Rich in character and community, Midnapore has retained its small-town charm since being annexed by The City of Calgary in 1961. While much has changed since then, Midnapore’s greatest qualities continue to be its community-centric living, greenspace and convenient amenities.
With residents ranging from young families to retirees, community events routinely bring the neighbourhood together. On Thursday afternoons, the Social Seniors host card games and conversation over complimentary coffee and tea. June brings the annual Kick Start to Summer festival, including food trucks, carnival games and performances. And the colder months are made more cozy with a themed wine-tasting.
Yet, the epicentre of community life happens outdoors. A range of year-round activities take place for residents on Midnapore Lake’s sandy shores, including beach volleyball, fishing and skating. Meanwhile, walkable access to Fish Creek Provincial Park means residents can easily immerse themselves in nature.
The community also has two local shopping centres: Midlake Plaza and Midnapore Mall. The latter hosts a range of cuisines including Filipino takeout restaurant Munting Kusina ni Nanay and Fiesta Market & Restaurant, which offers a dine-in menu and a Latin market. Midnapore also boasts nearby access to retailers and supermarkets along Macleod Trail.
Unique Challenge
While greenspace walkability — including Fish Creek Park and Midnapore Lake access, as well as walking paths throughout the community — is a neighbourhood highlight, Midnapore lacks convenient walking access to shopping and restaurants. Most errands require a car. And, while there are a number of specialty markets here, there isn’t a major grocery store in the neighbourhood itself. —S.C
What the Neighbours Say
“We have lots of green spaces around here to walk. Everybody stops and says hi, or waves at you, or hangs across the fence to chat as people go by… We also have a wide swath of generations. It’s really nice. It feels like its own little area, in a way.” — Patsy McNish, who moved to Midnapore in 1988.
Neighbourhood Highlights
Fish Creek Provincial Park
Fish Creek Provincial Park is the second largest urban park in Canada. It’s a thriving urban wildlife sanctuary within Calgary’s city limits, bordered to the west by the Tsuut’ina Nation. Wildlife encounters are common here. The park features more than 100 km of trails that connect to the larger Calgary pathway systems and to the Trans Canada Trail.
You’ll find the popular Sikome Lake (officially the Sikome Aquatic Facility) here, as well. Unlike many of the other man-made lakes in the city, this one is open to the public for a reasonable fee, and it’s a popular family destination all summer long.
The park also features Annie’s Café and the upscale Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant in the historic Bow Valley Ranch area, where visitors can enjoy anything from ice cream to a full meal.
Lake Midnapore Disc Golf Course
Calgary has a vibrant disc golf community and The City of Calgary operates four permanent courses, as well as a number of pop-up spaces throughout the city. But the Lake Midnapore Disc Golf Course is one of the few private courses. Established in 2014, this course just for Midnapore residents and their guests features nine Disc Golf Association Mach V baskets, plus a practice basket, all complemented by natural tee pads.
The course’s challenging terrain, characterized by significant elevation changes, makes it more suitable for experienced players than beginners.
Fiesta Market and Restaurant
This bright-orange, cafeteria-style spot tucked into a strip mall off MacLeod Trail S.E. is two adventures in one. The restaurant side serves up the real deal: sopes, flautas, chiles rellenos, pozole and tacos. Don’t leave without trying the soul-warming tortilla soup or the indulgently juicy birria tacos paired with an ice-cold beer, and save room for the cloud-like tres leches cake.
But the true treasure hunt begins in the market at the back, where floor-to-ceiling shelves provide a mini-maze of Mexican and South American delights. There’s an entire wall dedicated to salsas, dried chilies and real-sugar Mexican candy. Between the Día de Los Muertos decorations and the steady stream of Spanish-speaking regulars, you might just forget you’re in Calgary. — L.K.
By the Numbers
Population: 6,480
Median Household Income: $91,000
Housing Types: 49% single-detached; 19% apartments less than 5 storeys
Percentage of owners: 69%
