[Jimby]

Langdon was established in 1880 as a stop on the Canadian Pacific Railroad.
Once the car came into being, the station closed and Langdon declined in population until near the end of the 20th century.
It is a hamlet in the Municipal District of Rockyview which surrounds north and east Calgary. I don't know what the population is but it must be a couple of thousand.
I didn't want to put this thread in the photo section of SSP as I didn't think it would have much interest outside of Alberta.

Yes they are my pics and yes I'm embarassed that the first few pics have a spot on them.


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2127/2101516979_c98ddcdcf2_b.jpg


Single family housing is a popular draw as there is more house and lot for the money than in the city, and it is an easy commute to Foothills industrial park.
Instead of storm sewers, it looks like they have ditches.
I saw some townhouses being built, but that was it for multi-family.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2147/2102295328_4b0a5f1cd8_b.jpg

the park is across the road from the "downtown"

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2399/2102292822_4e9db90dbf_b.jpg

the Langdon elementary school is next door to "downtown"

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2092/2102286958_b176c816be_b.jpg

"main street" only has stores on one side of the parking lot. I like the wood plank boardwalk.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2137/2102288218_d1521bf52a_b.jpg

you better get out of town if you don't drive a pick-up, SUV, or mini-van
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2068/2101511963_5f3b54c497_b.jpg

well done store fronts

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2125/2102290286_7e32b54ac9_b.jpg

This is what the stores on the main street look like at the back! They are residences. I'd like to see this done in Calgary. High Street in McKenzie Towne was supposed to have housing above the stores but it doesn't.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2399/2101509613_cb239fd1d3_b.jpg

1908?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2296/2102294030_75b20a4b64_b.jpg

More retail/commercial being built on Glenmore Trail.
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj184/lumin8_bucket/DSC_0012.jpg

This must be the place that Frinkprof mentions in his post below.
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj184/lumin8_bucket/DSC_0013.jpg


looking towards south Calgary

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2018/2101547689_67c84760c9_b.jpg

Too bad there isn't passenger train service between Langdon and Calgary like there was 100 years ago.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2145/2102325586_54e0f77d8d_b.jpg

Glenmore Trail

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2364/2101548825_2f6461517a_b.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj184/lumin8_bucket/DSC_0024.jpg

[frinkprof]

Believe it or not, there are a couple good restaurants in Langdon. The Fire Grill makes a good Hungarian mushroom soup, and although I haven't been, I hear there is good new Chinese restaurant as well.

[Ayreonaut]

If you didn't warn about the spots, my tv would have my fingerprints all over it trying to wipe off the spots, so thank you. :)

[entheosfog]

Nice set! I'm not sure I ever been thru Langdon.

[RWin]

Nice.

Although I read the title wrong and was expecting ugly condos.

[Corndogger]

Nice set! I'm not sure I ever been thru Langdon.

It's been awhile since I've been there but what a difference. Looks like they have a decent size population based on their "downtown."

[You Need A Thneed]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2296/2102294030_75b20a4b64_b.jpg


Hey, I know several people who work at langdon drugs or have worked there in the past. They do most of their business selling perscription drugs on the interent to the US. They take the American holidays off of work instead of the Canadian ones.

[Calalb]

Some nice photos LFTC!
It looks like Langdon is doing well. A new 18 hole golf course called Boulder Creek opened for play there this past summer.

[Innersoul1]

Great Pics!

Langdon Drugs....that is awesome! Made me laugh!

[CanadianCentaur]

How far is Langdon from Calgary? It looks like there's a lot of new housing going up, so is it becoming a bedroom community for Calgary or is it something else?

[bigcanuck]

How far is Langdon from Calgary? It looks like there's a lot of new housing going up, so is it becoming a bedroom community for Calgary or is it something else?

Just a few minutes outside of town on Glenmore - 10-15 min. I know of a few friends who have or will be moving there shortly. Most work outside of the core and drive to their work locations (PL hospital, industrial parks on east side) and it's a great location.

[CanadianCentaur]

^^
Thanks.


It is a hamlet in the Municipal District of Rockyview which surrounds north and east Calgary. I don't know what the population is but it must be a couple of thousand.


I just checked, and the population was estimated at 3,500 as of 2006.

[Jimby]

^^
Thanks.



I just checked, and the population was estimated at 3,500 as of 2006.

Thanks for posting that, I didn't know where to find the info. Judging by all the new housing and on-going construction, it must be over 4,000 by now.

[Blue 24]

Chestermere rules!!!!!!!!:notacrook:

[Stephen Ave]

Langdon has changed immensly since I was there about 6 or 7 years ago. I work with a lady who lives in Langdon, and she says it has around 4,000 estimated.

[Distill3d]

Langdon: the next Bowness...

[CanadianCentaur]

I should also mention that Langdon's downtown reminds me a liitle of Sexsmith, which is about 15 min. north of Grande Prairie. Like Langdon, it's growing as a bedroom community, though not as fast.

[Jimby]

Carseland, Alberta, south of Langdon, just a few miles SE of Calgary on the Bow river. One of the great things about Calgary is it only takes a few minutes driving to be in the country, far from the urban crowds. These pics were from the end of August '07.


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1418/1236303734_d36dd235d9_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1026/1235482317_3f800e55d8_b.jpg

a patch of paradise on the edge of the Bow river valley
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1091/1235545151_260737639a_b.jpg

Bow river southeast of Calgary
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1374/1235566563_a5bd056b28_b.jpg

pelicans on Johnson Island at Wyndham-Carseland Provincial park
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1083/1236529136_14af9f06ff_b.jpg

the other drowning machine-weir on the Bow at Johnson's Island Carseland
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1019/1235681677_d23ee111b5_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1361/1235728263_bd130544f6_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1330/1246979358_3c66d5ace4_b.jpg

the road down to the park is curvy!
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1105/1246162903_c7357f27fe_b.jpg

floating in pond scum
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1104/1235699659_b075dff7f9_b.jpg

[Boris2k7]

Something about Carseland creeps me out a bit. I passed through there last year for an overnight camping trip with some friends... maybe just because it's so small...

The shot with the Derrick and Cow is priceless.

[ScottFromCalgary]

Wow nice pics. I especially like the river valley shots. I had no idea that there were pelicans in Alberta.

[Jimby]

Something about Carseland creeps me out a bit. I passed through there last year for an overnight camping trip with some friends... maybe just because it's so small...

The shot with the Derrick and Cow is priceless.

Carseland could be the setting for a Stephen King story or a real life "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson!
The black & white pic sums up Alberta in a stereotypical way.
Thanks for having a look Boris.

[Jimby]

Wow nice pics. I especially like the river valley shots. I had no idea that there were pelicans in Alberta.

Thanks Scott. In August the pelicans hang out just west of Crowchild on that small island in the Bow. Another good place to see them is around the weir downstream from the zoo. The best place to see them is in Florida when it is -35 here!

[freeweed]

In August the pelicans hang out just west of Crowchild on that small island in the Bow.

Where?!? There are too many small islands in the Bow. I'd love to get some nice shots of pelicans, but the weir area just isn't very natural looking.

[mersar]

Where?!? There are too many small islands in the Bow. I'd love to get some nice shots of pelicans, but the weir area just isn't very natural looking.

Theres a series of small islands pretty much opposite the strip mall right where Kensington intersects with Memorial Drive/Parkdale Ave/Parkdale Blvd/3rd Ave/Bowness Road (depending on which map, although google maps shows all of the above), the east most of which is little more then a sandbar

[frinkprof]

Some Crossfield pictures:

New housing on the west end of town
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/frinkprof/PC270406.jpg

Crossfield gas plant in distance south of town
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/frinkprof/PC270407.jpg

Crossfield affordable housing project, I think it is 48 units along Railway Street
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/frinkprof/PC270400.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/frinkprof/PC270401.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/frinkprof/PC270403.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/frinkprof/PC270404.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/frinkprof/PC270402.jpg

[Jimby]

$155,000 for a condo in Crossfield would appeal to lots of people with sticker shock in Calgary. It is amazing how the population of the area surrounding Calgary is surging.
I wonder if there are many more hamlets and towns worth looking at?
Thanks for posting the pics Frinkprof.

[CanadianCentaur]

I wonder if Langdon might end up hitting somewhere between 20,000-40,000 people in about 35 years?

[Jimby]

I wonder if Langdon might end up hitting somewhere between 20,000-40,000 people in about 35 years?

I can see that happening. Langdon will become our Leduc!

[Corndogger]

I can see that happening. Langdon will become our Leduc!

There was an article in the Herald the other day stating that Airdrie had $454 million worth of building permits in 2007. Damn that's amazing for a place with just over 30K people. With no business tax it must be very appealing. Does anyone know what the building permit figures were for places like Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg?

[mersar]

For 2007 statscan has the January through November totals available (for the entire CMA only though):

Regina - 344.6M
Saskatoon - 603.1M
Calgary - 6001.4M
Edmonton - 3719.4M
Toronto - 11,978.6M
Vancouver - 6,446.7M

[Corndogger]

For 2007 statscan has the January through November totals available (for the entire CMA only though):

Regina - 344.6M
Saskatoon - 603.1M
Calgary - 6001.4M
Edmonton - 3719.4M
Toronto - 11,978.6M
Vancouver - 6,446.7M

So it's safe to say that Airdrie beat out Regina in permit values for the year. And Saskatoon nearly doubled Regina's total. I keep hearing Regina is booming but it doesn't seem that way from these figures. If they are booming things must have been really bad about 5 years ago.

[Aylmer]

do you have Ottawa's stats?

[mersar]

do you have Ottawa's stats?

Yes, three ways:

Full CMA: 2,379.0
Quebec only: 544.6
Ontario only: 1,834.3

[The Geographer]

So it's safe to say that Airdrie beat out Regina in permit values for the year. And Saskatoon nearly doubled Regina's total. I keep hearing Regina is booming but it doesn't seem that way from these figures. If they are booming things must have been really bad about 5 years ago.

It might be a lot cheaper to build in Regina, and thus their building permits might represent a disproportionately larger amount on the ground. But that is just off the top of my head; I don't actually know anything about Regina.

[DizzyEdge]

It would be interesting to have building stats, but measured in square footage rather than dollars, to take care of the differences in cost of building.

[RHINO]

I want to live there , lol . I never thought Id say that

[CCF]

So it's safe to say that Airdrie beat out Regina in permit values for the year. And Saskatoon nearly doubled Regina's total. I keep hearing Regina is booming but it doesn't seem that way from these figures. If they are booming things must have been really bad about 5 years ago.

I think Saskatoon's larger figure can be attributed to two buildings being built by the provincial government at the university. Each building I believe is worth $100 million.

[Rob D]

I think Saskatoon's larger figure can be attributed to two buildings being built by the provincial government at the university. Each building I believe is worth $100 million.

There are also a significantly higher number of single family homes and tons more multiple-family dwellings being built in Saskatoon than in Regina which also contributes to the gap in building permit values.

[Tarsus]

Does anyone know the population of Crossfield?

[mersar]

2006 census put it at 2,648 (with an impressive $15M in building permits for 2006).

[CCF]

There are also a significantly higher number of single family homes and tons more multiple-family dwellings being built in Saskatoon than in Regina which also contributes to the gap in building permit values.

Fine by me....I don't equate building sprawling single family dwellings as a good thing.

[wild wild west]

$155,000 for a condo in Crossfield would appeal to lots of people with sticker shock in Calgary. It is amazing how the population of the area surrounding Calgary is surging.
I wonder if there are many more hamlets and towns worth looking at?
Thanks for posting the pics Frinkprof.

I know a number of people who commute into Calgary from places as far afield as Didsbury, Acme and Innisfail. The savings of buying a house or condo in Airdrie, Cochrane or Okotoks over Calgary are pretty much negligible these days, so people are having to move further out to get more bang for their buck.

[Jimby]

I know a number of people who commute into Calgary from places as far afield as Didsbury, Acme and Innisfail. The savings of buying a house or condo in Airdrie, Cochrane or Okotoks over Calgary are pretty much negligible these days, so people are having to move further out to get more bang for their buck.

And then their lives are "wasted" behind the wheel commuting.

[wild wild west]

/\That's very true - an extra hour or two a day spent driving - plus the extra cost of gas...I can't see how it would be worth it.

[Stephen Ave]

I know a number of people who commute into Calgary from places as far afield as Didsbury, Acme and Innisfail. The savings of buying a house or condo in Airdrie, Cochrane or Okotoks over Calgary are pretty much negligible these days, so people are having to move further out to get more bang for their buck.

There are lots of hidden costs with moving out to smaller town. When I first moved out here, I lived in Canmore and commuted to Calgary. That lasted all of 4 moths before I made a change in plans. The extra amount of time driving, plus the gas, plus the wear and tear on vehicles really adds up.

[Rob D]

Fine by me....I don't equate building sprawling single family dwellings as a good thing.

Nothing was mentioned regarding the size of single family dwellings. Sizes of dwellings have nothing to do with my comment. I merely stated that the higher numbers of single and multiple family dwellings being built in Saskatoon was another contributing factor to the higher level of permit values versus Regina. The gap is likely to widen in Saskatoon's favour in future years, so get used to it.

[CCF]

I merely stated that the higher numbers of single and multiple family dwellings being built in Saskatoon was another contributing factor to the higher level of permit values versus Regina. The gap is likely to widen in Saskatoon's favour in future years, so get used to it.

Exactly, and about 99% of these dwellings are being built at the periphery of the city........I'd rather have less construction if it means less sprawl. Got it?

[Rob D]

Exactly, and about 99% of these dwellings are being built at the periphery of the city........I'd rather have less construction if it means less sprawl. Got it?

:koko: