James Noble Stephens was born on February 9, 1925 in Edmonton to Robert Noble Stephens and Laura Florence Macleod, and had two brothers, Robert George (Steve “Joe” & Nina) and Gerald Reginald (Jerry & Mary). He attended school in Edmonton, but did not graduate from high school, enlisting instead with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve on October 14, 1943. He was discharged from the Reserves on June 12, 1944 after a bout of rheumatic fever resulted in heart damage and rendered him medically unfit for service. He married Mabel Christina Metcalfe in 1951, and they had three children: Mark, Susan and Corey.
James was employed as a clerk for the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1947-1948. He enrolled in correspondence school to acquire training in the architectural field, and worked his entire career as a home and commercial designer, draftsman, and technician in the field.
In 1948 he established a business titled ‘Home and Commercial Designers’, operating it with his brother Robert, and working out of their Edmonton family home at 9417 - 95 Street. They also worked under the banner ‘Home Designers’, and moved to business premises at 9325 – 111 Avenue, Edmonton. The business operated until ca. 1953, but while continuing to work on designs, both residential and commercial, for their own business, James also began to work for the G. W. Golden Construction Ltd.
James began working for Golden Construction as a draftsman in 1950, working in this position for the Company through 1962. From 1963 to 1966 his position was titled ‘Designer’, and he was promoted to Chief Designer for G. W. Golden Construction during this time.
From 1966 to 1967, James Stephens worked as a designer and draftsman for Christenson Homes, and also did some early design work for Prudham’s Builders and MacLab Construction.
James incorporated James N. Stephens Ltd. In 1968, with the only Shareholders of the Company being James as President, and his wife, Mabel, as Secretary. The Company was operated from an office in their family home located at 4903 – 109 Avenue, Edmonton. In the Henderson’s Directories from 1968 to 1971, James is listed variously as an architectural designer, a contractor, and a building contractor. He did not advertise himself as an architect as he did not have the required formal education to achieve this designation. James retired from this last business in 1976 due to serious medical problems, and he died July 22, 1993 of congestive heart failure. His wife Mabel predeceased him on March 28, 1982.