Qualico Communities has officially broken ground on Bellwether, a new mixed-use community on Calgary's east side, marking a significant milestone in the area's development. The ceremonial shoveling took place at the end of April, nearly a year after Qualico and the Kainai Nation held a pipe ceremony to bless the land, builders, and future residents in June of the previous year.
A Vision for Connected Living
Thilo Kaufmann, vice-president of Qualico Communities Calgary, emphasized that the 160-acre development is designed to be "more than a neighbourhood." He stated, "It's a place where people can live, work, and gather, with a mix of homes, services and spaces that create a more connected, walkable way of living." The community aims to foster a sense of belonging and convenience for its future residents.
Housing and Population Estimates
Emily Smith, director of marketing and customer care at Qualico, provided insights into the scale of the project. Upon full development, Bellwether is expected to house approximately 3,000 people. "It's a very rough number of 1,000 homes," Smith explained, "We're looking at about 750 single-family homes, and then we do have multiple multi-family sites here, which ultimately is up to those different builders to build out." StreetSide Developments will oversee the multi-family portion, while other builders such as NuVista Homes, Homes by Avi, Draco Homes, Sterling Homes, and Genesis Builders will contribute to the project. The first residents are anticipated to move in by 2028, with full build-out expected within five to seven years thereafter.
Location and Amenities
One of Bellwether's key attractions is its strategic location at the junction of 17th Avenue and 100th Street S.E., offering easy access to both east Calgary and the nearby city of Chestermere. Smith highlighted the proximity to existing amenities: "It's very close to current amenities, like the East Hills Shopping Centre, and should only be a few minutes from Stony Trail, as well." This ring road connection provides greater access to the rest of Calgary. Residents will enjoy nearby shopping, including a movie theater and Costco, all within a short drive.
Beyond retail, the neighbourhood will feature a planned middle school and a large preserved wetland. "That's really going to tie into the bigger system of the neighbourhood parks and pathways," Smith noted. The community is also surrounded by future developments that will bring additional amenities and attractions over the next decade. "The adjacent landowner to the west of us will also be opening a bigger commercial site on their land, including an announced Real Canadian Superstore," Smith added. "You're going to see a lot of future growth on the east side of Calgary in general, and that's going to be connecting, ultimately, into the city of Chestermere."
