Became a member in: 2016
Renewal Date: 31/May/2024
We emigrated to Canada from the UK in 1970 and have been in Calgary since 1978. We had our present house built in 2000. Our Canadian-born daughter now lives in France, so we are empty nesters, enjoying active retirement. That involves a fair amount of time outdoors, including biking, hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. It's hard to think of a better location for these activities than the Canadian Rockies. When we're not in the mountains we enjoy our friends and the cultural scene in Calgary, especially theatre and music. And we like to travel - which is why we decided to sign on with HomeLink. We are impressed with a system that depends on finding trust among strangers.
Additional languages spoken
German
Affinities
Plants & Gardens,
Skiing,
Cycling / Mountain Biking,
Bridge,
Hiking,
The Arts,
Music Lovers
MoreLessAffiliations
Retirees,
Seniors,
Medical & Healthcare Professionals,
Civil Service Professionals,
Artists / Entertainment Industry
MoreLessProfession
Retired Professionals
Simultaneous Home Exchange
Smoking Not Allowed
No Children Please
Use of Personal Car is preferred
| Sep 1, 2024 - May 31, 2025 | Britain and Ireland | Europe | Canada |
Description of the home we are offering for exchange
Our home is a modern house in a quiet neighbourhood in the northwest corner of the city of Calgary. The house has views to the mountains and backs onto a natural open space. It's a half-hour drive from the downtown and is also connected by light rail transit, with a station 10 minutes walk from the house. We're within an hour's drive of Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies.
The house is bright and spacious. A large entrance hall leads into an open-plan living/dining/kitchen area. The living area has a natural gas fireplace. The dining area opens onto a deck. The kitchen, completely renovated in 2021, is efficient and well equipped. Also on the main floor are the laundry room and a two-piece bathroom. Upstairs there is a master bedroom with a four-piece en suite bathroom and walk-in closet, a second bedroom with adjacent three-piece bathroom, and a study/computer room. The basement has large windows and a direct walkout to a rear patio and garden. It includes a TV lounge with a natural gas fireplace, a room that can be used as a third bedroom with fold-away futon, and a two-piece bathroom.
Type
House - 2 or more floors/ Main Residence
Amenities
Entertainment
Extras
Setting
Description of our neighbourhood and surrounding area
Our neighbourhood is designed around natural areas and open space and has an extensive network of off-street pathways directly accessible from our back gate. The local community/shopping centre, fifteen minutes walk from our house, has a range of services including a pub, a coffee shop, a supermarket, a bank and a walk-in medical clinic. Within fifteen minutes drive is a major suburban shopping centre and a range of other services, including a gym, a library and a decent selection of restaurants.
Ten minutes walk from our house is an LRT station from where you can reach Downtown in thirty minutes. There you will find the city's main concentration of higher end shopping, connected by covered, climate controlled bridges, and the range of cultural and leisure experiences you would expect in a North American city of a million people. Especially notable is the performing arts centre (Arts Commons), which houses the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and several professional theatre companies.
Outdoor Activities
Leisure
Cultural Activities
Transport Nearby
Neighbourhood Services
Our home exchange - places to go and things to do while staying in our home
Our location on the western edge of Calgary gives ready access to the mountains and foothills for all-season recreation: cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and downhill skiing in wintertime; a wide variety of hiking trails in the summertime. World-class downhill skiing destinations are Nakiska, Mount Norquay, Sunshine and Lake Louise, all within an hour to ninety minutes drive. Closer to Calgary, the Canmore Nordic Centre is an international venue for cross-country skiing. Kananaskis Country and Banff National Park offer horseback trail riding and hiking for all levels of expertise.
Within Calgary there is much to do all year round. Winter facilities, first developed for the 1988 winter Olympics, include a downhill skiing slope and a speed skating oval, both half an hour from our house. The Saddledome hockey arena is home ice for the Calgary Flames. Calgary has the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in N. America. The multi-use off-street pathways, extending over 1,000 km alongside the glacier-fed Bow River and connecting major urban parks, offer attractive walking and biking opportunities without leaving town. High annual sunshine totals and low humidity make for pleasant outdoor conditions - warm sunny summers and clear crisp winter days, often warmed by Chinook winds.
Our favourite restaurants
Cafés & bars
Special places to shop
Leisure and cultural activities
Walks or jogging paths
Health or fitness clubs
Interesting day trips
Our home exchange - here are our Preferences and House Rules
Our preferences are listed below. We do not have any unusual house rules. We'll leave a reference file with information on household equipment and normal household tasks, such as garbage disposal and recycling. We'll also provide useful contact numbers/e-mails/websites. We have friendly neighbours who will be pleased to help you with any unanswered questions.
Conditions
Use of Personal Car
Home Exchange Type
Over 70 years of home exchange experience
Local home swap representatives around the world to assist you
Travel, save and feel at home around the world!
