Edmonton History

By: Ryan Krawchuk Did you know that the City of Edmonton has had a monastery since 1925?

Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

By: Ryan Krawchuk What was life in Edmonton like during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918?

By: Ryan Krawchuk If you lived in Edmonton for any small part of your life, especially if you lived in the north end of the city, you have heard about the Transit hotel. If you are over the agent of 40, you might even have some interesting stories to go with it; remember the gerbil races of the 90s?

A colourful time in Edmonton's history sees elephants stampede through the City.

The Hotel Macdonald was designed by the infamous firm of Ross & Macdonald and later built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1915. Built as a railway hotel, this building was designed to impress, with seven-stories, copper dormers, high pitched irregular rooflines, finished with Indiana limestone, corbelled balconies, and many turrets and finials. Sparing no modern conveniences: electric elevators, dumbwaiters, modern heating and ventilation.

 Animals played a bigger role in the daily lives of Edmontonians 100 years ago.

Did you know there used to be a coal mine where the Rundle Park golf course is located?

The origins of Halloween can be traced to Ireland when the festival of Samhain began around 400 BC. People there believed that on the night of October 31, spirits, ghosts and fairies could cross the boundary between the physical and supernatural worlds. To prevent spirits from entering their homes, people left jack-o'-lanterns and gifts of food outside. When people had to go out, they disguised themselves as animals or monsters to fool the spirits.

Refrigeration to preserve food gained popularity in Edmonton in the late 1800s. Before that, people relied on salting, smoking or drying food. Leftovers from meals were often fed to the pigs because they could not be safely stored for the next day.

The Volunteer Fire Brigade was started in 1891 and volunteers were paid 30 cents an hour to fight fires. A year later, the town of Edmonton built Fire Hall No. 1. This 15 by 15-metre building stood where Canada Place is now, and also served as the first town hall, police station, and courthouse. It also housed the first mayor’s office.

The Edmonton Incline Railway filled a transportation need in 1908

 Crossing the North Saskatchewan River before bridges were built was often treacherous.

On November 9, 1908, the Edmonton Radial Railway Service began operations. This streetcar service was established to serve an Edmonton population of 18,500. The fleet of 4 streetcars travelled along 21 km of track, connecting the 4 main neighbourhoods and it cost 5 cents to ride.

The first Canadian mercy flight is an Edmonton story. In January of 1929, Wilfred Reid “Wop” May and Vic Horner flew 600,000 units of anti-toxin to an isolated community in northern Alberta. Dr. Malcolm Bow, the Deputy Minister of Health, had received a telegram from Dr. Hamman in Fort Vermilion stating that a man in Little Red River had a bad case of diphtheria and urgently requested a plane. The Deputy Minister called the Edmonton Flying Club to find an airplane that could make the trip.

 Mr. E. Taylor of the Hudson’s Bay Company imported the first bicycle into Edmonton on May 21, 1890. This was the first vehicle that was not horse-drawn. The first recorded traffic accident took place in Edmonton on April 27, 1893, when 2 horse-drawn wagons collided. This mishap was the beginning of traffic congestion.

In spite of Milton Wright’s prediction that humans would never fly, an Edmonton carpenter and inventor took to the air on September 7, 1909. The headline on the front page of the September 8th edition of Edmonton’s newspaper, The Evening Bulletin, reads "Edmonton Carpenter Flies Airship of his Own Invention." The subheadings read; "Keeps Aloft for Half Hour, Flying at Will Over Roofs of Houses," Manufactured Own Monoplane," and "Had Been at Work on Problem Three Years, Engine Made from Own Model."