Less than 15 minutes from the Calgary International Airport, Martindale offers a plethora of amenities, green spaces and schools, and residents feel like they belong.
Martindale is within easy reach of parks, such as the Martindale off-leash park and the nearby Prairie Winds Park, and is home to several schools, including Manmeet Bhullar Singh Public School and Nelson Mandela High School. The community has easy access to downtown Calgary through the Blue Line and via Deerfoot and Métis Trails. A neighbourly community, Martindale real estate remains affordable and ideal for starter family homes, with the average detached house costing around $500,000. The community association has not only invested in its own skating rink during the winter months, but also just completed its final payment on a John Deere tractor for snow removal, rink clearance and lawn maintenance.
Martindale is an incredibly diverse neighbourhood, and this shows in the Genesis Centre’s event programming — providing the community space to host events like Nepali Mela, the Annual Indigenous Carnival, and Diwali Fest. There are several places of worship in the community, including Dashmesh Cultural Centre, the Church of Latter-Day Saints and many more nearby, such as the Al-Hedaya Islamic Centre. —S.C.
Opportunity for Improvement
While there is ample green space in Martindale, the community (like many other northeast communities) is not connected to Calgary’s established Pathway and Bikeway Network. To remedy this, The City of Calgary has started its Ward 5 Connections project, designed to create pathways that will connect routes serving education, recreation, shopping and work destinations.
Highlights
Cricket grounds
You’ll find the Martindale Cricket Grounds tucked into the west side of the community. The bookable grounds feature a regulation-size pitch and bleachers perfect for tournaments and casual play. The community’s second cricket pitch, the Martha Haven Cricket Grounds, is on the north side of Martindale, and features another full-size pitch.
Genesis Centre
The Genesis Centre is the heart of Martindale’s sports and recreation community. The large, multi-purpose complex includes two indoor field houses for futsal, badminton, volleyball and other sports, two outdoor fields, a community gymnasium, event rooms and more. The facility shares its space with the Saddletowne YMCA, which includes an indoor climbing wall and public pool, as well as the Calgary Public Library. Martindale’s Genesis Centre serves the entire northeast quadrant, creating a space for the whole community to enjoy.
Prairie Winds Park
Located south of Martindale, Prairie Winds Park is a staple of Calgary’s northeast. The huge park, which originally opened in 1990, underwent a series of renovations from 2014 to 2017 that added and upgraded features like the wading pool, rain garden and playscape. Now, the beautiful park is a community hub that draws Calgarians into its urban oasis year-round. Make the short commute from Martindale to enjoy the tennis courts, cricket pitches, soccer field, spray park, lazy river and more. —R.P.