Stories

Stories tagged: consumerism

Sam the Shoemaker: Cobbling Together Community

Harma-Mae Smit

It was the turbulent sixties. In the United States and Canada, teenage unrest was making headlines. Even in the small…

Early Market Gardens in Edmonton

Katherine Koller

Surrounded by rows of towering tomato, cucumber and pepper plants in a greenhouse near Edmonton, I marvelled at tapas from…

History of the Edmonton Branch of the Canadian Handicrafts Guild, 1911-1966

Brandi Goddard

Craftwork, as a hobby, has seen a resurgence of popularity recently. Knitting for example, has become a social act with…

Woodward’s & the $1.49 Day Tradition

Lawrence Herzog

As a kid, I remember the downtown Woodward’s store as a treasure trove of sights, sounds, and smells. It was the…

The Ice Age in Edmonton

Lawrence Herzog

There is a fascinating series of photos in the Hubert Hollingworth Collection at the City of Edmonton Archives which shows men…

Buy It, Use It, Trash It: Changing Consumption & Growing Environmentalism in YEG

Allie Quigley

My name is Allie Quigley. I am a fourth-year history honours student from the University of Alberta, working with the…

Reverend McDougall’s 1871 Mission House: Epicentre of Edmonton’s Early Jewish Business Community

Dylan Reade

The year 2021 will be the 150th anniversary of the construction of Reverend George McDougall’s 1871 Methodist Mission House.  This important…

The History of Filipino Businesses in Edmonton

Giselle General

“Anak, siksikan nating yung bagahe mo nitong mga produktong Pinoy na ma-eenjoy ng mga kamag-anak natin. Alam kong wala ito…

From Parking Lots to Palm Trees (And Back Again): A Look Back at Heritage Mall

Matthew Dutczak

Brenda Hall was just 18 years old when she stepped off the bus in the community of Kaskitayo on a…

Edmonton’s Merchant Prince: James Ramsey

Lawrence Herzog

Echoes of one of Edmonton’s earliest successful retail enterprises can be found in the new Kelly Ramsey Tower now being…

Modern Times: Christmas Shopping in Edmonton 100 Years Ago

Sally Scott

Christmas is rapidly approaching, and it’s not hard to catch the spirit of the holidays in Edmonton. Trees are lit…

“Be patient, some goods are scarce”: Edmonton’s Wartime Black Markets, 1939-1945

Robert Morrison

Today when people think of the black market, they picture the seedy underworld of society buying and selling firearms and…