Rocky View’s own Bragg Creek was recently listed among six of the most romantic towns in Alberta, alongside some other classic Rocky Mountain getaways like Banff, Canmore, Jasper, and Waterton.
The list of romantic destinations was complied by curiocity.com.
Bragg Creek–with its quaint local shops and restaurants and adjacency to picturesque forest trails and mountain views–is certainly an attractive destination for visitors of west Rocky View County, but what has set it apart from bigger and more prominent towns like Canmore or Banff?
Outgoing Bragg Creek Chamber of Commerce president Sherri Olsen believes that Bragg Creek's proximity to Calgary actually enhances the town’s appeal over other “romantic” mountain retreats.
“You know in the foothills,” said Olsen. “It feels like you’re away from it all…so it's not that hour and a half to bounce to Canmore [and] I honestly think that's what gets us a lot of traffic from the Calgary and Edmonton area anyway.”
Many of the similar things that tourists do in Banff or Canmore can also be done in Bragg Creek.
Olsen believes that the quick day-trip distance from a large population centre has helped build up the town’s reputation and popularity.
“It's a wicked day trip, right, because you get in your car and you're somewhere away from it all in under an hour,” explained Olsen. “I won't compare but unlike other [towns around] that are a little bit further out, you don't feel like you're as in the woods and in the kind of Foothills or mountains like you are.”
The increase in popularity of the area has in turn fueled greater press interest–evident by the online list of “romantic” towns and an other recent articles in the Calgary media describing the sights and wonders of Bragg Creek. This attention helps to inspires more interest in potential visitors.
But for someone who has helped head up many tourism initiatives in Bragg Creek as the head of the Chamber of Commerce, Olsen said she believes being close to Calgary has helped.
“I honestly think it’s just proximity,” she said. “That's why our [home building] tagline used to say: far away close.”
