Affichage de 988 résultats

In 1906, the Western Canada Land Company purchased some 500,000 acres of land from the Canadian Pacific Railway. This land was then offered for agricultural use to prospective farmers and settlers. In order to publicize the potential of the land that they offered, the W.C.L. operated a model farm in the Wabamun Lake district west of Edmonton. They also offered land that had been developed into ready-made farms, which utilized their corporate affiliation with other companies such as Western Homebuilders and Great West Supply Company. The future of W.C.L. appeared very bright when, in 1912, the company acquired the holdings of two other English-based land companies, Anglo-Canadian Lands and the Edmonton Land Syndicate.

However the W.C.L. suffered considerably when the Canadian Agency went into receivership in June of 1914. H.M.E. Evans, acting for both companies, was able to keep the W.C.L. Company active while selling off its vast real estate holdings.

The company LaFlèche Brothers was established in 1906 when Joseph A. (J.A.) LaFlèche and his family moved to Strathcona in September 1906. Arriving too late in the year to begin farming, J.A. and his younger brother Treffle J. (T.J.) opened a tailor shop as a temporary measure. J.A. had been trained as a tailor from the American Fashion Company in New York City and graduated in 1898. The first shop was located on Whyte Avenue east of the CPR depot, but between 1908 and 1909 the business moved across the river to Edmonton and operated out of various locations in downtown Edmonton. By 1911 the firm employed 8 to 10 employees.

On June 10, 1921 LaFlèche Brothers, Limited was incorporated under provincial law, ownership of the business changed, and stock was issued. J.A. continued as President and head of the designing department and T.J. continued as Vice President and head of the tailoring department. Shortly after incorporation, the company was issued a building permit for 10039 - 102 Street (10047 - 102 Street) where they erected the LaFlèche Building. Through the 1920s the firm would expand to Calgary and Vancouver and establish the Westcraft System of Tailoring Limited before reorganizing to become a family corporation in 1930.

Under three successive generations of the LaFlèche family, the firm would expand to 70 staff, producing approximately 250 suits and uniforms a week in 1968. By 2007 the staff had decreased in number to 9 and the store was forced to close at the end of May of that year.

Throughout their history, LaFlèche Brothers specialized in the manufacture of custom tailored suits for men, although they occasionally manufactured women's clothing and ready-made suits in response to customer demands. A key part of the LaFlèche Brothers business was the manufacture of uniforms for various organizations including Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Greyhound Canada, the Province of Alberta, the City of Edmonton, and the City of Saskatoon. By 1963 uniform manufacture and sales accounted for about 10% of LaFlèche Brothers' business, a number which had increased to approximately 55% by 1993. The company also manufactured Treaty Suits for the federal government, suits for politicians and princes, costumes for stage, television, and movies, and Klondike suits for Edmonton's Klondike Days.

The Council of Canadians of African and Caribbean Heritage (CCACH) was founded in January 1985 as the Council of Black Organizations (CBO). An umbrella organization with membership drawn from organizations that shared a common heritage, the Council’s mandate was to address the need for a united voice in the community to speak on matters that impacted them. Specifically, the organization focussed its efforts on supporting activities that enhance social, economic, and educational aspects of African and Caribbean heritage communities within Canada.

The Council of Black Organizations changed their name to the Council of Canadians of African and Caribbean Heritage in 1996 to better reflect their preference to identify as nationalities and not as racial groupings.

Edmonton City Dairy Ltd. (ECD) was established in 1906 by Warren W. Prevey from Elroy, Wisconsin. ECD was the first Edmonton dairy to pasteurize and deliver bottled milk in the city. Due to their early use of pasteurization, along with other food safety measures, ECD became one of the largest dairies in Alberta. In 1908 ECD became the first Edmonton based dairy to make butter. It was first incorporated in 1909 with a capital stock of $50,000. By 1923 ECD was the largest butter manufacturer in Canada and they were the first Alberta dairy to export butter to Asia. ECD would go on to produce ice cream, cheese, eggs, poultry and homogenized milk. In 1927 ECD opened their new plant on 109th Street and 101 Avenue. On top of the building was a 27 foot tall milk bottle which functioned as the plant’s condenser.

ECD was sold to Silverwood Dairies in 1948, which in 1976 was sold to Northern Alberta Dairy Pool. ECD’s plant on 109th Street was demolished in 1977.

This organization was originally called "Queen of Alberta" Division 547 of the Grand International Auxiliary to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (G.I.A. to L.B.E), but changed their name to the Ladies Auxiliary to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers following a vote to suspend their charter with the G.I.A. to L.B.E. in December of 1969. The G.I.A. to L.B.E. was originally founded in 1887 as a support organization for the spouses and families of members of the union. The first branch of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers to form in Alberta was in Medicine Hat in 1886, though it is unclear when it spread to Edmonton or when the Queen of Alberta division of the G.I.A. was founded.

Hecate's Players was a feminist theatre collective which performed reader's theatre to raise awareness of women's issues. Founded in November 1983, the collective consisted of many members. Although the collective's roster varied throughout its existence, and not all of the following individuals were members at the same time, Amanda LaRougetel, Lisa Walters, Denise Burrell, Shiobhan Avery, Kim Nelson, Elizabeth Lunney, Ann McGrath, Kathryn Ivany, and Sandy MacDonald were members of the collective. The members of the collective met at the University of Alberta and performed for a number of venues including the United Church Presbytery meeting, International Women's Day events, Alberta Status of Women's Action Committee events, and the 1985 Fringe Festival. The group survived many changes, including absences of group members as they pursued educational opportunities elsewhere. The group dissolved at the end of 1987 when too many of the core group left for work or school elsewhere.

Seasoned Solutions was started by Gail Hall in 2005. Two years after closing her catering company, Gourmet Goodies, Gail decided to start her own company where she would offer cooking classes using local Edmonton ingredients. Gail held classes for the general public and for private and corporate events. Classes were held out of her home, a loft warehouse located on 104 Street in Edmonton. Season Solutions also offered culinary tours hosted by Gail. Gail had been offering tours since 1997 and when she opened Seasoned Solution she incorporated them into the business, hosting tours both locally and internationally. Seasoned Solutions went out of business following the passing of Gail in 2016.

The Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Association first began as an advocacy group of communities along the Yellowhead Corridor in 1936 dedicated to the creation of the Yellowhead Highway to promote business and accessibility. After the construction of the Yellowhead corridor was completed, the Association changed its name to the Trans-Canada Highway System Association in 1947 to better reflect the growth of the Highway into a larger network. The current name of the organization was chosen in 2000 to better reflect the scope of the Association's advocacy. Although no longer concerned with the creation of the Highway as it was when formed in 1936, the Association has continued advocating for improvements and upgrades to the Highway to better accommodate the demand placed on western Canadian natural resource exploration and extraction, tourism, and agriculture.

Womonspace was a lesbian social and recreational group founded in Edmonton in 1981. Operating in Edmonton for over 30 years, Womonspace became the city's longest-running lesbian organization. Womonspace was vital to Edmonton’s LGBTQ+ community and organized dances, sporting events, movie nights, concerts, family picnics, and other activities specifically for queer women. Womonspace published a newsletter from 1981 - 2011 covering local and national events important to the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, they housed a resource library where women could access literature by and about queer women.

Womonspace was established in 1981 after numerous requests were made to Gay Alliance Towards Equality Edmonton (G.A.T.E.) for a women’s-only dance. While G.A.T.E. refused to host a women’s-only dance because of their mandate as a mixed group, they did provide funding to a group of volunteers to host the first women’s-only dance. Subsequent dances were quite profitable, and the women volunteers were able to pay back G.A.T.E. and use the profits to fund their new organization, Womonspace.
Womonspace dances were held at various locations throughout Edmonton, usually in community halls. Womonspace often faced rejection when seeking out venues to hold their dances, and were frequently unable to rent the same space twice once it was clear that Womonspace was a lesbian group. The monthly dances Womonspace hosted were their most popular events, with attendance often reaching 150 - 200 women.

All Womonspace activities were run by a group of dedicated volunteers. The volunteers wrote and distributed the newsletter every month, worked at the dances, and maintained the office space. The first Womonspace office was located in Every Woman’s Place, an old house that had been converted to office space and housed several women’s groups. It was in the office that women could access the resource library, as well as attend drop-in social events.

Womonspace was integral to early Pride events in Edmonton, by assisting in the organization of Pride, hosting events, and holding open houses. However, Womonspace’s general approach was to stay as closeted as possible. Womonspace advertisements did not use the word “lesbian,” instead relying on their logo of two entwined woman symbols to find the lesbian community. Womonspace board members often debated how political and openly lesbian the group could be without jeopardizing the ability of the organization to remain an incorporated society or risking the safety and privacy of their members. Contributors to the newsletter often went by their first names only, and many members recall the general sense of fear of what may happen to them if they were found to be involved in a lesbian organization. On some occasions, women who were more openly lesbian or active in political activism were viewed as a threat to Womonspace’s discreteness, and their membership was revoked.

Although Womonspace was not a political organization, they undoubtedly had an instrumental impact in creating safe social spaces for Edmonton’s lesbians from the 1980s onward. Womonspace provided the opportunity for queer women to connect over shared experiences and be themselves. Womonspace gatherings generated a sense of community that supported women on their own journeys and created a space distinct from the gay male culture that tended to dominate other LGBTQ+ organizations at the time. Womonspace is no longer an active society but continued to host dances and publish its newsletter until the 2010’s. The group remains semi-active on social media and continues to advertise social and recreational events hosted by other organizations in Edmonton’s LGBTQ+ community.

In 1947 A. W. Allbright, Superintendent of the Civic Garage approached the City Commissioners with the idea of updating the City Crest, as he felt it was outdated. The Commissioners agreed, and the issue was forwarded to the Bylaws Committee for consideration. In early 1948 and an invitation was opened to the public to submit designs, with prizes of $10, $5, and $3, if any design was accepted by Council. After receiving only a few submissions, which were deemed unsatisfactory, the prize money was raised to $150 to attract professionals.

The designs were adjudicated by the City Crest Committee, composed of R.W. Hedley of the Museum of the Arts, architect Cecil Burges, sculptor Major Frank H. Norbury, and Mayor Harry D. Ainlay (ex-officio). In January 1949 Mayor Ainley reported to Council that several designs have been submitted, and while none were agreeable in whole, the Committee had decided which symbols would appear on the new crest. Mayor Ainley then submitted the new design for the Crest to the Bylaws Committee, which referred it to the Finance Committee, which recommended that Council adopt the new design. In September of 1949 the motto "Industry, Integrity, Progress" was adopted, and the finalized crest was adopted by Council on October 11, 1949.