Lake Bonavista Restrictive Covenant (RC) Initiative
This site is dedicated to the initiative to add a Restrictive Covenant to the property titles in Lake Bonavista to protect the character and nature of our community as one of single-family homes with big trees and quiet, safe streets. More Information in the August 2024 Bonavista Bugle
Curtis Marble of Carbert Waite LLP was retained to draft Lake Bonavista’s Restrictive Covenant (RC). He is also assisting several other Calgary communities with similar RC initiatives.
Blanket Rezoning Has Been Repealed
In April 2026, Calgary City Council voted to repeal the citywide blanket rezoning. This was an important outcome for Lake Bonavista and other established communities. It demonstrated that residents getting informed, participating in the process and making their voices heard can make a difference.
The Restrictive Covenant Is Still Important
While blanket rezoning has been repealed, zoning and City planning policies can and are changing. The City of Calgary is currently developing its next major planning initiative, The Calgary Plan, which could bring future zoning changes to our community. The Calgary Plan targets increased density around transit hubs and key corridors:
Map provided by Counsilor Landon Johnson - Ward 14
Additional Information:
- The Calgary Plan Website
- The Calgary Plan Draft
- June 16th Strategic Meeting of Council Minutes/Agenda
- Latest Engagement Report
- CityNews Report on The Calgary Plan
We are working on an information session for Lake Bonavista residents in November to explain The Calgary Plan and what it may mean for our community. Details will be posted here as they are finalized.
These ongoing changes demonstrate why the Restrictive Covenant continues to be important in protecting our community as Calgary's planning policies evolve.
Developments Approved during Blanket Re-Zoning
Call to Action
Upcoming Information & Signing Sessions
We are planning an upcoming information session on The Calgary Plan and its potential implications for Lake Bonavista.
We will also continue to schedule Restrictive Covenant signing sessions as groups of properties are ready to sign. Coordinating group signings helps reduce legal and administrative costs, allowing us to maximize the funds available for the ongoing defence and enforcement of the Restrictive Covenant.
More information and upcoming session dates will be posted here as they are scheduled.
“As a realtor for 23 years, now retired, I sold
many homes in our community. My big emphasis
was always to protect our lake, after all, it is the
lake that gives you value in your property. We all
should be proud of the community we live in and
need to protect what we purchased. I strongly
encourage you to consider having an RC on
your property for the benefit of all.”
- Beverly T, Retired Realtor
“If I’m not willing to put an RC on my property to
help protect my street, how can I expect my
neighbours to follow suit? It’s a team effort.”
- Lisa M, Retired Teacher
““My wife and I signed the RC because we wanted to
step up and do what we could do to protect and
maintain the quality of life in Lake Bonavista that we
have known and loved since 1991."
- Dr Roger D, Retired Economist
““I signed the RC as I was very upset that city council went
against the wishes of the majority of residents of the city they
supposedly represent. A single-family lot could be
redeveloped to accommodate up to 12 families, with 1/2 a
parking spot per unit, no mention of where the new 36 bins
would be placed. This RC initiative would make such
redevelopment very difficult. In order to ask my neighbours
to sign the RC, I need to do so as well. Judging by the
animosity towards this rezoning shown during the meeting at
the rec centre, this gives the community a way to fight
back.”
- Nora B
“My wife moved into long-term care two
years ago and I don’t know how much
longer I am going to be in my house. I am
signing the RC for my neighbours so they
don’t have to face the uncertainty of what
could eventually happen with my property
when I no longer live here.”
- Herbert S, Longtime Homeowner
““My wife and I moved to Lake Bonavista in early 2023. We love the neighborhood and moving to this community was largely because we
wanted to Iive in this community. We enjoy the wide streets, large lots and weekends at the lake in the summer and winter. We wanted to be
in an area where our child could have a sense of community, similar to what we enjoyed as children. We moved from a nearby
neighbourhood which has many multi-family homes mixed in with single family homes. The difference in the community here versus our
prior neighbourhood is night and day. ... There are parts of the city where increasing density makes sense but for our lake community it does not fit in. We believe having an oasis of
single-family homes with an ever-busier City of Calgary will actually drive these house prices up, not limit an ultimate sale price. If a resource
(like single family homes with large lots) becomes even more rare,”
- Dan T, New Homeowner