There are plenty of great communities in southeast Calgary, but Auburn Bay offers something that changes how you actually live in your neighbourhood:

A private 43-acre lake.

For Auburn Bay residents, the lake isn’t just something pretty to look at. It’s somewhere you can spend a summer afternoon at the beach, take out a paddleboard, go fishing, skate in the winter or bring the kids down for an afternoon without leaving your community.

Then add Auburn House, a 13-acre private park, tennis and pickleball courts, a splash park, skating, tobogganing, community events and all of the amenities next door in Seton, and you start to understand why people are drawn to Auburn Bay.

Here’s what you actually get when you live here.

Auburn Bay Lake is the heart of the community

Let’s start with the obvious one.

Auburn Bay has a 43-acre private freshwater lake exclusively available to Auburn Bay residents and their permitted guests.

And it’s bigger than it looks.

The lake measures approximately 840 metres from north to south and 440 metres from east to west, with its deepest point reaching approximately 30 feet.

It’s also a real recreational lake rather than simply a decorative storm pond.

There are beaches, floating docks, a fishing dock, a boathouse and non-motorized watercraft.

That means a hot Calgary summer day can look very different when you live in Auburn Bay.

Instead of packing the car and driving somewhere to find a beach, you can head down to your own community lake.

One of the best-kept secrets: residents can use the boats and paddleboards

This is something people considering Auburn Bay don’t always realize.

You don’t necessarily need to own a boat or paddleboard to get out on the water.

Residents age 16 and older can sign out Auburn Bay Residents Association watercraft using their membership card.

Boats can currently be signed out for up to two hours and stand-up paddleboards for up to 45 minutes. They’re available on a first-come, first-served basis, and life jackets are mandatory.

Life jackets are also available through the boathouse and loaner stations around the beach.

So when people talk about “lake access” in Auburn Bay, it isn’t simply access to sit beside the water.

You can actually get out and use the lake.

Yes, you can fish here too

Here’s another fun Auburn Bay detail.

The lake is stocked twice annually with fish, including rainbow trout, tiger trout, brown trout and brook trout.

There are also sterile grass carp in the lake that help control weeds.

Residents can fish from designated areas and boats.

The Residents Association encourages catch and release, but residents are currently permitted to take home up to two fish per day, with a maximum of 12 fish per household per month.

So you could legitimately spend a morning fishing without leaving your own neighbourhood.

Auburn House is much more than a community centre

At the centre of everything is Auburn House at 200 Auburn Bay Boulevard SE.

Auburn House itself is more than 13,000 square feet and sits inside a 13-acre private park.

The grounds include the lake and sandy beach, pathways, playground areas, a splash park, fishing and boating facilities, an amphitheatre, sports courts, picnic shelters and a variety of seasonal amenities.

Auburn House also has a full-size gymnasium and indoor spaces used for programs, activities, events and rentals.

The park and lake are currently open seven days a week from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm.

And because these amenities are operated by the Auburn Bay Residents Association rather than simply being regular City of Calgary parks, access is controlled for Auburn Bay residents and their permitted guests.

Summers in Auburn Bay are hard to beat

Summer is probably when you understand the appeal of living here the fastest.

You can head down to the beach.

Swim in the lake.

Take out a paddleboard.

Go fishing.

Play beach volleyball.

Use the tennis or pickleball courts.

Take the kids to the splash park.

Have a picnic.

Or simply spend the afternoon sitting beside the water.

There are four outdoor courts that can be used for tennis and pickleball, and residents can reserve court times.

The park also has six picnic shelters, which Auburn Bay residents can reserve for gatherings.

It’s one of those communities where staying close to home doesn’t necessarily mean staying inside your house.

But Auburn Bay isn’t just a summer community

This is something I think is really important when comparing Calgary lake communities.

You’re paying the Residents Association fee twelve months of the year, so what happens when the lake freezes?

A lot.

When ice conditions are deemed safe, Auburn Bay turns the lake area into a winter recreation space.

There are two large hockey rinks on the ice, a separate pleasure skating rink and a skating loop around the lake.

There’s also a designated toboggan hill.

Auburn House has even introduced activities such as crokicurl.

So instead of the lake essentially shutting down from October until May, it becomes a completely different amenity.

One weekend you might be skating around the lake with your kids.

A few months later, you’re swimming in it.

That’s one of the biggest lifestyle advantages of Auburn Bay.

What comes with living in Auburn Bay?

This is where the Residents Association fee starts making more sense.

Residents in good standing receive access to the Auburn House park and lake and the community’s resident amenities.

That includes things such as:

• private lake and beach access
• the 13-acre Auburn House park
• splash park and play equipment
• fishing access
• boathouse and resident watercraft
• tennis and pickleball courts
• beach volleyball
• picnic areas and shelters
• pathways and outdoor gathering areas
• winter skating surfaces
• hockey rinks
• skating loop
• toboggan hill
• community events
• resident programming
• enhanced landscaping and maintenance throughout parts of Auburn Bay

Some registered programs, rentals and special services have additional fees, so the annual fee doesn’t mean absolutely everything at Auburn House is free.

But the core lake, park and recreational amenities are maintained for residents through the Residents Association.

How much is the Auburn Bay HOA fee?

For the 2026/2027 year, the Auburn Bay Residents Association has three annual fee levels.

The current fees, including gst, are:

Standard property: $523.92 per year

Lake access property: $720.41 per year

Lake shore property: $1,047.80 per year

For most homes in Auburn Bay, the standard $523.92 fee is the relevant number.

The higher fees apply to properties with additional lake-access or lakeshore privileges.

Membership in the Auburn Bay Residents Association is automatic and mandatory when you purchase a home in Auburn Bay. The fee is reviewed annually and can increase with inflation.

The fees don’t simply pay for lake access either.

They fund Auburn House operations, lake and park maintenance, landscaping, utilities, insurance, staffing, enhanced maintenance of certain community boulevards and entryways, programming and events.

You can see the current fees directly through the Auburn Bay Residents Association.

Lake access homes are a little different

Here’s something worth understanding if you’re new to Auburn Bay.

There is a difference between simply being an Auburn Bay resident and owning one of the properties designated as a lake access or lakeshore property.

All eligible Auburn Bay residents have access to the main Auburn House lake and park amenities.

But some homes have access to private lake access walkways and docks.

Those accessways are exclusively for the homeowners whose properties are specifically designated to use them.

So you can’t simply walk through one of the private lake access gates because you live elsewhere in Auburn Bay.

That’s one reason you’ll see the three different Residents Association fee categories.

Residents can bring guests- but there are limits

Your friends don’t necessarily have to live in Auburn Bay to enjoy the lake with you.

Adult member households can currently bring guests, subject to the Residents Association’s guest rules.

Generally, households are permitted up to five guests per day, with specific rules applying to children, larger groups and special events.

Residents need to remain with their guests while they’re using the amenities.

That’s actually an important part of what keeps Auburn Bay’s amenities feeling like resident amenities rather than becoming a public Calgary beach.

Auburn Bay has its own community events

Another part of Auburn Bay that you don’t necessarily appreciate until you live there is the community programming.

Auburn House has a full-time team coordinating programs and events.

Past and recurring events have included the Beach Party, Movie Under the Stars, Easter Eggstravaganza, Halloween Haunted House and Family Christmas Party.

There are also seasonal programs for children, adults, families and seniors.

Many of the major community events are resident-only because of their popularity.

That’s one of the things that helps Auburn Bay feel like an actual community rather than simply a collection of houses surrounding a lake.

Birthday parties and gatherings can happen right in the neighbourhood

Auburn House also has resident-exclusive rental options.

Residents can rent picnic shelters and indoor spaces, and Auburn House offers birthday-party packages using its gymnasium.

Some packages include sports equipment, toys or even inflatable play equipment provided through Auburn House.

That can be surprisingly convenient for families.

Instead of trying to find somewhere across Calgary for a child’s birthday party or family gathering, you may have options minutes from home.

Then there’s everything next door in Seton

This is probably the other major lifestyle advantage of Auburn Bay.

You don’t have to rely solely on what’s inside the community because Seton is immediately nearby.

One of the biggest amenities is the Brookfield Residential YMCA at Seton.

It’s a huge recreation and wellness facility with swimming, fitness facilities, gymnasium spaces, a FlowRider and extensive recreation programming.

The Calgary Public Library – Seton is also located within the facility, which makes it especially convenient for families.

Then you have the broader Seton Urban District with restaurants, shopping, professional services, entertainment and everyday necessities.

South Health Campus is also immediately nearby.

That means a lot of everyday life can happen within the Auburn Bay/Seton area without constantly driving into other parts of Calgary.

You don’t even have to leave Auburn Bay for everyday errands

Auburn Bay itself has continued developing its own commercial amenities.

There are restaurants, coffee shops, medical and professional services, gas and everyday shopping around the community.

There’s also Calgary Co-op Auburn Bay, giving residents a full grocery store and pharmacy right in the area.

For families, that convenience starts to matter.

Being able to pick up groceries, grab dinner, go to an appointment, head to the YMCA and get home without travelling halfway across Calgary makes everyday life easier.

A couple of things people should know before moving here

There are a few details about lake-community living that are worth knowing.

Auburn Bay Lake is private, but it isn’t lifeguarded. The Residents Association specifically states that it does not provide supervision or lifeguards, so parents and guardians remain responsible for children using the park and lake.

Pets aren’t permitted within Auburn House park, in the lake or on Residents Association-managed lake areas.

There are also rules around alcohol, smoking, motorized boats and certain recreational equipment.

Residents over age 12 need their own membership card to enter Auburn House and the lake facilities.

These rules may sound strict, but they’re part of how the Residents Association manages a private amenity shared by thousands of residents.

One of the underrated benefits is how the community looks

The annual fee also helps pay for things residents may not consciously think about every day.

The Residents Association provides enhanced maintenance of certain medians, boulevards, community entrances and landscaped areas.

That means part of your annual fee is going toward maintaining the appearance of the community- not simply the lake.

It’s one of those small things that contributes to how Auburn Bay feels when you’re driving or walking through it.

Who tends to love living in Auburn Bay?

You don’t have to be a family with young children to appreciate Auburn Bay.

If you like being outside, the community gives you a lot of reasons to leave your house.

You can walk down to the lake.

Go paddleboarding.

Fish.

Play tennis or pickleball.

Skate in the winter.

Meet friends at the beach.

Take part in a community event.

Head over to Seton for dinner or the YMCA.

For families, there’s obviously a lot here for kids.

But the appeal is really broader than that.

Auburn Bay works particularly well for people who like the idea of their neighbourhood being part of their lifestyle rather than simply the place where their house happens to be.

The real reason people love Auburn Bay

I think this is what separates Auburn Bay from a lot of Calgary communities.

You can live in a beautiful neighbourhood anywhere.

What Auburn Bay gives you is somewhere to actually go within your neighbourhood.

On a warm Friday night, you can walk down to the lake.

On a Saturday morning, you can paddleboard.

Your kids can spend the afternoon at the beach.

In January, you can lace up your skates and head onto the ice.

You can fish, play pickleball, attend a movie night, take the kids to a community event or simply sit beside the water.

Then, just outside the community, you have Seton’s recreation, healthcare, shopping, restaurants and services.

That’s really the Auburn Bay lifestyle.

It’s not just about having a lake in the middle of the community.

It’s about actually being able to use it.

For current lake conditions, programs, events, rules and resident information, visit the Auburn Bay Residents Association.

Cole Porter
Jamie Newton & Associates
RE/MAX First
403-992-5445
cole@jamienewton.ca