The History of
Mission & Cliff Bungalow

Mission originated as a French Catholic dream. In 1883, Father Albert Lacombe and the Oblate Fathers established the land as a Francophone settlement, eventually incorporating it as the Village of Rouleauville in 1899. Though it was annexed by Calgary in 1907 and renamed “Mission” as English settlers moved in, its roots survive through landmarks like St. Mary’s Cathedral and the Alberta Ballet’s home in the former St. Mary’s Parish Hall.

Next door, Cliff Bungalow was born from a different vision. While the escarpment once sheltered Indigenous encampments, it was transformed in 1910 by the Olmsted Brothers — the designers of Central Park — into a “garden suburb.” Their signature touch remains in the deep garden setbacks and lush tree plantings that give the area its peaceful, historic character. Together, these neighbourhoods represent a unique blend of missionary ambition and world-class urban design.