Edmonton, Alberta

:Edmonton redirects here. For other cities with the name Edmonton, see Edmonton (disambiguation)

History

The first inhabitants gathered in the area which is now Edmonton around 3000 BC and perhaps as early as 10,000 BC, when an ice-free corridor was opening up as the great ice sheets covering much of Canada melted. They were no doubt taking advantage of the timber, water and wildlife in the region.

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European traders from the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company set up trading posts in the area of present day Fort Saskatchewan beginning in 1795. The trading posts later moved upstream to present day Edmonton. The two companies merged in 1821, and in 1830 the last fort was built on the present site of the Alberta Legislature.

Related Topics:
Hudson's Bay Company - North West Company - 1795

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The fort was named for the town of Edmonton in the UK (a suburb in north London), the hometown of Sir James Winter Lake, then director of the Company. John Rowand, a fur trader for the North West Company, arrived in Edmonton in 1804 and became respected and accepted as a leader by the Plains Indians, managing Edmonton's fur trade with the Cree and Blackfoot in Edmonton for about 30 years. Fort Edmonton became a local economic centre, the major stopping point before pioneers headed up north or farther west.

Related Topics:
Edmonton - UK - London - James Winter Lake - John Rowand - 1804 - Plains Indians - Cree - Blackfoot

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The Hudson's Bay Company sold Rupert's Land, as the area was known at the time, to the Dominion of Canada. The new Canadian lands became the North West Territories. People began settling in the vicinity of Fort Edmonton in the 1870s after the government offered the land to settlers at a good price. Edmonton officially became a town in 1892 with a population of 700. The city boomed during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 as thousands of eager prospectors heading north via the "All Canadian Route," stopping in Edmonton for supplies.

Related Topics:
Rupert's Land - 1870s - 1892 - Klondike Gold Rush - 1897

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The railway reached the area in 1891 with a terminal in Strathcona on the south side of the North Saskatchewan River. The town of Strathcona grew faster than Edmonton until 1905 when the Canadian Northern Railway opened its transcontinental line through Edmonton.

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By 1904 Edmonton had 9,000 residents, and a year later, when Alberta became a province, it became incorporated as a city and was declared the provincial capital. Initially the Alberta Legislature met in the Mackay Avenue School, while the Legislature Building was being erected on the north shore of the North Saskatchewan River.

Related Topics:
1904 - North Saskatchewan River

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In 1912 Edmonton, on the north side of the river, amalgamated with Strathcona to the south and attained a combined population of 53,000. The High Level Rail Bridge across the river was completed in 1913, linking the north and south sides of Edmonton. The population quickly grew to around 75,000 but dropped back down to 50,000 during World War I.

Related Topics:
1912 - High Level Rail Bridge - 1913

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In the 1930s Edmonton continued to thrive as a northern business centre, and an aviation shipping point for food and medical supplies using the new bush planes. In 1942 the construction of the Alaska Highway made the city into a major ground transportation and supply centre to the far north. It was at about this time that Edmonton officially became known as "Gateway to the North."

Related Topics:
1930s - 1942 - Alaska Highway

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Shortly after World War II oil was discovered near the nearby towns of Leduc, Redwater, and Pembina. The area around Edmonton became home to most of Alberta's oil production, and the subsequent oil boom gave Edmonton new status as the Oil Capital of Canada. The city began growing even more dramatically after the Arab Oil Boycott of 1973, and combined with satellite municipalities such as St. Albert and Sherwood Park, Edmonton's metropolitan population now sits just over 1,014,000 (2005 civic census est.). Oil production and refining remains the basis of many Edmonton jobs, but other industries have also risen in prominence as the population grew and diversified.

Related Topics:
World War II - Arab Oil Boycott - 1973 - St. Albert - Sherwood Park - 2005

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In 1981, what was then the largest shopping mall in the world, West Edmonton Mall, opened. The mall is Alberta's most popular tourist attraction, and contains an amusement park, waterpark, and luxury hotel in addition to the usual shops and services.

Related Topics:
1981 - Shopping mall - West Edmonton Mall - Amusement park - Waterpark

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One of the most significant events ever to happen to the city took place on July 31, 1987. On a day that became known as "Black Friday", a tornado which ranked as an F4 on the Fujita scale hit the city and killed 27 people. Mayor Laurence Decore cited the community's response to the tornado as evidence that Edmonton was a "city of champions", which later became the city's slogan.

Related Topics:
July 31 - 1987 - Tornado - Fujita scale - Laurence Decore

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