History

A GLANCE INTO THE PAST

• Edmonton began as a fur trading post built by the North West Company (NWC). The same year the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) established a competing post nearby – a walled fort on the banks of the North Saskatchewan river
• The name “Edmonton” was used to honour the home of HBC governor James Winter Lake who was from Edmonton, England
• In 1892, Edmonton was incorporated as a town with a population of 700
• Klondike Gold Rush, 1897 – thousands of eager prospectors stopped in Edmonton for supplies on their way to the Yukon via the “All Canadian Route.” The city absorbed many prospectors who made Edmonton their permanent home, boosting the local population six-fold
• In 1904, Edmonton was incorporated as a city with a population of 8,350
• In 1913, the Alberta Legislature Building opens
• In 1916, Emily Murphy was appointed the first woman police magistrate in the British Empire. Later on, in 1929, Emily Murphy (the first woman police magistrate in the British Empire) and 4 other women were victorious in having Canadian women declared “persons” under the law
• To commemorate Alberta’s 75th anniversary, the Great Divide Waterfall on the High Level Bridge was created in 1980. This man-made waterfall is 7.3 metres (24 feet) higher than Niagara Falls

MAJOR STOPS

You’ll want to spend a half day or more at these significant sites, where interpreters take you on a journey back in time.

Alberta Legislature Building: Alberta’s architectural treasure, this beautiful building was completed in 1912 on the site of one of the original Fort Edmonton’s. The Legislative Assembly Interpretive Centre highlights the building’s history and the political process. Daily guided tours.

Learn more about the Alberta Legislature Building through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.

Telephone: 780.427.7362
Website: www.assembly.ab.ca

Fort Edmonton Park: Join the costumed historical interpreters and live life as it was at the 1846 Hudson’s Bay fur trade fort and on the streets of 1885, 1905, and 1920. Take a ride on the 1919 steam train or on the streetcar. There are lots of hands-on activities – the adventure changes daily.

- Fort Edmonton Park is Canada’s largest living history park, tracing the growth and development of Edmonton through four historical periods represented by The Fort, 1885 Street, 1905 Street and 1920 Street;
-Fort Edmonton Park is a living history site encompassing 158 acres and displaying over 75 original and reconstructed historical buildings;
- Edmonton’s fur trading days are depicted at the Fort and at the native camp, circa 1840. The Fort recreated here represents the Fort Edmonton of 1846. This centre of frontier commerce originally stood on the riverbank just below where the Alberta Legislative Building now stands;
- In 1870, the Hudson’s Bay Company sold its land to the Canadian government. As the government encouraged the development of agriculture, farming soon displaced the fur trade. A settlement of businesses developed to support early homesteaders;
- With the arrival of the railways, Edmonton entered its first boom years. Between 1900 and 1914, its population soared from 2,000 to 72,000. During this time, it became the capital city of the brand-new province of Alberta;
- Edmonton’s economy was virtually put on hold between the First and Second Wars. Businesses struggled to survive, and some disappeared altogether. Others, such as the Ukrainian Bookstore, J.B. Little’s Brickyard, and Bill’s Confectionery remained operational. The Ukrainian Bookstore and the Al Rashid Mosque, the first mosque in North America, illustrate Edmonton’s cultural diversity;
- If you are looking to have a memorable experience in Edmonton, the historic Hotel Selkirk is located in the centre of historical Fort Edmonton Park. The historic Canadian hotel will take you back in time, with 30 guest rooms, all handsomely restored and tastefully furnished in original and reproduced antiques. The elegant 1920's restaurant Johnson's Café is located in Hotel Selkirk, and the Mahogany Room, once known as Canada's longest bar, has been architecturally designed with an enriched mahogany décor to replicate the original setting, offering an exclusive list of fine wines, liquors, scotch and beers. At the turn of the century, Hotel Selkirk was the Edmonton hotel to see and be seen in, catering to an A-list clientele that included prominent musicians, actors, politicians, and authors, until it was destroyed by fire in 1962. Today, the newly built Hotel Selkirk, Canada, is open to the public during the months of May through September, and is available throughout the year for private functions.

Learn more about Fort Edmonton Park through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.

Telephone: 780.442.5311 (General information); 780.496.8771 (Media inquiries only)
Website: www.fortedmontonpark.ca

Royal Alberta Museum: It’s among Canada’s top five most visited museums. Behind the scenes, 13 curatorial programs are responsible for building and making accessible some of the finest cultural and natural history collections in the country. Enjoy the Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture, examine minerals, gems and rocks in the Natural History Gallery, meet unusual insects from around the world in The Bug Room or explore Wild Alberta and learn about animals and fossils. Special feature exhibitions often include art and photography.

Learn more about the Royal Alberta Museum through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.

Telephone: 780.453.9100
Website: www.royalalbertamuseum.ca

Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village: Catch a glimpse of what life was like for Ukrainian immigrants between 1892 and the 1930s at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. Just 25 minutes east of Edmonton along Highway 16, the village was established in 1971. Costumed role-players re-create the lives of pioneers and bring history alive on a site that includes more than 30 restored heritage buildings including three churches of Eastern Byzantine Rite, a fully-functioning grain elevator, blacksmith shop and burdei (sod hut). Have some fun and interact with the costumed interpreters, they’re “real” characters!

Telephone: 780.662.3640
Website: www.ukrainianvillage.ca

HISTORY SPEAKS

Step into a place that speaks of another era.

Alberta Aviation Museum: Journey through the culture of flight, from the days of wood and fabric to the Jet Age of today. There are 30 aircraft on display, over 40 display cabinets and exhibits to explore, a flight simulator to try and you can even experience what it was like to be in a cockpit of a Cold War fighter jet.

Telephone: 780.451.1175
Website: www.albertaaviationmuseum.com

Alberta Railway Museum: Ride the rails at this unique, industrial, iron horse venue located on the Northeast edge of Edmonton. This Collection focuses on railway equipment from the Canadian National Railway and Northern Alberta Railways. Displays include steam and diesel locomotive technology, passenger, work and freight cars, and various pieces of machinery and buildings. Over 60 pieces of rolling stock are available for inspection. Train rides and a special display and interpretation of Morse Telegraphy are offered on long weekends depending on availability of volunteers. Track motor car (speeder) rides are available. The tour takes about 90 minutes. Or, enjoy a self-guided tour with museum notes and a map.

Telephone: 780.472.6229
Website: www.railwaymuseum.ab.ca

Edmonton Public Schools Archives and Museum: Explore this interesting chapter of our city’s school history, located along Edmonton’s spectacular river valley.

Telephone: 780.422.1970
Website: http://archives.epsb.net

High Level Bridge Streetcar: Service over the High Level Bridge began in 1913. From the heart of Old Strathcona to downtown and back, across the top of the High Level Bridge - 46 metres (152 feet) above the North Saskatchewan River, the highest river crossing by streetcar in the world - the Edmonton Radial Railway Society takes passengers on a trip back in time. As the streetcar edges onto the top deck of the bridge there is a collective holding of breath. The view, unobstructed in every direction, is truly breathtaking.

Telephone: 780.437.7721
Website: www.edmonton-radial-railway.ab.ca

John Walter Museum: Three houses on the bank of the North Saskatchewan River depict stages in the life of John Walter, who came in 1870 to build York boats for the Hudson’s Bay Company and became one of Edmonton’s early millionaires. Free old-fashioned fun every Sunday, noon to 5pm.

Telephone: 780.442.5311 (General information); 780.496.8771 (Media inquiries only)
Website: www.edmonton.ca/johnwalter

Old Strathcona: Look for plaques identifying landmark buildings from South Edmonton’s 1891 beginnings, including the CP Rail Station (now Iron Horse Eatery and Watering Hole), Strathcona Hotel, Fire Hall (now Walterdale Theatre) and Ritchie Mill.

- Strathcona was incorporated as a town in 1899 and named after Lord Strathcona, a pioneer fur trader and clerk whose real name was Donald A. Smith. Born in Scotland in 1820, he become Hudson's Bay Governor, Member of Parliament, railway financier and Canadian High Commissioner. When he was elevated to the peerage by Queen Victoria in 1897 he chose the title Strathcona, Gaelic for broad valley and the river Coe that ran through his Scottish property;
- To celebrate Edmonton's centennial, over 40 signal and electrical boxes were painted with murals in all styles, using the artist's choice of materials. The theme is "Celebrating Old Strathcona," and the murals can be found in the Old Strathcona Heritage Area on the south side of the North Saskatchewan River. Sponsoring artists and benefactors will receive long term recognition through engraved plates on the art piece;
- Tucked in the residential heart of Old Strathcona, along the former railway line, the C & E (Calgary and Edmonton) Railway Station Museum offers a glimpse into the past of Edmonton’s very first railway station;
- From downtown near the Alberta Legislature, visitors can ride a refurbished 1921 streetcar across the North Saskatchewan River to Old Strathcona.

Telephone: 780.437.4182
Website: www.oldstrathcona.ca

Reynolds-Alberta Museum: The Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin interprets the impact of technological change in transportation, aviation, agriculture and industry from the 1890s to the present. Visitors will see a wide variety of vintage automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, trucks, stationary engines, tractors, agricultural implements, aircraft and industrial equipment.

Telephone: 780.361.1351
Website: www.machinemuseum.net

Rutherford House: Rutherford House was built in 1911 for Alexander Cameron Rutherford – Alberta's first premier – his wife Mattie and their children. Located on the University of Alberta campus, this family home entertained friends, relatives and influential Edmontonians for more than a generation. Today, this restored and furnished post Edwardian style home maintains the Rutherford tradition of hospitality and offers visitors a glimpse into the past with costumed historical interpreters, guided tours and special events. Within this house is a cozy lunch and afternoon tea haven called the Arbour Restaurant. The intimate and historical atmosphere is perfect for enjoying afternoon tea.

Telephone: 780.427.3995
Website: http://culture.alberta.ca/museums/historicsiteslisting/rutherfordhouse/default.aspx


FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Kelly Bertoncini
Travel Media Relations Manager, External Relations
780.969.0481
kbertoncini@edmonton.com

Bin Lau
Director of Communications, External Relations
780.969.0463
blau@edmonton.com

Jenifer Christenson
Executive Director, External Relations
780.917.7890
jchristenson@edmonton.com