Leilani Muir and Eugenics in Alberta
NOTE: this article contains historical but outdated and offensive language related to mental illness and neurodiversity. Leilani Muir was born…
Featured Collection
The History Behind the Name
Place names are anchors to history that reflect the values & aspirations of the society who bestowed those names. But, sometimes, place names become separated from the history of their namesakes. In this collection, discover the histories behind some of Edmonton’s provocative and problematic place names.
Place Renaming in Edmonton: A Constant in the City’s History
Renaming places in Edmonton has become a major point of public discussion with several renamings occurring, or being proposed, since…
Early Market Gardens in Edmonton
Surrounded by rows of towering tomato, cucumber and pepper plants in a greenhouse near Edmonton, I marvelled at tapas from…
Gifting Indigenous Ward Names
On December 7, 2020, following over a year of planning and work by the Edmonton Boundaries Commission, Edmonton City Council…
Committed to Community: Hilwie Hamdon and The Muslim Ladies’ Association of Edmonton
Edmontonian Hilwie Hamdon (née Taha Johma, 1905-1988) was a community leader and founding member of the historic Al Rashid Mosque, the…
The “Grand Lady of the Métis:” Dr. Anne Anderson’s mission to preserve the Cree language
When Dr. Anne Anderson was born on a river lot farm east of St. Albert in 1906, she was so…
Rev. Robert Rundle: The Missionary and his Cat
The history of missionaries as they relate to the development of post-contact Canada is long, complicated, and often very emotional,…
The Other Side of Emily Murphy
Shortly after entering Emily Murphy Park, which sits on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River between Groat Bridge and…
Mayor William Hawrelak: Resigned, Removed & Re-elected
At the centre of Edmonton’s river valley system sits William Hawrelak Park, an “emerald oasis” that plays host to ice…
Nellie Carlson and the Indian Rights for Indian Women movement
Disclaimer: Due to the importance around the legal designation of Indian status, this article sometimes uses the term “Indian” to…
Edmonton’s Merchant Prince: James Ramsey
Echoes of one of Edmonton’s earliest successful retail enterprises can be found in the new Kelly Ramsey Tower now being…
Richard Henry Secord and Métis Scrip Speculation
When history is told, it largely reflects events, understandings and individuals who best serve the desires of the recorder. In…
The History of the Latta Bridge
As you approach the bridge from the east, on the south side you will catch a glimpse of a tall…
Kisiskāciwani-sīpiy – Swift Flowing River
Rising out of the Rocky Mountain glaciers, flowing ever eastward toward Hudson Bay, the North Saskatchewan River has meandered across…
The Edmonscona Plan
Edmonton is a city covered in names. From Capilano to Calder, from Delton to Duggan, from Ermineskin to Elsinore, our…
Betty Stanhope-Cole and the mystery of the missing plaque
Just east of the Capilano Bridge, there is a small park overlooking the Highlands Golf Club. It has a view…
Frank Oliver and Infantile Edmonton
Traversing across the North Saskatchewan River on the Groat Road Bridge and climbing the Valley Road has little significance other…
Alex Decoteau’s Inspiring Run at Life
Decoteau was born on November 19, 1887 on the Red Pheasant Reserve just south of Battleford in present day Saskatchewan….
Donnan Family and Queen Alexandra Dairy 1911- 1932
John Donnan was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1892 and immigrated to Canada in March 1902 as a young…