Edmonton History

10230 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta By: Ryan Krawchuk  This icon in the heart of downtown has been there for as long as I can remember. I can remember going there with my mother to buy my school clothes and supplies. The Hudson’s Bay Company Department Store is a three-story stone and granite building occupying an entire city block on the corner of Jasper Avenue and 102 Street NW. It holds a special significance to Edmonton because of its connection with the Hudson’s Bay Company (H.B.C.), without whom Edmonton would not have existed.

The High Level Bridge By: Ryan Krawchuk Possibly the most iconic landmark in Edmonton, the High Level Bridge was constructed to link the communities of Edmonton and Strathcona spawning the merger into the City of Edmonton in 1912. Its massive length (772.24 metres) covers 28 total spans, on a combination of concrete and steel piers, standing 47.55 metres above the North Saskatchewan River. Planning began in 1903, with the federal government requiring that the bridge was at least 150 feet above the waters of the North Saskatchewan River. Construction began in 1910, employing over 500 men, as part of the four great steel truss bridges constructed by the Canadian Pacific Railway in Western Canada before World War One.