History
Early Settlement
Prior to the 20th century, the area around what is now Chestermere Lake was settled by only a few farmers.
When the Canadian Pacific Railway was established in the 1880s, more and more people came to settle in the west.
To make farming more productive, settlers began to require ways to irrigate their land.
As a natural wetland, Chestermere Lake was considered to be perfect for use as a balancing pool for the Western Irrigation Block.
By 1907, a dam and canal system had been built, the wetland developed into a lake, and farmers began using the water for irrigation.