Launched in 2013, the Edmonton City as Museum Project (ECAMP) is an initiative of the Edmonton Heritage Council exploring the history of our city through story.
Main Frames, Strikes, and More…
Want to learn about what it was like to build one of Edmonton’s skyscrapers without a safety harness, or the time police shut down an ice cream stand that dared to open on a Sunday? Then you might enjoy the ECAMP stories ahead.
Explore the stories that connect us, the stories that divide us,
and the stories that nurture an appreciation of our differences as Edmontonians.
Featured Story
Waltzing With the Angels:
The Metis Ironworkers Who Built Edmonton’s Downtown
Alvin Finkel | November 5, 2024
“When you look at Edmonton you see all these high-rises and tall buildings. It’s good for them to know who was there from the start—and that was us.” – Tom Daniels
Who built our city’s landscape – and at what cost? In this new ECAMP story, we meet the Metis ironworkers who did some of the most dangerous jobs constructing downtown Edmonton’s skyscrapers in the 1960s and 1970s.
This article is the kick-off to our series exploring labour history in the city. It’s a harrowing look at the often-unseen work behind buildings like Edmonton’s CN Tower. Workers like Hugh Edgar and Tom Daniels talk about the falling deaths and lack of safety equipment common on construction sites at the time.
Looking for information on sharing images from our collection?
Check out our info page On Images and Copyright
Collections
Browse our curated collections
ECAMP Stories explore the People, Places, Things, & Moments significant to our city from the perspectives of Edmontonians.
Delve into these curated story collections to discover more about the history of this place.
Special Exhibitions
Explore our curated exhibitions
Explore our three exhibits including Edmonton Living Rooms, Armistice, and Black Presence in Alberta. These exhibitions highlight significant people, places, things, and moments in our city’s history from unique perspectives.
Discover more about Edmonton through these rich, immersive exhibits.
Podcast
Listen to our ECAMP Podcast
Episodes of our past seasons are archived online. Stay tuned for our new season wherever you get your podcasts by subscribing!
Check out our upcoming in-person and online events
that bring our vibrant history and culture to life!
YEG Trivia Night at Bent Stick Brewing Co.
November 19, 2024, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Put your Edmonton knowledge to the test! The Edmonton City as Museum Project (ECAMP) presents an evening of local history trivia at Bent Stick Brewing.
Discover the secrets, scandals, and surprising stories hiding in plain sight around our city. Shock your friends with random Edmonton facts for months to come.
Quizmasters: Chris Chang-Yen Phillips from ECAMP and local rogue Kristy Harcourt
Team Size: Up to 4 people per team
Cost: $5 per player
Prizes: Fabulous Edmonton-themed prizes to be won!
GLAD YOU CLOSER HOME /
NEW WHITE WHISKER MARY
September 20 – December 7, 2024
Mary Imrie (1918 – 1988) and Jean Wallbridge (1912 – 1979) operated their architecture firm—the first run by women in Canada—at Six Acres, the home they built for their work and life together overlooking the North Saskatchewan River in west Edmonton.
When Mary Imrie passed away, she bequeathed the records of their remarkable architectural practice and adventurous life, along with their home, to the province of Alberta.
With a title borrowed from a telegram in the collection, GLAD YOU CLOSER HOME / NEW WHITE WHISKER MARY is Cait McKinney and Hazel Meyer’s immersive exhibition that playfully imagines and speculates in the spaces between the correspondence, amateur super-8 recordings, and modernist buildings that Imrie and Wallbridge left behind.
*Artist Talk & Opening Reception, Thursday, September 19