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Authority record
AR-MS-1245 · Corporate body · 1976 - current

In 1976, the Japanese community in Edmonton formed the Edmonton Japanese Community Club Society (EJCCS). The EJCCS organized cultural and community annual events such family picnics, participation in Edmonton's Heritage festivals, Senior's day celebrations, Christmas parties, publication of newsletters and related activities. In 1984, the official name of the organization was changed from EJCCS to the Edmonton Japanese Community Association (EJCA) with the mission of promoting Japanese and Japanese Canadian culture, language, traditions and history. EJCA activities include cultural clubs such as Kita no Taiko and Bonsai Society, Japanese language lessons, a community library, and hosting events for members. In 1994, the EJCA partnered with the Argyll Community League to fund and operate a joint space, the Argyll Community League/EJCA Cultural Centre, the first of its kind in the City of Edmonton.

AR-RG-13 · Corporate body · 1892-

The position of Town Solicitor was established in April 1892 by Bylaw 2, appointing certain officers of the Municipality. The position of City Solicitor was established in 1904 in An Ordinance to incorporate the City of Edmonton and passed in 1904 by the fifth legislative assembly of the North-West Territories.

The chief officer of the Legal Department was the Town Solicitor (1892-1904) and the City Solicitor (1904 onward). From 1892 to 1904 the Town Solicitor reported to Council. From 1904 until at least 1923 the City Solicitor reported directly to Council. Starting as early as 1952 the City Solicitor reported to the Chief Commissioner or the Commissioners Board until that body was dissolved in 1983. For three years, from 1983-1985, the City Solicitor reported directly to Council again. Beginning in 1986, the City Solicitor reported to the City Manager. In 2023 Employee and Legal Services formed as one team, as a result the City Solicitor became the Chief People Officer and City Solicitor, and Legal Services fell under a Deputy City Solicitor and Branch Manager.

The primary function of the legal department is to supply legal advice to the Mayor, Council and all City departments and to provide legal representation for the City in courts or other actions. Over time the office has expanded to include litigation services, bylaw enforcement and business licensing, risk management, the settlement of claims for and against the city, and corporate security.

Town/City Solicitors

  • Nicholas du Bois Dominic Beck, Q.C. and Patrick Leonard McNamara (1892-1898)
  • Nicholas du Bois Dominic Beck (1898-1907)
  • John Campbell Ferrie Brown, K.C. (1907-1933)
  • Thomas E. Garside, K.C. (1933-1934 Acting, 1934-1955)
  • Alan Fraser MacDonald (1956-1973)
  • Harry F. Wilson (1973-1979)
  • Antal (Tony) Konye (1979-1986)
  • John R. Basey (1987-1993)
  • Ron Liteplo (1994-1997)
  • Anne Massing Jarman (1997-2019)
  • Bonnie L. Andriachuk (2019-2021)
  • Michelle Plouffe, Chief People Officer and City Solicitor (2021 to present)
  • Michael Gunther, Deputy City Solicitor and Branch Manager (2023 to present)
Eatons, Eaton Centre
AR-MS-1244 · Corporate body · 1987 - 1999

The T. Eaton Company Limited, later known as Eaton's and then Eaton, was a Canadian department store chain that was once the largest in the country. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an immigrant from what is now Northern Ireland. Eaton's grew to become a retail institution in Canada, with stores across the country and a mail-order catalog that was found in the homes of most Canadians. A changing economic and retail environment in the late twentieth century culminated in the chain's bankruptcy in 1999.

Eaton’s first Edmonton location opened in 1929 at 102 St NW and 102 Ave. This original location included an additional building dedicated to mail-order fulfillment, which served Eaton’s mail orders for all of Western Canada. In August 1987, a new store, now called Eatons with no apostrophe, opened in Edmonton at 101 St NW and 102 Ave. The giant four-level department store was the anchor for the Eaton Centre mall, which featured 55 stores and services in its first phase. Additionally, a time capsule was created and sealed with the intention of being opened in 2019 to celebrate the 150-year anniversary of Eaton’s. Eatons was built directly beside the original Edmonton Eaton’s location, which was demolished the following year to begin construction on phase two of the Eaton Centre mall.

Eatons operated in this location until the Eaton's chain went out of business in 1999. At this point, Eaton Centre mall merged with the neighboring Edmonton Centre to become Edmonton City Centre Mall. In 2002, The Bay moved into the former Eatons location.

Throughout the many decades in which Eaton’s operated in Edmonton, staff members created and distributed “The Edmontonian,” a monthly newsletter publication dedicated to sharing the interests and news of Eaton’s staff members.

Oil Wives Club of Edmonton
AR-MS-375 · Corporate body · 1951 - current

The Oil Wives Club of Edmonton is a branch of a national organization. The Oil Wives Club was established in 1951 by Dean Hunter, wife of Vern Hunter, as an avenue to create community for oilfield worker's wives. Dean organized a monthly night out for members.
During the time when the Club was established, families of oil drillers often lived in trailers in rural areas with their families and were moving often. Wives of workers were often lonely and found it difficult to make friends.
The Club continues to exist and foster friendship among the wives of professional oil workers.

AR-MS-1242 · Corporate body · 2001 -

The Edmonton Chinese Philharmonica Association is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 in order to promote Chinese culture and traditional music through public performances. In addition to its own presentations, the Association had participated in heritage festivals and concerts.

Richardson, Cecil Werden
AR-MS-1243 · Person · [ca.1909] - 2011

Cecil Werden Richardson was born ca. 1909. Cecil was a long time resident of Alberta and spent 60 years of his life in Edmonton. Cecil worked as a farmer, grain buyer, general store owner, steel productions representative and up until his retirement, he worked at C.W. Carry in Edmonton.
Cecil’s main hobby was photography and he had his own dark room to develop film. He would take photographs of various places around Edmonton and had an interest in the development of the Edmonton River Valley and the 1987 tornado, which struck not far from his home and hit the industrial area where he worked.
Cecil was married to his wife Frances and together they had a son, Larry Richardson and a daughter, Marilyn Richardson.
Cecil died in Edmonton in 2011 at the age of 102.

Jazz City Festival Society
AR-MS-1237 · Corporate body · 1984 - 2006

The Jazz City festival was established by the Edmonton Jazz Society in 1980 under the direction of Marc Vasey. The festival was created in response to an initiative from Alberta Culture to celebrate the province's 75th anniversary. The Edmonton Jazz Society, founded in 1973, had previously sponsored individual jazz concerts, but Jazz City was the first large-scale, multi-day jazz music event in Edmonton. The administration of the festival was taken over in 1984 by the newly-created non-profit called the Jazz City Festival Society. Jazz City occurred annually from 1984 to 2005 under the direction of the Jazz City Festival Society. The 2005 event was the last Jazz City festival, and in 2006 the Jazz City Festival Society disbanded. The Jazz City Festival Society and Marc Vasey also organized the Jazz Festival Calgary Society and produced Jazz Festival Calgary from the Jazz City Festival Society headquarters in Edmonton from 1998 to 2006.

The first Jazz City season ran from August 17-24, 1980. Twenty concerts were presented at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium and the Shoctor Theatre. The latter (part of the Citadel Theatre complex) remained the main festival stage until 1984, supplemented by the Citadel Theatre’s MacLab Theatre in 1985, the Chateau Lacombe Ballroom from 1986 - 1990, and the Westin Hotel Ballroom in 1991. Other venues have been used as required, and the festival has presented music in local clubs like the Sidetrack Café and at free, outdoor concerts in Sir Winston Churchill Park. In 1985 the Yardbird Suite became a major festival venue.

In 1986 the festival moved from mid-August to late June and early July and expanded to 10 days. In 1990 it offered 140 concerts and club presentations, including 90 free events, featuring 375 musicians from nine countries. With the advent of Westcan Jazz in 1987 the festival began to co-operate with other western Canadian festivals and Jazz City's programming took a broader and more eclectic turn. Jazz City was the first of the Canadian jazz festivals of the 1980s to achieve international standing.

AR-MS-1240 · Corporate body · 2006 - current

The Phoenix Multi-Faith Society for Harmony launched on September 17th 2006 at Edmonton City Hall in front of 200 people. Following attacks on mosques and synagogues in Edmonton, Jewish and Muslim leaders worked with the Edmonton Police to promote harmony between the groups in the city.
Attacks on the Beth Shalom and Beth Israel synagogues and the Muslim Community of Edmonton mosque led the leaders to seek avenues in which they could work together.
The Society brought in the Edmonton Police Department’s Anti-Hate Bias Crime Unit and the Archbishop Thomas Collins. The Society annually hosts Diversity Day at Edmonton City Hall.
The Society has a board of six representatives from the Muslim, Christian and Jewish faiths who meet monthly. The Society’s objective is to seek positive coexistence and relationships among various faiths, particularly the Abrahamic faiths, through open communication and dialogue, education and community participation. The Society aims to address and eliminate intercommunity negative stereotypes, hatred, and prejudices within Edmonton.

Garrett, Lorna
AR-MS-583 · Person · 1917 - 2006

Lorna Garrett was a resident of Edmonton. Lorna Garrett died on August 31, 2006.