Plato said it 2500 years ago. Another hundred years before Plato, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said the same thing. Countless others have expressed the same, both before and since, in all the languages of the world. The only constant in this crazy world of ours is change.
Yes, the wheel of life continues to turn, and all are bound to it, with ups and downs on every curve.
The waning days of the swinging seventies brought us the end of disco music, which we can all agree was a welcome change, but the early days of the nineties saw boy-bands walk the earth with impunity, not to shuffle off this mortal coil until the early days of the new millennium.
The new millennium also brought culinary changes in Chestermere, with the West Creek Pub opening in 2001, offering an alternative to Chestermere Landing that had been in operation since the late seventies. The West Creek Pub celebrated their sweet sixteen birthday a few months back, and are still going strong, with smoked meat night on Thursdays being my long-time favourite.
I recall the early days of the Chestermere Landing back in that decade of decadence known as the eighties, when it was the only restaurant in what was then called the Summer Village of Chestermere Lake, when the local population was measured in the hundreds instead of the thousands.
While the vittles were always good, the beer selection was limited to Labatt Blue and Blue Light, making Chestermere the equivalent of a beerless desert to the embryonic beer snob culture of the day.
The Chestermere Landing closed after a fire in 2010, opening under the new ownership in 2013, which quickly led to the Dockside Bar & Grill opening in the lower level, while the original restaurant location on the upper level became a private event space.
The Dockside Bar & Grill was a decidedly more casual affair than the previous dining room, and to the joy of beer fans everywhere, boasted more beer taps than you could drink in a week.
Other restaurants have come and gone over the years, with the newest arrival being the Pour Beer Market, which opened its doors just last week.
The Pour Beer Market appears to be a franchised operation, with additional locations in Calgary and Airdrie. The business model is squarely aimed at the seemingly insatiable appetite for craft beer paired with gastro-pub type food menus.
As both the Tim Hortons and Subway in Chestermere have shown, the franchise model provides a solid foundation in the always-risky restaurant business, so I look forward to the Pour Beer Market being here for many years to come.
With 40 beer taps to choose from, even the dyed-in-the-wool beer snobs in your circle of friends will be delighted to visit, as I was, just a few days after they opened.
The selection of Canadian and international craft beers was impressive, with nearly half of the taps being dedicated to local brews from our fair province Alberta, home to the world-class malting barley that is the envy of our neighbouring provinces.
On my first visit, I sampled deliciously fresh brews from Calgary, Cochrane, Okotoks, and Red Deer, only stopping because of early morning meetings the next day.
Lest you think the wine snobs have been left out, a well-curated wine list with a few dozen options is also available, so you will have no trouble pairing that Schnitzel with a Riesling, or Salmon with a Chardonnay.
And should you already have a full belly, but a thirst needing to be slaked, look no further than the tap room of the Township 24 Brewery, recently opened on Rainbow Road on the west side of the lake.
In the name of research for you, I was first in line on opening day, sipping the first pint pulled from the brass from our very own local brewery. With a blonde ale and a dark lager already on tap, soon to be followed by an easy-drinking Kölsch in the coming weeks.
The days of leaving Chestermere for a crafty comestible or libidinous libation are firmly behind us, so show your civic pride by visiting the local kitchens, bars, and tap rooms that the City of Chestermere has to offer!
