The Athlone is situated on just over half an acre of prime real estate in Calgary’s Mission District. The building’s unique U-shaped design allows for a generous expanse of lawn. The front of the building is lined by rock mulch and river stone, a carpet of perennial phlox, rundle stone, and numerous evergreen shrubs which shade ground floor suites during the summer months.The east and west sides of the building are flanked by flowerbeds planted with a combination of drought tolerant ground cover and flowering perennials. Edible herbs, arugula and red oak leaf lettuce have also been spotted in one of the beds. Decades-old mature landscaping features include an established hedge, flowering crabapple tree, two lilac trees and five Manitoba Maples.

A gardening design plan commissioned by a local landscape designer is gradually being implemented according to the Corporation’s budget. This plan will enhance the beauty of The Athlone’s grounds with a view to selecting sustainable, drought resistant plants, and creating an atmosphere of calm in the downtown core.

The gardens are cultivated by a sub-committee of the Board of Directors and resident volunteers. Lawn maintenance and snow removal are contracted out.

The Athlone Apartments was named after the Earl of Athlone, Governor General of Canada at the time of its construction in 1940. It is regarded as Calgary’s foremost example of an Art Moderne apartment building and “exhibits some of the finest characteristics of this rare architectural style in the city.”The quality of the materials used in its construction, and its broad expanse of lawn, made The Athlone one of the most luxurious apartment buildings in the community of Mission during the 1940s. The main entrance had two features that were considered innovative at the time: a glass block entrance surround and Vitrolite paneling.

The Athlone was recently evaluated as a City-Wide Historic Resource by the Calgary Heritage Authority and was subsequently added to the City’s Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources. It has been given an honorary plaque by the Cliff Bungalow-Mission Community Association in recognition of its historical importance and it is featured in the Calgary Historical Walking Tour guidebook.

The Athlone is located in the heart of the community of Mission. The Mission district became part of Calgary in 1907; before this time Mission had been known as Rouleauville, named for two brothers, one of whom, Chief Justice Charles Rouleau, owned the land on which The Athlone is located in the late 1800s.Castel Aux Pres was built for Charles Rouleau in 1890 and was demolished in 1939. It was home to Judge and Lady Winter beginning in c.1895.