the community of people who lived out here.”
Hodgson’s stories showcased that community was extremely important to the early settlers, and they all relied on each other.
“Life was harder back then, there were no paved roads, it was harder to get around, communication was difficult, you had to keep in touch with your neighbours, and you had to interact with them. You had to have a community to support you, or you wouldn’t be able to really exist on the prairie without that community around you,” Peddlesden said.
The historical foundation was very excited to know that Anthem United was excited about the history of the area.
For Peddlesden, and the historical foundation it was meaningful that Anthem United honoured the farmhouses and the buildings that started Chestermere, as new districts come to Chestermere.
“When they took Joyce’s request and really went with it to make a broader memorial to the community that was there before, that really was exciting to us,” Peddlesden said.
“Our purpose is to recognize and educate about the history of the Chestermere area, which really fulfilled that in a big way,” Peddlesden said. “We were very proud to be a part of providing the information, and very excited that we were invited as special guests to the unveiling and hope to work with them to finish the rest of the plaques that are going to go into Pioneer Trail.”
