CBC news just wrapped a friendly competition called "Battle of the Burbs" to determine Calgary's best Suburban neighborhood . For 6 weeks suburban communities went up against other communities in their quadrant for single elimination through online voting over a 24 hour time period. A suburb is defined by being an area outside of a principal city or a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed use, but is primarily a residential area. To determine what a suburb is with the City of Calgary, CBC decided that if communities were not fully built by 1975 then they are a suburb as older communities are now considered to be more urban.
The final 4 communities in the "Battle of the Burbs" included Silver Springs (NW), Coventry Hills (NE), Oakridge (SW) and Lake Bonavista (SE). From these final 4 communities the North & South Communities competed against each other. The top North Community was Silver Springs and the top South was Lake Bonavista. Silver Springs took the championship for top Calgary Suburb with just 86 votes separating the top 2 contenders. Silver Springs wins a Calgary Eyeopener walking show which highlights the best of their community along with exclusive prizes. In addition to this, they also receive a one of a kind mural in their community done by a local artist and bragging rights!
I feel Calgary did a great job selecting the top communities. If I wasn't a South Girl by heart, Silver Springs would definitely be on my list of potential communities to live in. When my family was house shopping back in 2014 Lake Bonavista and Oakridge were the top 2 communities I wanted to live in. Being my husbands Realtor, he went along with it, however if it weren't for me , he would still be the North boy that he was born and raised to be. We settled in Oakridge and absolutely love raising our family here! Both Lake Bonavista and Oakridge are very similar, offering 70's style homes with wide streets and large trees, homes are well taken care of, scenery is abundant and children are safe to play in our streets. We both offer schools, a skating rink, active community associations, nearby amenities, easy access to major routes and a lake. Lake Bonavista's lake is one for swimming and outdoor activities whereas the Reservoir is for cycling around and drinking (maybe not a true lake, but still pretty). The vote between best South Community was won by Lake Bonavista by .3% which I see as a huge accomplishment not only to Lake Bonavista but also to Oakridge which is half the size. What great neighborhood spirit we have! Congratulations to both the top 2 South Communities.
With my career I have the opportunity to see all areas of the city and I believe that Silver Springs is definitely one of the best that Calgary has to offer. They have a great Community Association with programs and events for all ages and offer an outdoor pool and rink. Silver Springs boasts beautiful scenery with mature trees, a birth place forest and views of downtown and COP. There is a K-6 school, amenities close by, easy access to downtown & the U of C plus a Golf Course. Congratulations on the win Silver Springs on being the "Best Burb"-we can't wait to see your winning Mural!