Hillhurst, Calgary
# Hillhurst, Calgary

Hillhurst is a community located within the inner city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The boundaries of the community are 8th Avenue NW to the north, 10th Street NW to the east, the Bow River to the south, and 18th Street NW to the west. The communities of Hillhurst and the neighbouring Sunnyside together form the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association. The two communities have an area redevelopment plan in place, revised in 2009.

The popular Kensington Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ) adjoins the Hillhurst community. It is an active family-friendly commercial area, abundant with amenities.

## History

Established in 1914, Hillhurst is one of Calgary's oldest neighbourhoods. The first homesteads appeared here in the 1880s – the most notable being that of Felix McHugh. In 1883, he established his homestead in Section 21, now known as Hillhurst. The site of his house is now a playground at corner of 9A Street and Memorial Drive. Ezra Riley acquired the land, and sold it to the city in 1904. He also donated a 20 acre parcel, which is now Riley Park, and a stone structure where St. Barnabas Church is now located.

The city set the size of the lots to 25 feet with lots selling for about $300 each in 1907. In the early days, much of Hillhurst was a slough. As more and more people came, the dirt trails and wooden sidewalks gave way to paved roads; cement side walks, and lit roadways. Now, Hillhurst is a community with a population of approximately 5000. The small well-kept houses and tree-lined streets are the result of over 80 years of care and hard work.

## Demographics

In the City of Calgary's 2012 municipal census, Hillhurst had a population of 6,291 living in 3,557 dwellings, a 6.4% increase from its 2011 population of 5,914. With a land area of 2.1 $km^2$ (0.81 sq mi), it had a population density of $3,000/km^2$ (7,760/sq mi) in 2012.

Residents in this community had a median household income of $50,822 in 2000, and there were 18.6% low income residents living in the neighbourhood. As of 2000, 15.3% of the residents were immigrants. A proportion of 48.2% of the buildings were condominiums or apartments, and 56.2% of the housing was used for renting.

## Education

In 2006, there were five schools in the district:

* Hillhurst Community School — Public
* Queen Elizabeth Elementary School — Public
* Queen Elizabeth Junior and Senior High — Public
* St. John Fine Arts Elementary — Calgary Catholic School District (closed in 2010)
* Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, or SAIT Polytechnic — Post Secondary College

## Sports teams

Hillhurst is home to the Calgary Kookaburras Australian rules football club.

