Population Explosion?

This article is from the February 21, 2007 Vulcan Advocate:

Population explosion predicted in county


Niall McKenna
Wednesday February 21, 2007

Though he’s nearing retirement, Harold Magnuson is working harder than ever.
As the primary real estate agent for lakefront property development around Lake McGregor, about 25 km east of Vulcan, Magnuson -- along with several local business people -- is predicting tremendous population and economic growth for the County in the next decade.
There are fewer than 20 homes built on Lake McGregor Country Estates, which overlooks Lake McGregor just west of Lomond and is nestled in a valley once known as Snake Coulee. About 90 per cent, or 182 lots, of the current phase of the estate have been sold.
Two other developments on Lake McGregor -- Milo Estates and a development on the east shore -- total 43 residents; Little Bow Resort, south on Travers Reservoir, totals 150 residences and has been completely sold out.
“This lake is going to have 2,000 to 4,000 homes in the future,” said Magnuson of Lake McGregor.
If this holds true, this could easily double the size of Vulcan County, an estimation that has excited Vulcan’s business community.
Fulton Beck, owner of the Vulcan Petro-Canada, said sales at his convenience store leapt almost 15 per cent last year, compared with 2005. While he recognizes growth in oil and gas development as a contributing factor, Beck said many customers are travelling back and forth from their lakefront homes.
“I think the lakefront property development -- over the next 10 years -- will have the biggest impact of anything in the Town of Vulcan,” said Beck.
He added that Vulcan would be wise to develop new businesses to respond to this growth potential.
Those who have already built lakefront houses have certainly pinpointed Vulcan as a key destination.

John Prudence, a Calgary marketing consultant, was one of the first to build property in Lake McGregor Country Estates.
“When we saw Lake McGregor, we were astounded that so much had been spent on the community recreation facility,” he said, referring to the estate’s tennis courts, boat dock and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
“It was all in place, just waiting for people to buy lots.”
At the same time, Prudence said he and his family, who spend weekends and at least two months a year at their lakefront home, travel to Vulcan regularly for fuel, groceries and other supplies.
“I like it because it’s a true Western small town experience,” said Prudence.
Indeed, Magnuson said the lakefront properties are filling a niche among Calgary and area residents eager for weekend and retirement property closer to home than property in B.C.
“(For B.C. travellers), leaving on a Friday and coming back Sunday, you’re spending all your time on the road,” he said.
Magnuson said if more families choose to live full-time in lakefront developments, arrangements will also have to be made to accommodate spaces in schools and on school buses.
But further development on Lake McGregor faces a huge stumbling block -- water. While there is a licence to extract water from the lake for the current phase of housing, a future licence looks unlikely for the time being. Alberta Environment put all water licences in the Bow basin on hold last year.
Because the purpose of the lake is primarily for irrigation, Magnuson said the provincial government might be unwilling to free up water for residential purposes.
“It’s very frustrating for me to see Calgary grow… and they’ve got a right to the water,” said Magnuson. “But we can’t get water rights.”
Water levels in the lake also affect recreation. If the level is too low, boating may be banned outright, although new property owners are made aware of this when purchasing.
Magnuson’s company -- Magnuson Realty -- is completing a proposal for phase two of Lake McGregor Country Estates, which will require County approval.
He said the County is supportive of increased growth of lakefront housing, but does not want to see it reach the scale of Lake Chestermere, a lakefront community east of Calgary that has grown into a tightly-developed town of over 8,000 people.
Meanwhile, there are no plans to develop the eastern shore of the three-year-old Twin Valley Reservoir, which Vulcan County administers. According to County administrator, Gary Buchanan, provincial government regulations will not allow housing near the water’s edge, meaning that any development will have to be well back of the reservoir.
The Municipal District of Willow Creek, which administers the western shore of Twin Valley, received an application for a housing development two years ago. The MD rejected it, according to Willow Creek development officer, Sharon Shearer. There have been no more developments proposed since then.
Vulcan County is now the process of redeveloping its area structure plan for the McGregor, Travers and Little Bow reservoirs. The new plan will govern future lakefront developments while safeguarding the reservoirs’ original purpose -- irrigation.

Vulcan newspaper

The Vulcan Advocate is the local newspaper for Vulcan and the County of Vulcan. It can be viewed online at www.canoe.ca. Keep up-to-date on the local news and events. Vulcan also has a tourist information booth. Stop by and get your picture taken by the Enterprise and with Captain Kirk and Spock.