Big News! Chinook School of Music is Moving to a New Location!

We’re thrilled to announce that Chinook School of Music South will have a new home starting Friday, February 28, 2025.

Our new location at the Macleod Professional Centre, on the fourth level of 3916 Macleod Trail South, has been chosen with your convenience in mind.

Why You'll Love Our New Space:

• Plenty of Free Parking

  Families can park in the outside lot or the underground parkade for one hour at no cost.

• Easy Access

  Located near 42 Ave SW, 39 Avenue/Stanley Rd SW, Macleod Trail, Glenmore Trail, and Mission Road SW.

• Close to Amenities

  Enjoy nearby shops and services while your children are in lessons.

• Secure Building

  Peace of mind for you and your family.

• Expanded Options

  More lessons and classes to choose from!

• Uninterrupted Schedules

  No changes to our lesson and class schedules during the transition.

• Wheelchair Accessible

Drive Times on Weekdays between 4:00-5:30 PM

• Altadore: 9-13 minutes

• Garrison Park: 11-15 minutes

• Killarney: 12-16 minutes

• Elbow Park: 7-9 minutes

• Mount Royal: 10-13 minutes

*Please note, drive times may decrease after the construction of the Mission Bridge is complete.

Want to explore other options?

Students switching to the NW location, 1101-48 Ave NW for the rest of the 2024-2025 school year will be entitled to a 10% savings on their tuition.

Students switching to in home lessons for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year will receive in studio tuition rates.

Students may request an adjustment to their lesson time at the new location.

Our Journey

Chinook School of Music first opened its doors on August 29, 2002, in an 850-square-foot space in Plaza 34 on 19th Street & 34th Avenue in Marda Loop which is currently occupied by Forage. For two piano teachers venturing into business ownership for the first time, it was an exciting yet steep learning curve. With determination and passion, we embraced the challenges of managing a commercial space, establishing ourselves in the community, and building a team of enthusiastic teachers. Before long, we outgrew our original space, even with the addition of in-home services.

In the summer of 2007, we relocated to a larger space on the second floor of Plaza 34. Over the next several years, we expanded further, occupying spaces on both the main floor and basement of Plaza 34. Throughout these transitions, we continued to grow our community, with invaluable support from our landlord, Sunny Wong who believed in our vision. During the summer of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, we took over the entire second floor of Plaza 34. This period brought its own challenges, but thanks to our landlord's generosity with rent reductions, we were able to continue operations. Our incredible team of administrators and teachers successfully pivoted to online lessons which ensured that we maintained strong connections with our students and their families during this uncertain time. We are also deeply grateful for the bursaries that our landlord initiated to support students facing financial hardship during this time and the years following.

In the spring of 2023, the building was sold to Mancal Properties Inc. At our initial meeting with Mancal’s property management team, we outlined the challenges we would face if relocation became necessary. We emphasized the need for ample notice—ideally nine months to a year—if redevelopment plans moved forward. Despite numerous follow-ups over the next 18 months as recent as July, 2024, with us requesting updates and reiterating our need for sufficient notice, our concerns went unanswered. Right before the start of this school year, we were blindsided with just six months’ notice of eviction.

Having recently undergone renovations at our NW plaza in North Haven where we opened our second location last year, we knew that securing development permits alone would take at least four months. Finding a 5,000-square-foot space with ample parking, in a convenient location for our community, and ready for occupancy within this timeframe seemed a nearly impossible task. Thankfully, we found a new home that meets our needs and allows us to continue serving our community.

We are grateful to our new landlords, Opus Corporation, a locally owned Calgary company. Their support has been a bright light during this transitional time. As we embark on this new chapter, we remain profoundly thankful for our exceptional team. Their unwavering smiles, positivity, and dedication have been a source of strength and joy, even in challenging moments. We are equally grateful for our wonderful students and their families, whose enthusiasm inspires us daily. We look forward to continuing to nurture these relationships for many years to come.

With gratitude,

Carrie Kalmakoff & Robert Motchalov,
Executive Directors & Co-Owners of Chinook School of Music