Homes For Sale in Okotoks

Okotoks, Alberta has a small town vibe and yet, you’re never far from urban amenities thanks to Calgary’s proximity. With quick access to Alberta’s largest city, it’s easy to take advantage of the many job opportunities that Calgary offers without having to live in a busy city. That said, you won’t have to rely on Calgary’s job market if you live in Okotoks since it has its own thriving economy. Education, retail, and healthcare are the main industries in Okotoks, with the largest employers being Okotoks Health & Wellness Centre, the Town of Okotoks, Costco Wholesale, and the Foothills School Division (Okotoks’ local school district). Plus, the cost of living in Okotoks is lower than that of Calgary, as well as below the national average and the provincial average. Whether we’re talking about daycare, grocery, or housing costs, you can expect to pay less for your lifestyle in Okotoks than in many other parts of Canada. Another reason that people enjoy living in Okotoks is for the recreational activities it offers. When you live in Okotoks, you will have endless opportunities to get outdoors. Between the many golf courses, local parks, provincial parks, and ski hills nearby, you can partake in all kinds of fun activities. A few of the main places to enjoy the great outdoors in Okotoks include Bluerock Wildland Provincial Park, D’Arcy Ranch Golf Club, Crystal Ridge Golf Club, Nakiska Ski Area, and Brown - Lowery Provincial Park. Of course, Banff National Park is also only an hour and a half west of Okotoks, which is world-renowned for its natural beauty and trails. Between these many parks and facilities, locals can enjoy everything from skiing and snowboarding to tobogganing, golfing, snow tubing, swimming, camping, hiking, fishing, and more. Meanwhile, cultural attractions that Okotoks is home to include Lineham House Galleries, Okotoks Museum and Archives, and Okotoks Art Gallery. Okotoks Erratic, a 16,500-tonne boulder that lies in the Prairies near town is another must-see. Further, Okotoks has a number of excellent breweries, restaurants, pubs, and coffee shops for locals to enjoy, meaning you can find everything you need in this Alberta town.

Quality and diversity of education in Okotoks

Okotoks has excellent infrastructure. Public schools are run by three school districts: the Foothills School Division (the largest of the districts with 19 schools in operation in this area), the Christ the Redeemer Catholic School Division, and the Southern Francophone Education Region No. 4 (Conseil scolaire FrancoSud). This means that Okotoks students can access both English-language and French-language education for free. A few of the largest public schools in Okotoks are Foothills Composite High School, Ecole Okotoks Junior High School, and St. John Paul II Collegiate. As for private education, Summit West Independent School, Edison School, and Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School in southern Calgary. In regards to post-secondary education, Okotoks is now home to the Bow Valley College - Okotoks Campus, which only just opened in the fall of 2022. That said, locals are also well-poised to attend any of the universities and colleges located less than half an hour away in Calgary, like the University of Calgary, Ambrose University, St. Mary’s University, Mount Royal University, Rocky Mountain College, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, and ABM College - Calgary Campus.

Most populous cities in Okotoks

A few of the main neighbourhoods that make up Okotoks include D'Arcy Ranch, Westridge, Woodhaven, Crystal Shores, Crystal Green, Mountainview, Sandstone, Sheep River Cove, Sheep River Heights, Cimarron, Cimarron Meadows, Central Heights, Drake Landing, and Rosemont.

Quality of infrastructure for Okotoks

Despite its small size, Okotoks operates its own public transportation service known as Okotoks Transit. This service is a curb-to-curb ride sharing service that is on-demand and available seven days a week. Through Okotoks Transit, riders can schedule their ride up to three weeks in advance. For transportation between Okotoks and Calgary, as well as throughout the rest of Alberta, most Okotoks residents prefer to drive. Due to the minimal population and short distance to Calgary, traffic usually isn’t an issue, especially since the town is conveniently located along Highway AB-2. There are also several other transportation options that Okotoks residents can use if they are willing to travel to Calgary. For instance, Calgary has a coach bus terminal that is served by Ebus, Cold Shot, Rider Express, The Canada Bus, and Red Arrow. The city is also home to Calgary International Airport, the largest in the province and the headquarters of the national airline WestJet. For Via Rail access, locals will need to travel a bit farther to Edmonton, Edson, Evansburg, Hinton, Jasper, Viking, or Wainwright. Finally, Okotoks has excellent healthcare infrastructure that includes a number of medical clinics, like Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre, Southbank Medical Centre, and Pinnacle Medical Centres Okotoks Southbanks. That said, residents can also take advantage of the many top-rated hospitals in nearby Calgary, such as Alberta Children's Hospital (ACH), Rockyview General Hospital (RGH), Foothills Medical Centre (FMC), and South Health Campus (SHC).

Safety and security for Okotoks

The Okotoks detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) upholds the safety of Okotoks. However, the crime rates in Okotoks are either low or very low, including rates of violent crime, property crime, and more. The area is also at a low risk of natural disasters. Emergency services are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 9-1-1.

Okotoks property market

The Okotoks property market is strong and stable, yet, it is still affordable. This makes it an appealing destination for families, seniors, and more. The most common types of properties you will find here are bungalows, detached homes, duplexes, townhomes or row homes, and semi-detached homes. Making Okotoks even more affordable is the fact that the province of Alberta does collect land transfer tax on real estate transactions. There is also no PST or HST on any sales, including home sales.

Standard of living in Okotoks

The standard of living in Okotoks is very high. It boasts a strong sense of community, access to the outdoors, an affordable housing market, and great schools. Plus, it’s only a short distance from downtown Calgary, making it easy for residents to commute to work or enjoy a fun trip to the city on the weekend.

Something wonderful about Okotoks

Let’s dive into the history of Okotoks. First, the name Okotoks comes from the word “ohkotok,” which is the Blackfoot First Nation word for “rock.” Many people believe that the town earned its name due to Big Rock, the biggest glacial erratic in the area (it is located roughly 7 kilometres west of the town of Okotoks). Prior to Europeans settling in the area, First Nations peoples used Big Rock as a market to find the river crossing in town. Many of these tribes were nomadic, following buffalo herds for food. However, when Europeans arrived and began exploring the area, they also started to erect buildings, the first of which was a trading post. Soon, more and more trading posts popped up along what became known as the Macleod Trail. Throughout the late nineteenth century, the community of Okotoks started to grow even more due to the establishment of a sawmill.

Homes For Sale in Okotoks

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