Manchester, Calgary

Manchester
Neighbourhood
Manchester near 50 Avenue SE
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
City	Calgary
Quadrant	SE/SW
Ward	9
Established	1914
Area
• Total	0.4648 km2 (0.1795 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Total	950
Postal code	T2H

Manchester is a residential neighborhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It straddles both the southeast and southwest quadrants of Calgary and neighbors the industrial community of Manchester Industrial to the east, south and north. ^[1] Manchester is in Ward 9. ^{[2] [3]} The community is among one of Calgary's oldest, but has been one of the most affected by urban decay.

Manchester is not to be confused with Manchester Industrial, an industrial and commercial community that surrounds Manchester.

Manchester consists of mostly low-income housing and housing projects, with a significant portion of such being built in 2003 in the southern portion of the community. ^[4]

Manchester has the lowest income and highest percentage of residents classified as low-income of any Calgary community by a decent margin. Manchester additionally struggles with crime, urban blight, homelessness, and poverty.

Location of Manchester in Calgary

Community boundaries

The community of Manchester is in both the southeast and southwest quadrants of Calgary. It is bounded by 42 Avenue South to the north, 58 Avenue South to the south, Macleod Trail to the west and the Canadian Pacific right-of-way to the east. Manchester Industrial sits to the east, south and north of the community. The residential neighborhoods of Elboya, Parkhill and Windsor Park bound the community to the west. ^[5]

Map of the community boundaries of Manchester, according to the City of Calgary

History

Manchester was originally established in 1914 as a residential community within walking distance of employment centers in the nearby industrial area. The majority of the residential dwellings in the community had been built by 1940. By 1968 the population in Manchester had reached 800 residents across 255 dwellings. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the population declined with the rapid suburbanization of Calgary. ^[6]

Heritage sites

Manchester workers' cottages

Heritage Calgary added the Manchester workers' cottages to its list of heritage sites on December 12, 2014. The cottages use Edwardian cottage architecture and are on 1 Street SW. As of 2025 ^[update] they have no legal protection. ^[7]

Mountain Spring Brewing facility (1920), formerly in Manchester

Education

The Calgary Board of Education currently serves Manchester via Elboya School (grades K-9) and Henry Wise Wood High School (grades 10-12).

Previously, the Calgary Board of Education ran Manchester Elementary School in the community. The school was closed in 1973 due to low enrolment resulting from the declining local population. ^[6] The building was torn down in 2004 and the site was later redeveloped. ^[8]

Population and demographics

Population

According to the 2021 Calgary municipal census, the community of Manchester had a population of 950, ^[5] a decrease from the 2019 population of 1,025. ^[9]

Population history ^[9]

Year	Population
2014	1332
2015	1055
2016	1013
2017	1052
2018	998
2019	1025
2021	950

Income

According to the 2021 Calgary municipal census, Manchester had a median household income of $44,000, compared to the city-wide median of $98,000. Thirty-nine percent of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, compared to a city-wide average of 23%. Thirty-nine percent of Manchester households made less than $40,000 per year, compared to 15% for Calgary as a whole. Twenty-nine percent of applicable households were low-income in Manchester, compared to the city-wide figure of 9%. ^[5]

Demographics

According to the 2021 Calgary municipal census, 42% of Manchester's population were immigrants, compared to 32% for the city as a whole. Forty-six percent of Manchester's immigrant population was born in Africa, compared to 12% of the wider Calgary population. ^[5]

Crime

Crime data by year

Crime data ^[10]

Year	Crime rate
2018	10.9 /100
2019	14.5 /100
2020	13.2 /100
2021	9.7 /100
2022	13.5 /100
2023	7.1 /100

Transit

Manchester is close to two CTrain stations: 39 Avenue South and Chinook.

Bus route 10 runs between Downtown and Anderson Station along the community's western boundary on Macleod Trail. Bus route 81 runs through the community via 50 Avenue SE and 58 Avenue SW. Bus route 9 runs along the southern edge of the community on 58 Avenue SW. ^{[11] [12] [13]}

Walk Score gave Manchester a walk score rating of 68 and a transit score rating of 61. ^{[14] [15]}

See also

• List of neighbourhoods in Calgary
• 39 Avenue station (Calgary)
• CF Chinook Centre
• Chinook station
• Macleod Trail
• Parkhill, Calgary
• Windsor Park, Calgary

References

1. "Calgary Administrative Boundaries Map". Calgary. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
2. "Ward and community map". Calgary. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
3. Carra, Gian-Carlo (2024-12-16). "Manchester". Great Ward 9 Neighbourhoods. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
4. "MANCHESTER AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT" (PDF). City of Calgary. 2005.
5. "Manchester Profile". Calgary. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
6. "Communities – Manchester". Heritage Inspires YYC. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
7. "Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources". Calgary. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
8. "Calgary Imagery". Calgary. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
9. "Civic Census". Calgary. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
10. "Data". Calgary Police Service. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
11. "Calgary Transit 9 bus – Calgary". transitapp.com. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
12. "Calgary Transit 10 bus – Calgary". transitapp.com. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
13. "Calgary Transit 81 bus – Calgary". transitapp.com. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
14. Joe, Stephanie (2000-07-12). "Manchester". Avenue Calgary. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
15. "Manchester neighborhood in Calgary". Walk Score. Retrieved 2025-01-28.