Mission, Calgary

Mission
Neighbourhood

Rouleauville Square in the Mission district
Mission

Location of Mission in Calgary

Coordinates: 51°01′55″N 114°04′12″W / 51.03194°N 114.07000°W / 51.03194; -114.07000Coordinates: 51°01′55″N 114°04′12″W / 51.03194°N 114.07000°W / 51.03194; -114.07000
Country  Canada
Province  Alberta
City  Calgary
Quadrant SW
Ward 8
Established 1900
Annexed 1906
Government[1]
 • Mayor Naheed Nenshi
 • Administrative body Calgary City Council
 • Councillor Evan Woolley
Area[2]
 • Total 0.53 km2 (0.20 sq mi)
Elevation 1,050 m (3,440 ft)
Population (2006)[3]
 • Total 4,433
 • Density 8,364.2/km2 (21,663/sq mi)
 • Average Income $37,040
Website Mission Community Association

The Mission district is an inner city neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada that originated as Notre Dame de la Paix, a Catholic mission, and was for a time the incorporated Village of Rouleauville. Mission contains the very popular 4th Street with many trendy restaurants and shops, and it hosts the Lilac Festival in May.

It is represented in the Calgary City Council by the Ward 8 councillor.[1] The community has an area redevelopment plan in place.[4]

History

After a temporary location 40 km (25 mi) away (started in 1872), Oblate missionary Father Constantine Scollen, on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church, founded the permanent location in 1875. In 1883, Oblate missionary Father Albert Lacombe, returning after a ten-year absence, obtained two quarter sections of land for a "Mission district" to ensure a strong French speaking Catholic community. Father Scollen who had lived in the area since 1862 and who had witnessed Treaty Six with the Cree Nation and Treaty Seven with the Blackfeet Nation left for Edmonton and then the U.S.A.

After obtaining the rest of the land that is now Mission, the area was incorporated on November 2, 1899 as the Village of Rouleauville named after Charles Rouleau. The village was founded in what was then the Northwest Territories.[5] Despite Lacombe's desire to preserve the French language and culture, Rouleauville progressively lost its French character, becoming overwhelmingly English. In 1907 the village was annexed by Calgary. In the process all the French names of streets were replaced by Calgary's street numbering system.[6]

Mission is one of many Calgary neighbourhoods impacted by flood events. In 1929, the area was submerged when the Bow overran its banks.[7] The area was again impacted by floods during flooding in June 2013. An evacuation was ordered on June 20 for a minimum of 72 hours.[8]

Institutions

In the latter part of his life, Lacombe helped found a number of Catholic schools throughout the West, including St. Mary's School in 1885, initially using a two-storey log cabin convent in Mission district (Rouleauville). It is now the oldest school still operating in Calgary (though in a newer building). Repsol Sport Centre is also located in this neighbourhood.

In 1889 St. Mary's Church was founded, and in 1912 it became St. Mary's Cathedral when it became the seat of the newly formed Diocese of Calgary.

Demographics

In the City of Calgary's 2012 municipal census, Mission had a population of 4,325 living in 3,177 dwellings--a 0.9% decrease from its 2011 population of 4,363.[9] With a land area of 0.5 km2 (0.19 sq mi), it had a population density of 8,700/km2 (22,400/sq mi) in 2012.[9][10]

Residents in this community had a median household income of $37,040 in 2000, and there were 25% low income residents living in the neighbourhood.[11] As of 2000, 20.1% of the residents were immigrants. A proportion of 94.6% of the buildings were condominiums or apartments, and 70% of the housing was used for renting.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Calgary Elections". City of Calgary. October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  2. ↑ City of Calgary. "Calgary Snapshots 2011" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  3. 1 2 City of Calgary (2006). "Mission Community Statistics" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-05-09.
  4. ↑ City of Calgary Planning (2009). "Mission Area Redevelopment Plan" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  5. ↑ Rouleauville at Glenbow Museum - Information on the history of the French-speaking village.
  6. ↑ Rouleauville at Alberta Heritage - Discusses Father Lacombe and the village
  7. ↑ Calgary Herald, June 3, 1929
  8. ↑ "Calgary braces for flooding, orders communities evacuated". CBC News. 2013-06-20. Retrieved 2013-06-21.
  9. 1 2 "2012 Civic Census Results" (PDF). City of Calgary. 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Community Boundaries" (Esri shapefile). City of Calgary. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  11. ↑ City of Calgary (2004). "Ward 8 Profile" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-05-09.
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