At this time in the market, there really isn’t much happening in the communities of Cliff Bungalow and Mission. The numbers seem a little skewed, due to the fact that there were few or no sales made in almost all areas. This makes it very hard to have an actual basis for any type of total comparison so median prices are seeing large differences due to the gaps.
The communities of Cliff Bungalow and Mission have an extremely rich history in Calgary. Both these communities are located in Calgary’s SW, near the Downtown Core. They are bound by the Elbow River on the east and south, 17th Avenue on the north and Western Canada High School and the community of Mount Royal to the west. The two communities have different stories of their development very but managed to come together as the community we see today.
Cliff Bungalow was originally owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1870s due to it’s proximity to the CPR railyard and headquarters. Because most of the CPR employees were housed there, it was an easy commute. The area was gradually annexed to the city between 1906 and 1912. The community itself was established in 1907 but was not named Cliff Bungalow until the 1970s. In 1935, the character of the neighbourhood changed, and
it was gradually rezoned to build apartments and was at one point considered to be part of Lower Mount Royal. It was thought that it was a more prosperous part of the Mission area due to it’s proximity to the Mount Royal area.
Interestingly enough, when Mission was introduced as a neighbourhood in the 1880s, it was considered to be a small French-speaking community that was driven by two fathers of the Catholic faith: Fathers Lacombe and Leduc. Mission was not the community’s original name. It was actually referred to as Rouleauville. Named after two prominent residents, Justice Charles B. Rouleau and his brother Doctor Edouard Rouleau. The two brothers had founded the Holy Cross Hospital at that time. The name Rouleauville was changed to Mission in 1907 when it was annexed to Calgary.
Historically, the mission became St. Mary’s Parish which still stands at the end of 19th Avenue. The area was largely occupied by followers of the Roman Catholic church, due to the strong presence of the school, church, hospital and covenant. St. Mary’s High school is still a leading school in the area within the Catholic school system.
Over a 30-year period, the area was built up with local businesses beginning to thrive along 4th Street and apartment complexes being developed. 4th Street and 17th Avenue both boasted restaurants, small bodegas and confectionaries. 4th Street had such a quaint feel to it and also opened up a historical movie theatre known as ‘The Tivoli’. Although the building still stands today, it is housed by a Jugo Juice. As I grew up in the neighbourhood, I saw many different types of trendy businesses pass through this building, but I never did see it as the theatre.
The surrounding areas of Cliff Bungalow and Mission began to build many of the historic houses that you see between Royal Avenue and 1st Street. Take a stroll one of these beautiful summer days and see the beauty of these houses built in the early 1900s.
The area itself has had somewhat of a facelift in the past couple of decades as inner-city living has become somewhat coveted. A lot of renovations to both the surrounding homes and apartments and apartment style condos have given the Cliff Bungalow-Mission area back it’s charm. 4th Street and 17th Avenue are a great source of entertainment with boutiques and restaurants. Easy access to the Downtown Core has attracted many different income-earning homes, ages and family styles. The community association is the one responsible for the creation of the annual Lilac Festival held at the end of May. The Lilac Festival is one of Calgary’s largest city street festivals. The development of the area has been restricted to certain construction bylaws in an attempt to ensure the community remains low density. It is a very eclectic mix of youth living in the apartment and condos and families living in some of the newly renovated homes within the area. It is a wonderful place to raise up children as the schools are all within walking distance of each other.
Cliff Bungalow school was erected in the 1920s and still stands today. The building is now used by a Montessori School and as the community hall of the Cliff Bungalow-Mission Community Association. The public schools that serve this community are Rideau Park Elementary and Junior High located on Rideau Road. Start your children here and have them smoothly transition to Western Canada High, located on the corner of 6th Street and 17th Avenue. If you are looking for a school with religious basis, the Catholic system serves the area with St Monica, kindergarten to grade 9, located on 18th Avenue SW, and St Mary’s, also located on 18th Avenue SW.
Thinking of buying or selling? Contact me!
Sarah Scott
Re/Max Len T. Wong & Associates
403-805-8027 (Call or Text)
[email protected]
calgaryluxuryhomesearch.com
