Stories

Stories tagged: 1950s

Around fifty women gathered in front of a wooden building. Included in the crowd are young children, smiling mothers, and older women. They are dressed in simple but comfortable-looking clothes, with some women holding babies.

Making Home: The Role of Homemakers’ Clubs in Life on Reserve

Shayne Giles

Women like Emma Minde joined Homemakers’ Clubs to overcome isolation by doing work like sewing, canning, and charity drives together. Indian Affairs required its approval to start these clubs though, and used them to monitor members’ activities.

Edmonton Streetcar 33: The Highs and Lows of a Public Transit Vehicle

Adeline Panamaroff

Relying only on volunteer labour, the need to fabricate many of the mechanical and structural parts from scratch, as well as [funding grants from] which did not come on a constant schedule, this rebuild of Edmonton streetcar No.33 took over a decade to complete. 

When Polio Was in Edmonton

Kassandra Milette

It was late in October 1947 that the school year finally started. It is fair to say that a start…

The Dutch Immigrants’ Church

Harma-Mae Smit

If you drive through Edmonton neighbourhoods, you’ll see many churches with names that reflect the cultural background of the immigrants…

Teachable Moments

Bruce Cinnamon

Velva Hueston moved to Edmonton with her mother in the early 1920s, after her father died in the 1918 flu…

Imrie House: Home of Canada’s First Female Architectural Firm 

Josephine Boxwell

Imrie House is unassuming. It is an older home, modest in size, tucked away at the end of a treed…

Filipino Pioneers of Edmonton

Ida Beltran Lucila

The 1952 Immigration Act introduced a points system that brought about the entry of professionals to fill labour gaps in Canada.

The Last Best West: Hattie’s Place, Part 3

Dr. Russell Cobb

Disclaimer: Please note that this piece references anti-Black violence, brutality, and white supremacy. A reference to a specific act of…

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…

Bonnie Doon in the 1950s – Community Map

Bonnie Doon Community League

Explore how Bonnie Doon grew and developed from farm land to its current status as an urban, mature city neighbourhood….

Committed to Community: Hilwie Hamdon and The Muslim Ladies’ Association of Edmonton

Dr. Nadia Kurd

Edmontonian Hilwie Hamdon (née Taha Johma, 1905-1988) was a community leader and founding member of the historic Al Rashid Mosque, the…

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…