Live in North Haven
A small 1963 community on Nose Hill's southeast slope — two halves, one park above them.
North Haven was established in 1963 on former ranch land on Nose Hill's southeast slope, and it comes in two pieces: Lower North Haven (2,288 residents in 988 dwellings at the 2012 census) and Upper North Haven (622 in 246), separated by Egerts Park and a bus trap. The park is the top of every street. Spawn creator Todd McFarlane grew up here. This is what living here is actually like.
Upper, Lower, and the hill above both
Bordered west and northwest by Nose Hill Park and 14 Street NW, with John Laurie Boulevard and Egerts Park dividing and defining the halves. Ward 4.
North Haven was established in 1963 on old ranch land on Nose Hill's southeast slope, in two halves — Lower (2,288 residents, 2012) and Upper (622) — split by Egerts Park and one of the city's famous bus traps.
The hill is the deal: the park begins at the top of the community, and the southeast slope is the sheltered side — sunnier and calmer than the ridge communities that face the weather.
Small, stable, mostly original 1960s stock with careful renovations — and the Winter Club at the community's foot for those who join.
- 1960s originals: aluminum-wiring era — inspect electrical
- Upper and Lower have different school designations — check the half, not just the community
- 14 Street borders the west with real traffic
- Thin inventory; the community sells by word of mouth
How North Haven got here
- 1963North Haven is established on former cattle-ranch land.
- 1970sUpper North Haven completes the community's second half.
- 2012Civic census records 2,910 residents across the two halves.
A park above, a park between
Nose Hill starts at the top of every street, and Egerts Park fills the gap between the halves — green above, green between.
The resident's angle: the bus trap between Upper and Lower is a Calgary curiosity that quietly shapes traffic — the community is calmer for it.
10 places, with real drive times
Road-adjusted distance and drive time from the centre of the community to each destination, nearest first. Filter by category.
Showing 1–10 of 10 places, nearest first.
Method: distances and drive times are estimated from the centre of the community to each destination using Calgary's road grid, and are rounded to honest ranges rather than presented as precise figures. Small community, short list — 14 Street and McKnight carry everything longer.
Every gym within reach
The Winter Club and Thornhill split the load; the hill is free. Confirm hours before you count on anything.
- Thornhill Aquatic is the city-run alternative
- Nose Hill's trails start at the top of the street
- Egerts Park carries the small everyday
- Community programming runs through the school and association
| Facility | What it is | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Calgary Winter Club open | The private family athletic club at the community's foot — skating, tennis, squash, swimming. Waitlists common. | 2–4 min |
| Thornhill Aquatic & Recreation Centre open | City-run pool, gymnasium and fitness centre on Centre Street north. | 4–7 min |
| Nose Hill from the top of the street open | Free option: the park's southeast trails start where the community ends. | 1–2 min |
The Winter Club waitlist is real — ask early if it is part of your plan.
One elementary, a designation split
North Haven School carries elementary; the senior designation differs between Upper and Lower — Diefenbaker versus James Fowler.
| School | Board | Note |
|---|---|---|
| North Haven School | Calgary Board of Education | Public elementary inside the community. |
| Colonel Irvine School | Calgary Board of Education | Designated junior high. |
| Senior designations | Both boards | Diefenbaker (Upper) and James Fowler (Lower) are the listed seniors — the split matters; confirm for a specific address. |
Alberta funds Catholic education the same way it funds public education, so there is no tuition for a resident student at either board. Check which half a specific address is in — the school answer changes with it.
Month by month, what living here looks like
Not a highlights reel — the actual annual rhythm, including the dates residents have to remember.
- The hill's southeast slope is the sheltered side — winter is kinder here than on the ridge
- Priority snow routes keep the main roads clear
- Indoor recreation carries the season
- Long dark evenings, but rarely for weeks at a stretch
- Ski traffic west on the Trans-Canada peaks on Friday and Sunday
- Coldest snaps usually break with a chinook
- Noticeably longer light by month end
- Indoor pools at their busiest
- Melt and refreeze on the side streets — ice cleats weather
- Pathways reopen as the snow goes
- First patio afternoons on the warm chinook days
- Street sweeping begins late in the month
- Last hard frosts — planting waits for the May long weekend
- Pathway and park season opens properly
- Garden centres open across the quadrant
- Migratory birds return to the parks
- Long evenings — sunset past 9pm by month end
- Lilacs and crabapples through the older streets
- Field sport seasons start on the community greens
- First genuinely warm stretches
- Peak daylight at the solstice — over 16 hours
- School year ends and the parks fill
- Evening thunderstorms begin building over the foothills
- Farmers' markets open for the season
- Calgary Stampede — ten days across the city
- Hottest month, with cool nights at this elevation
- Evening thunderstorms roll off the foothills
- Canada Day events in the parks
- Folk Festival on Prince's Island mid-month
- Kananaskis and Banff at their best, straight west
- Quietest weeks before school returns
- Smoke from western wildfires is possible
- School year restarts and morning traffic thickens
- First frost typically arrives late in the month
- Poplar and aspen colour begins
- Evenings shorten fast
- Peak autumn colour through the older tree-lined streets
- First snow is normal, and normally melts
- Snow tires go on across the quadrant
- Nose Hill's grasses turn gold
- Ski season opens west on the Trans-Canada
- Dark by 5pm
- Freeze sets in for good
- Holiday retail season begins
- Chinook arches over the western skyline on clear days
- Holiday lights through the community streets
- Outdoor rinks open when the freeze holds
- Quiet, short days between the holidays
36 photographs of the community and its surroundings
All freely licensed and served from this app — nothing loads from a third party. Filter by category.
Showing 1–12 of 36 photographs.
Honesty note. This page uses only the general Calgary, seasonal, Alberta-wildlife and day-trip photography from the site's shared library. Nothing here is presented as a photograph of North Haven itself.