Edmonton History

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.