More to love in Beaumont

Beaumont may be best known for its rich Francophone heritage, but the picturesque city just south of Edmonton is also gaining a reputation as one with the most exciting, new home opportunities in the area.

With its history as a French-Canadian colonial town, it’s easy to imagine being in the French countryside driving down to Beaumont. But don’t let its idyllic nature fool you, as this small town of just over 20,000 people continues to grow and has become a favourite for young families to settle in.

The 2021 Statistics Canada Census reports a population of 20,888, a 19.7 per cent increase over last federal census result of 17,457 in 2016. And of this, about a quarter of the population fall in the 0- to 14-years age group. Clearly, many young families find the idea of settling down in this young city very appealing.

Growing city

Beaumont, which was designated a city in January 2019, is the third fastest growing city in the province and number one in the Edmonton Metro region with annualized five-year growth rate of 4.1 per cent. Located in Leduc County within the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, it sits at the vital intersection of Highway 625 and Highway 814 and is just a kilometre outside of the southern boundary of Edmonton.

It is close to a multitude of employment hubs like the Edmonton International Airport, which is just nine kilometres east, as well as the Nisku Industrial Park, one of the largest business parks in western Canada.

Francophone heritage

The city was founded in in 1895 by French-Canadian colonists attracted by the region’s rich farmland. Beaumont’s downtown core still resembles a French village with unique architecture and red brick walkways. Its name is derived from the “beautiful hill” on which the historic landmark of St. Vital Church is located within the centre of the city.

Beaumont remains determined to maintain and reviving its Francophone heritage with its efforts to preserve a few buildings from its founding. It has also implemented design guidelines to emphasize its Francophone heritage, including abundant French place names and buildings constructed with steep gable roofs, considered to be in the French style.

Beaumont today

Today, new residents have fallen in love with the city because its outdoor lifestyle is as alluring as the scenery. The town has over 250 acres of parklands, a dozen baseball diamonds, over a dozen soccer fields, outdoor rinks, inline rinks volleyball courts outdoor basketball courts and winding paths between most of them, finding these active areas is as much fun as playing in them.

There are a number of shopping opportunities in and around town too, including the Montalet Shopping Centre. If you’re looking for something more unique, the Southwest Edmonton area is just 10 minutes away, as is the massive Southgate Centre.

Most importantly, there are plenty of new communities coming up, offering easy-living amenities and homes suited for today’s lifestyles. One such community is Élan.

Living in Élan

Beaumont has successfully preserved their rich spirit and a touch of French charm in the architecture, except in their homes. That’s where Élan comes in.

“Élan is the culmination of over half a decade of active engagement with the local community,” says Jonathan Chan, general manager of Dream’s Edmonton Land division, the developers behind Élan.

“Beaumont has such a strong identity, and it was important to us to live up to the potential of that and not just bring more Edmonton to communities outside its borders,” says Chan. “Everything from the emphasis on inviting porches to the quality of the public spaces is purpose-built for bringing residents together. We wanted to get it right.”

Élan checks all the boxes that these buyers are looking for with stylishly affordable homes from its founding builders that include Crystal Creek Homes, Homes by Avi, and Morrison Homes. Available are semi-detached (duplex), laned, and front-drive garage homes.

“Élan’s streets will be filled with a vibrant, diverse, and dynamic array of homes,” McDonald says. “Styles stay true to Beaumont’s unique prairie-meets-French Canadian spin and include Prairie, Farmhouse, Craftsman, French Country, and novel Quaint Quebecois architectures.”

Homes vary in width and detailing along a single street to help avoid a cookie-cutter look - allowing simple, timeless styles to breath and more complex architectures to truly shine. But, as in all other Dream communities, the cohesive vision for Élan is about connections. Find out more about this new community at myelan.ca.