RE/MAX Real Estate Blog

The communities of Dunluce, Oxford, and Kensington are prominent neighborhoods in Edmonton’s residential north-west.

The borders of Dunluce run from 127 Street to Castle Downs Road, and from 167 Avenue to 153 Avenue. As explained by the City of Edmonton, in the 1970’s the city expanded its northern borders in response to the rising population caused by the oil boom. It was during this expansion that the communities of Castle Downs, including Dunluce, legally became part of Edmonton.

Dunluce Treestand. Image Credit: City of Edmonton

The neighborhood is home to two elementary schools, as well as The Castle Downs Recreation Centre, a dry pond, and the Dunluce Treestand, and is therefore conducive to family living, and recreational lifestyles. The area has a very active community league and activities include dance, soccer, softball, Pilates, gymnastics, and even Spanish classes.

About half of the area is comprised of single-family dwellings while the remainder are a mix of apartments, duplexes, and few mobile homes. Just over sixty-percent of homes are owner occupied.

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Oxford falls to the west of Dunluce, sharing it’s 127 Street border. It sprawls as far west as 133 Street and from 167 Avenue in the north down to 153 Avenue. The neighborhood of Oxford is part of the larger Edmonton area the Palisades ASP (area structure plan), which was annexed to the city in 1982. It was just after this that residential development began, and was completed in 1999.

This scenic area is positioned around a large, central green space and a small water feature that functions as both an area amenity as well as a storm sewer.

Oxford, Edmonton. Image Credit: COCL

Oxford shares a community league with it’s southern neighbor, the community of Cumberland, which is heavily active in organizing youth recreation programs. Additionally they also organize educational and cultural events year-round.

Around ninety-percent of residences in the area are single-family dwellings, the remainder are duplexes, and overall the rental rate is around ten-percent.

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Kensington falls farther South than both Oxford and Dunluce, spanning from 137 Avenue and 113a Street, to 132 Avenue and 127 Street. Named after the trendy district in London, England, Kensington is a comparatively old neighborhood in the city’s north-west, it’s official annexation to Edmonton occurred in 1913.

The bulk of residential development didn’t occur until post-world war II and tapered off in the 1960’s. About sixty-percent of the area is single-family dwellings, followed by rental apartments, condominiums, and then duplexes. Around seventy-percent of residences in the area are owner occupied.

Kensington Elementary School. Image Credit: EPSB

Kensington, through primarily residential, is home to an elementary school, medical offices, and some small commercial developments that have cropped up on the corners of it’s main thoroughfares. These include small shops, restaurants, and other amenities.

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The burgeoning communities of Canossa, Chambery, and Elsinore are three of Edmonton’s newest residential areas, located in the north-west, found just south of the Anthony Henday. These small areas were previously used for agricultural purposes and have now been appropriated for residential use within less than two decades. Their northern location and access to thoroughfares make them a popular in-town location for personnel of the CFB (Canadian Forces Base) located just north of Edmonton.

The borders of Canossa reach from 121 Street to 112 Street, and from just south of the Henday to 167 Avenue. Construction on this purely residential area began in the 1990’s, with around 80% of the residences constructed as single-family dwellings and the remainder as duplexes and row houses. Canossa is considered to be an entirely owner occupied area.

Canossa Treestand. Image Credit: Edmonton.ca

A unique area feature is the Canossa Treestand, a patch of deciduous forest with an open grass meadow which accommodates for a diversity of plant species and wildlife. According to the City of Edmonton,

“This treestand provides foraging habitat and cover for many bird species and small mammals…there are also possibilities of viewing species that are less common in more urbanized areas, such as white-tailed deer and coyote.”

As is convention in Castle Downs, this subdivision was named after a famous Castle, Canossa Castle in Bologna, Northern Italy, which still stands today.

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Chambery falls to the East of Canossa, carrying on from 112 Street to 105 Street. This area’s residential overhaul began slightly later than Canossa, and though the bulk of construction occurred in the early 2000’s, development continues presently.

Named for the Chateau de Chambery in France, the elegant houses in this upscale neighborhood attempt to exude the same luxury of French countryside estates. Around 644 dwellings make up this community, and while this number may seem small, the area has more than doubled in size since it’s 300 dwellings in 2005.

Chambery Residence. Image Credit: Yegishome.ca

Future development plans include two parks and recreational areas along with a central school. In attempt to maintain the residential feel of the neighborhood, there are no plans for commercial development to date.

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Elsinore falls easternmost of the the three carrying on to 97 Street. It’s southern border lies around 174 Avenue and extends north to the Henday. Slightly older than Canossa and Chambery, Elsinore slowly began development after 1985. The comminuty is named after Elsinore Castle in Denmark, which was interestingly the central location in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Elsinore Pathway System. Image Credit: Yegishome.ca

The city has taken advantage of a pipeline corridor running through the neighborhood, to create a park and pathway system with a unique water feature, and many of the residences back on to this scenic green space.

Predominantly owner owner occupied single-family dwellings, just less than 20% of the residences are duplexes or row houses.

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