Sam the Shoemaker: Cobbling Together Community
It was the turbulent sixties. In the United States and Canada, teenage unrest was making headlines. Even in the small…
Stories tagged: consumerism
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…
History of the Edmonton Branch of the Canadian Handicrafts Guild, 1911-1966
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
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
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
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
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
“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
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
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
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
Today when people think of the black market, they picture the seedy underworld of society buying and selling firearms and…