Whyte Avenue

For contemporary Edmontonians, Whyte Avenue most likely calls to mind bars, restaurants, and boutique shops, venues which populate much of the avenue. And yet, Edmonton’s artsiest avenue is named for a man who spent his life working on the railroad.

I sometimes enjoy taking a walk down Whyte Avenue, and in doing so have observed a mix of chain stores and local businesses.  For example, a Shoppers Drug Mart is located on the corner of Whyte Ave and 109 Street but a family owned café, Block 1912, does business on 103 Street. On their website, the owners of Block 1912 reveal that their unique business takes its name from the history of the building it occupies: the Hulbert Block Building, now home to Block 1912, was constructed in 1912.

Book shoppers encounter a varied selection as well: a large Chapters dominates the corner of Whyte Ave and 105 Street, but the second hand Wee Book Inn resides a couple blocks further east near 103 Street, and the Bookseller – located on Whyte Ave and 95^th Street –specializes in used rare and out-of-print books.

Whyte Ave also hosts a couple of Edmonton’s festivals. Much of the entertainment that makes up the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre festival takes place on or near Whyte Ave. In the winter, the Ice on Whyte festival, featuring ice sculptures crafted by artists, occurs just off Whyte Ave at Gateway Boulevard and Tommy Banks Way.

Whyte Avenue runs through an older part of Edmonton, namely the Old Strathcona district. By virtue of this location, Whyte Ave is home to some historic buildings, such as the previously mentioned Hulbert Block building now used by Block 1912. Observant visitors to Chianti Café and Restaurant may have figured out the original use of the historic building the restaurant occupies.

According to the website HistoricPlaces.ca, the building’s construction took place from 1911 to 1913. Once built, it functioned as a post office and public building, making it an important part of the life of the community.

But why is Whyte Avenue, a place filled with new and older buildings that hold all kinds of shopping, eating, and entertainment opportunities, named after a prominent CPR man? The answer that the book Naming Edmonton from Ada to Zoie provides is that the CPR’s Calgary to Edmonton railway ended in the Strathcona district, and the CPR named Strathcona’s roads. It seems they chose to name one particular road in Strathcona, 82 Ave, after one of their loyal employees. Sir William Whyte enjoyed a long career with the CPR; he lived from 1843-1914 and worked several ground level railway positions before rising through the ranks, eventually becoming vice-president of the CPR’s western division, which is located in Winnipeg. People have been calling the street Whyte Ave since 1891 but the name was not official until 1961.

In addition to its offerings of history, food, and shopping, Whyte Ave has a connection to the railroad. It’s a great destination for those seeking a good time. The variety of buildings, businesses, and activities that occur there are sure to provide something interesting to almost anyone.

William Hawrelak Park

Hawrelak Park is one of my favourite parks in the city. Although I am most likely to go to Hawrelak Park to enjoy some of the numerous events and festivals it holds, every time I visit the park I am struck by its beauty, spaciousness, and peacefulness, and I am reminded that it is a place worth visiting for its own sake at any time during the year.

Located just south of the river on Groat Road, Hawrelak Park has many attractions. The park’s wide-open grassy spaces offer people the freedom to kick around a soccer ball, play Frisbee, enjoy a picnic, or lie on the grass and watch the clouds roll by. People can also walk, run, bike, or ski on the park’s multi-use trails or play in the playground.

Hawrelak Park’s pond remains open for use year-round. In the summer, the honks of Canada geese and the splashing and laughing of paddle-boaters rise up from the rippling water. In the winter, people glide and twirl across the iced-over surface of the pond on their skates. According to Dennis Person and Carin Routledge in their book Edmonton: Portrait of a City, people can go boating and fishing on the lake. This may have been true at one time, but currently the City of Edmonton’s website states that people are not permitted to fish, or use boats on the lake, with the exception of using the park’s paddle-bloats.

In addition to being a great place for unstructured enjoyment, Hawrelak Park is a suitable venue for festivals and events. For most of the month of July, the park’s Heritage Amphitheatre – the largest of its kind in western Canada, according to the City of Edmonton website – hosts the Freewill Shakespeare Company. The company’s superb renditions of Shakespearean tragedies and comedies are enhanced by the fresh air and surrounding greenery. I know some people who have watched a performance of a tragedy during a stormy evening and loved the way their surroundings contributed to the mood of the play.

On the August long weekend, Hawrelak Park fills with people who come to enjoy Heritage Days. The park bustles with people sampling food from various cultures, watching performances, or browsing through tents filled with souvenirs.

Hawrelak Park also hosts Pets in the Park, the Edmonton International Blues Festival, and Symphony Under the Sky. During the winter, for a week in mid-February, Hawrelak Park is home to the Silver Skate Festival. Attendees of the festival can watch skating races and other live performances or take a look at the Fire and Ice Sculptures.

Prior to becoming a scenic park, the area we now call Hawrelak Park was a gravel pit. The transformation from pit to park took six years, according to Person and Routledge, but it seems the effort was well worth it. In fact, the park was formally recognized for its quality when it was given the Vincent Massey Award for excellence in Canadian urban park design in 1971. When it opened in 1967 the park was named Mayfair Park but it was later named after Edmonton Mayor William Hawrelak, who was instrumental in having the park built next to the already-existing Golf Course. According to the City of Edmonton publication Naming Edmonton: from Ada to Zoie, Hawrelak was mayor of Edmonton from 1951-1959, from 1963-1965 and from 1974 until he died of a heart attack in the next year.

The one-time gravel pit is now a desirable destination for picnicking, skating, and festival-going. Whether you come to enjoy a festival, or just to enjoy a beautiful Edmonton day, Hawrelak Park is a wonderful place to visit.

Churchill Square

Located in Edmonton’s core, Churchill square is a diverse centre: surrounded by government and arts buildings, the square itself holds possibilities for play even as it bears monuments commemorating more sombre occasions.

Those passing by Churchill Square are as likely to be pursuing entertainment as business. Many downtown offices are close by and official city business occurs at one end of the Square in Edmonton’s City Hall building. But the Edmonton Art Gallery, The Winspear Centre, The Citadel Theatre, the Public Library, and the City Centre Mall all border Churchill Square as well.

Although it is surrounded by interesting places, Churchill Square is worth visiting on its own merits. Some of my first and favourite memories of Churchill square involve the thrilling ice-cold pool located just outside the City Hall building. My siblings and I loved to spend hot summer afternoons wading in the pool and gasping under the pellets of water cascading from the fountain jets.

In the warm summer months, Churchill Square can become quite lively as people go to enjoy the pool, or just to sit in the square on one of the many benches and chairs provided. Although it is impossible to forget you are downtown, there is some green space in the square, as well as an atmosphere of fun. Some of Edmonton’s numerous summer festivals take up residence in the square, including The Street Performers Festival and Taste of Edmonton.

Churchill Square is somewhat quieter during the winter: the water fountains are stilled, and visitors tend to hurry through with their heads down and their scarves wrapped tightly against the winter wind. However, the clock tour chimes throughout the year, and the pool remains in use as a skating rink. Those who don’t last long outside in the cold can enjoy Churchill Square by paying a visit to the Three Bananas Café, which sits at one end of the square.

Churchill Square offers opportunities for fun, but it also serves as a reminder of serious historical events. There is a war memorial in front of the fountain and a statue of Sir Winston Churchill, Britain’s Prime Minister during the Second World War and the man for whom the square is named. According to the City of Edmonton’s “Churchill Square Self-Guided Tour” document, Churchill’s daughter, Lady Mary Soames, was present to unveil the statue of her father at a ceremony on May 24, 1989.

Churchill Square as we see it today is the product of renovations that occurred at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Renovations were completed on October 8, 2004, during Edmonton’s 100^th birthday year.

Changes to the area encompassing Churchill Square were also occurring at the time of Canada’s centennial, according to Dennis Person and Carin Routledge’s Edmonton Portrait of a City. Edmonton’s Mayor and City Council hoped to bring new life to Edmonton’s downtown, and work was done in the 1960s to renovate the area around City Hall. Person and Routledge do not pinpoint a date for the creation of Churchill Square but they do mention the “new Sir Winston Churchill Square” in their description of a June 20, 1967 photograph of the area around City Hall. At the time, the public library was also brand new.

If Churchill Square was part of plans to add life to Edmonton’s downtown, it seems that these plans have succeeded. An attractive spot in its own right as well as an anchor point for several other noteworthy institutions located around it, Churchill Square is a key element to a lively downtown.

Fringe Theatre Adventures and the Arts Barns

If you think of art as an elitist, high culture phenomenon, you are probably not thinking of Fringe Theatre Adventures, or its home, the Arts Barns. After all, there isn’t anything elitist about a theatre company committed to supporting up and coming artists and their work, and there isn’t anything high culture about operating out of a renovated public transit garage.

As its name suggests, Fringe Theatre Adventures is the group that brings Edmonton its International Fringe Theatre Festival every August. The Fringe, as it is commonly called, is a great venue for artists who are starting out or who like to produce more unconventional pieces of theatre. In fact, the Fringe Theatre Adventures website includes their stated commitment to “the creation of theatre that challenges and celebrates the cultural fabric of our communities, and provides a home for developing new and emerging artists, audiences and forums.” Fringe Theatre Adventures supports theatre not only through the Fringe festival but also by hosting theatre performances all year in its venue, the Arts Barns.

As my earlier post on the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market explains, Fringe Theatre Adventures and the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market share a building that used to house Edmonton Transit buses. Fringe Theatre Adventures moved to the old bus garage in 1995 and renamed it the Arts Barns. In 2002, the group decided they needed to make significant renovations to the building, but they left some of the building unchanged in an effort to preserve some of its heritage.

The Arts Barns includes a few different venues. Its biggest space is the Westbury theatre, which can fit up to 370 people and can be arranged in multiple ways depending on the needs of the users. I have been to the Westbury theatre for a variety of events including Fringe shows, other theatre performances, music concerts, and a silent auction event. The next biggest room in the Arts Barns, the PCL theatre, is a black-box style space that can be used for performances, receptions, workshops or other events. The Arts Barns also holds two studios, a boardroom, a lobby, and workshop and costume rooms.

After its renovation, the building was named the Transalta Arts Barns in recognition of the support the Transalta Corporation provided to Fringe Theatre Adventures. On April 1, 2013, Fringe Theatre Adventures received a new title sponsor in ATB Financial.

The old bus garage once supported the Edmonton Transit system in its efforts to transport us around the city; it now supports Fringe Theatre Adventures in their efforts to take us on all kinds of theatrical journeys!

Jasper Avenue

When I think of Jasper Avenue, I think of a busy street filled with nothing more interesting than office towers and traffic jams.

But when I decided to intentionally explore Jasper Ave, I discovered that historic buildings and great views of the river valley add life and character to one of Edmonton’s oldest and busiest roads.

As the book Naming Edmonton: from Ada to Zoie reveals, Jasper Avenue has a long history as a busy street. Named for Jasper Hawes, a manager of a Northwest Company trading post in the 1800s, Jasper Ave was soon home to many businesses. By 1899, important institutions such as the Alberta Hotel, the Sherriff’s office, the Bulletin Block, the CPR Land Office, the Ross Brother’s Hardware Store, and Lauder’s Bakery had all taken up residence on Jasper Avenue. The large number of businesses caused traffic problems in the early twentieth century. In 1907, the city created a bylaw that stated motor vehicles and horse-drawn buggies had to stay to the right of the road while travelling. In addition, an official had to direct traffic at 101^st street. In 1933, the Jasper Avenue/101^st street intersection had the distinction of receiving Edmonton’s first traffic light. Needless to say, traffic control is still considered necessary at this busy intersection.

Although Jasper Ave continues to support many businesses, it lost its role as the city’s main shopping district in the latter part of the twentieth century, according to the City of Edmonton’s webpage titled “Jasper Avenue New Vision.” However, there has been a returning interest in building commercial, retail, and residential spaces on Jasper Avenue. The City of Edmonton is pleased with this renewed interest in Jasper Ave, and has plans to increasingly revitalize the avenue, and the downtown core more generally, by making Jasper Avenue a destination for retail and cultural activities.

Newer businesses and buildings have taken the place of older ones on Jasper Ave; however, some historic buildings remain.

The Fairmont Hotel MacDonald, which opened in 1915, still sits on Jasper Ave, as does the Edmonton General Hospital, Edmonton’s first hospital, which the Sisters of Charity, or Grey Nuns, opened in 1895.

Jasper Ave has been, and continues to be, a bustling street, but part the Avenue offers a more peaceful perspective of the city: the eastern stretch of Jasper Avenue offers some great views of the river valley, uninterrupted by skyscrapers.

Rich and diverse in its character, Jasper Avenue remains an important and interesting space in Edmonton’s core, and its story will continue to unfold.

Fort Road

The road I’m about to share with you is old enough that its name reflects a time when Edmonton was still Fort Edmonton. Fort Road is an appropriate name because the road served as a lifeline between Fort Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan, two bustling locations whose inhabitants often travelled from one Fort to the other. But Fort Road also served those taking much longer, more adventurous travels: in the 1880s, Fort Road came into existence as a section of trail used by fur traders travelling west from Winnipeg (or, as it was known at the time, Fort Garry).

Although it no longer extends all the way to Fort Saskatchewan, Fort Road continues to serve Edmonton today. Beginning at 137 Ave where Manning Drive ends, and winding its way to 118^th Ave, where it becomes 80^th street, it provides a route from northeast Edmonton towards its centre (or a route to the northeast from a more central area).

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Fort+Road+Edmonton&hl=en&ll=53.58364,-113.446712&spn=0.059208,0.158443&sll=53.569651,-113.402596&sspn=0.014807,0.039611&hnear=Fort+Rd+NW,+Edmonton,+Alberta&t=m&z=13

Fort Road may be a primary transportation route but it has not always been well-maintained. According to the book Naming Edmonton: From Ada to Zoie, Fort Road began as a dirt trail, detouring around swamps and other impassable tracts of land. However, in 1926, gravel was laid on the road, and in 1930 it was paved.

More recently, the city has worked to maintain and improve Fort Road. Between May 2011 and October 2012 the section between Manning Drive and 131 Ave was widened so that there are now three lanes of traffic in each direction instead of two. Construction also involved improving or replacing existing features: parts of the road were repaved, new traffic lights were installed where Fort Road intersects with 132 Ave and 134 Ave, and decorative street lights were added.

It may be easy for those hurrying along the busy multi-lane Fort Road to forget that they are travelling a road with a long history but, as its name suggests, Fort Road has been an important route for well over a century.

The High Level Bridge

When I was a child, crossing the High Level Bridge was an exciting event – coursing across the narrow strip of pavement suspended high above the river provided me with a unique thrill, and I was always disappointed to learn that we could not cross the bridge on our return trip.

My juvenile delight aside, the High Level Bridge truly merits excitement. Built between 1910 and 1913, the bridge was an ambitious engineering project resulting in a structure that could simultaneously transport trains, streetcars, automobiles, and pedestrians across the North Saskatchewan River.

Today, motor vehicle access on the High Level Bridge is restricted to southbound vehicles. A bike lane runs beside the motor vehicle lanes, allowing bikers and pedestrians crossing the river to enjoy a great view of the river valley, the Legislature building, and some of the University buildings.

During the summer months, the Edmonton Railway Society runs a streetcar whose route takes passengers across the bridge on its railway tracks, which lie above the motor vehicle lanes. Those wishing to experience a streetcar ride can find more information on the city of Edmonton’s website at http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/service-high-level-bridge-streetcar.aspx

A celebrated Edmonton bridge, the High Level Bridge appears in some of Edmonton’s celebratory events. It forms a backdrop to the Canada Day fireworks as they shoot into the sky from the river valley. It has also been the centre of attention during holidays in the summer by becoming the site of a waterfall. According to the book Naming Edmonton: From Ada to Zoie, the waterfall was created by Edmontonian Peter Lewis in 1980 to celebrate Alberta’s 75^th anniversary. Now, in the bridge’s centennial year, there are plans to resurrect the waterfall and add decorative lights to the bridge. A recent Edmonton Journal article, titled “Edmonton Eyes Re-opening taps on Great Divide Waterfall”, reports that the waterfall, which was discontinued in 2009 due to environmental factors, may be ready to run this summer, and that decorative LED lights may be put on the bridge in the fall.

Both a site of celebration and a means for everyday travel, the High Level Bridge can inspire excitement in those who come across it.

Audrey’s Books

I love bookstores in general, but I have a particular affection for Audrey’s Books, an independent Edmonton book store. Whether I’m just browsing or looking for something specific, I enjoy spending time in Audrey’s and am confident that I will receive friendly and competent service from the staff there.

Audrey’s is a local treasure not only because it is a unique independent store rather than a chain but also because it makes a priority of showcasing local writing. Audrey’s objective, as stated on its website is “To support Canadian writers by offering an excellent book selection and by providing a suitable environment for the local literary experience, while ensuring the existence of a professional practical alternative to national retailers.”  The store fulfills its objective by selling local books and by holding literary events that put writers in touch with each other and with their audiences.

Commitment to local writing is an integral part of Audrey’s history as well as a cornerstone of its current operations. Incorporated in 1975, Audrey’s, in the words on its website, “traces its roots to Mel Hurtig’s first bookstore opened in 1956.” Hurtig’s first bookstore, according to The Canadian Encyclopedia, was a source of support for Edmonton’s literary circle, but Hurtig Books expanded beyond Edmonton, becoming a prominent national bookstore chain. In 1972 Hurtig gave up all of his shops but continued to influence Canada’s literary culture by publishing works by Canadians.

Audrey’s Books sits on the corner of Jasper Ave and 107 Street, occupying the basement and first floor an old brick building. I’d never paid much attention to the building before – perhaps because I was too excited by what was on the inside of the building to notice its exterior – but when I went to take photos, I realized that the building itself must be special too.

My curiosity piqued, I did a quick internet search to learn about the history of the building. After learning from Audrey’s website that the name of the building it occupies is the MacLean building, I uncovered its history in Lawrence Herzog’s article “The Block Dr. MacLean Built.” The “Dr. MacLean” of Herzog’s title had the building constructed in 1909. His intentions for the block were to put stores on the first floor, offices on the second, and apartments on the third. The building was indeed used for these purposes: the Imperial Bank of Canada used its first floor for what was then its west branch from the time the block opened until 1959. The upper floors were used as rental units until late 1977. At this time the units were renovated and afterwards used as office space.  They are still used as office space today.

In a nutshell, Audrey’s is an independent bookstore committed to local writing and located in a historic building – what more could a book lover ask for?

The Transit Hotel

On the corner of a busy intersection in one of Northeast Edmonton’s business areas sits a hotel that, judging by the appearance of the building, seems to be at least 100 years old. In this case, appearances are not misleading.

I knew that the Transit Hotel had been in business for a remarkably long time, but in order to get the details I read the Edmonton Journal’s Sept 11, 2008 article commemorating the 100^th anniversary of the Transit Hotel, and Lawrence Herzog’s article in the February 5, 2004 Real Estate Weekly.

The Transit Hotel, which graces the corner of Fort Road and 66^th Street, opened on September 11, 1908 and has been open ever since. At the time of its opening its location was ideal for business: Fort Trail, as it was called at the time, was a popular route used by those traveling between Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan. The hotel offered these travelers a final opportunity to have a beer before the journey from Edmonton to Fort Saskatchewan, or the first opportunity for a drink after arriving in Edmonton. Nearby meat-packing plants and the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway provided the Transit Hotel with additional customers.

Referring to the September 14, 1908 edition of the Edmonton Bulletin, Herzog and the Journal note that the Transit Hotel was furnished with all the latest technologies at its opening. These “new-fangled” features included bathrooms, hot and cold water, electricity, and a telephone system. Although not ready for the opening, there was also going to be a barbershop in the basement of the hotel.

Most of the building’s original interior and exterior are gone, but efforts have been made to maintain the original look of the front of the hotel. As the hotel building has changed, so has the area around it: the meat-packing plants have closed and Fort Road has altered from a dirt trail to a multi-lane stretch of pavement.

These alterations may make the Transit Hotel look something like an anachronism but don’t be fooled. This hotel has more than a long history; it also continues to keep its doors open to customers.

If you’re looking for more information on The Transit Hotel (or anything else I’ve posted on this blog), I have fuller bibliographic details for my references on my “Resources” page.

Walterdale Playhouse

I have recently fallen in love with the old brick building that Walterdale Playhouse calls home. As a new member of Walterdale and a performer in its current production of “Summer and Smoke” I have spent a significant amount of time in the building over the last couple of months and have been able to soak up its unique character.

But you don’t even have to get to the inside of the building to know that it has had a long and storied existence. Although the stand-alone sign in front of the building declares it to be Walterdale Playhouse, the building itself has retained its original name of Fire Hall No. 1.

The very same building that brings live amateur theatre to Edmonton in the twenty first century was constructed in 1910 for the purpose of providing the city of Strathcona with a larger fire hall. Some features of the old fire hall that you wouldn’t find in a fire station today were a stable, which could fit nine horses, and a bell tower. Both the province and the city have recognized the building’s importance as the last remaining fire hall in Edmonton that still has its original exterior from before World War I, and it has been named a Provincial Historic Resource and a Municipal Historic Resource.

In 1954 the building retired from duties as a fire hall. It was then a warehouse for furniture until 1974, after which Walterdale moved in, and converted it to a playhouse. Walterdale, currently in its 54^th season, is an amateur theatre company, meaning that its shows are put together by unpaid theatre enthusiasts from all walks of life.

Although Walterdale has repurposed the space it uses – the old stable is now used as a workshop for constructing set pieces, while the remainder of the ground floor now holds a 145 seat auditorium, and the second floor is used for rehearsal space, costume storage, and actors’ dressing rooms and green room – they have not forgotten the building’s history. In fact, all the information I have provided about the building can be found on the “Building Facts” page of Walterdale’s website. Under Walterdale’s care, the building’s exterior, and its bell tower have remained intact. Ten minutes before each Walterdale performance, the bell is rung to announce the event.

As Walterdale Playhouse, Fire Hall No. 1 has both retained its original character and taken on a new life. You can still see its original exterior and can still hear its original bell ringing – and if you are ever lucky enough to hear the bell, feel free to head over to its doors and see what’s playing!