Lake Membership was the top concern raised at our October 16 AGM. The new Board is committed to resolving this issue with your input. The survey closes on November 24 and is limited to one response per household.
Calgary's new R-CG rezoning may increase the number of properties eligible for Lake Membership. We're asking members to help shape a new special resolution to guide how membership is issued going forward.
To support discussion and transparency, LBHA Board is hosting 2 information sessions on R-CG rezoning and the Lake Membership Survey. You are invited to attend:
An anonymized summary of the survey results will be shared with the community once the survey closes on November 24. We’ll also be hosting Information Sessions to walk through the results together and discuss next steps for Lake Membership:
These are opportunities for people to voice concerns, ask questions, and have discussions on how to manage the Lake Memberships. If you have any questions, please contact us at board@lkbonavista.ca.
Please reach us at board@lkbonvista.ca if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The issuance of new Lake Memberships to accommodate the subdivision of original lots was the primary issue of concern at the October 16th AGM; for that reason, the Board’s top priority is to resolve this matter as quickly and thoughtfully as possible.
Since the outcome of the Special Resolution on Lake Memberships will directly affect Members, the Board is seeking the community’s input through this survey. The results will help shape a proposed Special Resolution to address the issue, ensuring that any resolution brought forward has clear support from the community before it proceeds to a vote.
The City of Calgary’s blanket rezoning from Single-Family Homes (R-C1) to Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG) has raised concern about the number of property titles that could become eligible for Lake Membership in Lake Bonavista. Currently, LBHA’s 3,261 Memberships are limited to one family Membership per property title. Members are concerned that developers could market “Lake Access,” making our community a target for multi-unit developments. This could strain lake facilities, increase lake fees, reduce the “Lake Premium,” and change the community’s character.
Yes. While the recent election outcome is encouraging, a full repeal is not guaranteed. The Board believes it is important to act proactively to protect the Lake from potential negative effects of development now and in the future.
Development activity has already begun under the existing R-CG zoning, and the Board will still need to respond to Membership requests from subdivided properties, even if the blanket rezoning is repealed. The decisions and actions we take now will help ensure that consistent, fair precedents are established should similar policies be introduced again in the future.
In addition, the City of Calgary’s Local Area Plan (LAP) could still encourage higher-density development, even if the R-CG blanket rezoning is withdrawn. In other words, the City’s broader planning framework may continue to support case-by-case rezoning, so continued vigilance is important.
A Local Area Plan is a city planning document that provides long-term direction on development. It provides guidance on land use, building scale, housing, transportation, open space, and amenities. While not exactly the same as zoning (which is the “bylaw” that regulates what you can build), the LAP informs and aligns with zoning. The LAP is more strategic; zoning is regulatory.
The goal is to engage the community in developing and approving a new Special Resolution on Lake Membership for Member consideration and voting. To that end, the LBHA Board will provide opportunities for Members to learn more and share feedback through both a webinar and an in-person discussion.
Yes. Each survey response will be tied to Member Number to ensure a single vote per household and responses will be anonymized. Individual votes will not be identifiable. It will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
R-CG zoning (“Residential – Grade Oriented Infill”) is a type of residential zoning that allows for medium-density housing, such as rowhouses, townhomes, fourplexes and semi-detached homes. It permits higher density than older Single-Family (R-C1) or Duplex (R-C2) zones.
In August 2024, the City of Calgary changed the zoning of Lake Bonavista from Single-Family Homes (R-C1) to Grade-Oriented Infill (R-CG), allowing multiple residences to be built on lots originally intended for single-family homes..
There will be several Special Resolutions presented and voted on separately at the next meeting. Resolutions will also update and modernize the Article of Association to reflect common practices (such as email notifications and the option for online attendance at an AGM).
Yes. It will require a Special General Meeting with a quorum of approximately 316 (10% of Members in Good Standing) to vote on the Special Resolution, either in person or by proxy.
For a Special Resolution to pass, 75% of those in attendance (in person or by proxy) must vote in favor. We anticipate holding this meeting early in the new year, with at least 21 days’ advance notice provided.
Yes. We encourage all Members to participate in the survey and attend the special meeting either in person or by proxy. The more Members who participate, the better we can ensure that the decisions made truly represent the views of the community as a whole.
If you can’t attend, please consider assigning your proxy to someone who can vote on your behalf. This could be a Board Member or another Member in good standing.
Yes. Lake Bonaventure amended their articles to cap Memberships at the current level, protecting their Lake from increased density.
For clarity, a legal firm has provided legal advice on Lake Bonavista. Their position is that Membership CAN be lowered to the current number of Memberships. And, in their experience, it is unlikely the City would become involved in the governance of an HOA. THe board would like the decisions made to truly represent the views of the community as a whole.
If you can’t attend, please consider assigning your proxy to someone who can vote on your behalf. This could be a Board Member or another Member in good standing.
There are currently 3,261 Lake Memberships in Lake Bonavista. The “cap” of 3,400 originated from a provisional estimate in the original development proposal, which was never reached. In practice, the community has operated at approximately 3,261 Memberships for decades.
This will be determined based on the survey results and external advice. However, Members may support the principle that all lots original to the 1969 Keith Development should have access to Lake Membership. In that case, the two double lots could be restored to their original lot sizes and re-apply for Membership, bringing the total to 3,263.
Yes. The Board has received inquiries and is aware of situations that are expected to lead to requests for additional Memberships.
We anticipate two types of requests:
These examples illustrate why it is important for the community to establish a clear and consistent approach to how new Membership requests are handled.
The 2 main options include:
The estimated value of "inflation-adjusted value of Member fees since inception” refers to the total amount of Membership fees that have been paid over the years, recalculated to reflect their current value in today’s dollars (i.e., adjusted for inflation).
It provides a clearer sense of Members’ cumulative contributions in present-day purchasing power. The Board is currently calculating an estimated fair value of the Membership Fee using this method.
This may be used by the Board to determine the Capital Contribution if a new Lake Membership is issued.
The “Lake Premium” is the added market value that properties in a private Lake community due to the lifestyle and exclusivity it provides. Maintaining the quality and exclusivity of the amenity, including how Memberships are managed, helps preserve this premium.
If Membership were expanded, it could dilute the perceived or actual premium over time. Developers could benefit by selling “lake access” at a premium without contributing to the Lake’s operating or capital costs, while those costs would increase for existing Members.
This may be used by the Board to determine the Capital Contribution if a new Lake Membership is issued.
No. We are fortunate to have an experienced General Manager and staff in place. They are largely responsible for the operational excellence the community has come to expect, and we anticipate that strong performance will continue.
While the Membership issue is being addressed, the Board of Directors has the capacity and experience to continue managing all aspects of lake operations, programs, and improvements. Several Board Committees have been formed to better address top issues in parallel. See the full list of current directors and their bios here: https://lkbonavista.ca/board-of-directors
No. Your existing Membership and lake access remain unchanged. The discussion and potential resolutions focus on how future Memberships are handled if properties are subdivided or redeveloped.
No. The survey is intended to gather community feedback and identify the level of support for possible options. The results will help the Board shape a proposed Special Resolution, which will then be presented for Member consideration and a formal vote at a Special General Meeting.