Step outside your custom home and follow a trail along the meandering creek. It isn’t long before you cross a bridge and you’re at the grocery store, at a restaurant, at your favourite coffee place. You’ve probably waved to a neighbour or three along your way, too.
This is relaxed rural residential living. This… is Langill Farm.
Developing at the northwestern edge of Steinbach, Langill Farm is the brainchild of Dan Reimer and Dan Bickerton.
“We felt it was time for something different,” shares Bickerton. “So we've created what we feel is a very one-off type neighbourhood with walking paths throughout, bike paths, dog parks, open play areas, tennis courts/pickleball… the whole goal behind it is to have an age-in-place type community.”
For those who may be encountering the term “age-in-place” for the first time, Bickerton elaborates.
“Age-in-place means you can grow through all the stages of life in the same community. So here in Langill Farm you can have your first apartment. You can graduate to your first bungalow. When you have children you may wish to move into a larger house. And when you retire, you can stay in the same neighbourhood and maintain that sense of community connection.”
Bickerton says a key factor that makes Langill Farm unique not only for Steinbach, but for Manitoba as a whole, is its green space.
“The minimum requirement for green space in that community is 10%. With Langill Farm, we went far beyond that requirement – we’re at 23% green space.”
In an age when green spaces are being increasingly overlooked by developers, the implications are significant. With 13% more green space than required, Langill Farm will be a unique community where people will spend more time outdoors, they’ll be more active and more likely to interact with each other – resulting in a closer connection to nature and neighbours.
One of the features of the property is its meandering creek, which has long been a favourite destination for adventuring Steinbachers. Bickerton says that element of recreation will be celebrated and enhanced with the Langill Farm development.
“We're building several bridges over the creek. These bridges will allow people walking or cycling along the paths to access Clearspring Centre, Walmart, Starbucks – all those amenities.”
They’re also looking at incorporating various stationary exercise equipment options along the walking paths – essentially turning mere sidewalks into fitness trails. These trails will follow the creek and lap around the development’s naturalized pond.
“For the pond, we've imported bulrushes,” elaborates Bickerton. “So, it won’t have stones around the outer edge. Instead, the bulrushes will give the pond a very natural effect. It will be very different, and we're pretty excited about it.”
If you’ve dreamed of living in a community with a closer connection to nature, neighbours, and amenities… you may want to take a closer look at Langill Farm. And soon you can!
“In spring we'll finish the concrete on Park Road,” reveals Bickerton. “This past winter, we had to keep it closed for safety purposes, so we know Steinbach will applaud the reopening of Park Road again.”
He says at this point the water, sewer, and roads are about 75% complete, and the asphalt is 100% complete on Phase One of the project.
“About 85 of the lots are ready for our builders. We're excited to bring on two local companies, Heritage Lane Builders and Schultz Homes, so you’ll start seeing new home construction early March already. We’re developing our first apartment building this year, along with the amenity building. We're very excited and are planning for a great 2023.”
With its generous green space, walking paths, and recreation facilitating active living, its close proximity to the mall, golf course, and museum – Langill Farm is already a development unlike anything else the province has ever seen.
“We’re looking forward to opening it up this spring so people can walk or drive through and see it for themselves!”