Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
- Textual record
- Graphic material - photograph
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on name of creator.
Level of description
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1901 - 1982 (Creation)
- Creator
- City of Edmonton. Engineer's Department
Physical description area
Physical description
7.75 m of textual records. - 544 photographs
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Engineer's Department was established in 1904 by Bylaw 266 (To provide for the appointment of a Town Engineer and to define his duties). As laid out in this Bylaw, the duties of the Town Engineer included streets and their improvement and repair, sidewalks and their construction and repair, sewerage, electric light and power, the City Market, nuisance grounds (dumps) and the disposal of refuse, and the purchase of material for municipal purposes. This was a very large responsibility for one office, and over the next few years many of these functions were moved elsewhere.
In 1906 the Fire Department went from a volunteer system to a paid system, and soon thereafter it became independent of the Engineer's Department.
In 1912 a Parks Department was established, and responsibility for parks was removed from the Town Engineer, but due to a poor economy, by 1913 the Parks Department had folded and the duties were reabsorbed by the Engineer. The City Engineer oversaw parks, which included the City Market, until the Parks Department was re-established in 1947.
By 1914 the utilities (the power house, the water works, sewerage, and electric light and power) had become separate entities and were no longer the responsibility of the City Engineer.
In 1949 the Engineer's Department began operation of a gravel pit south of Mayfair Golf Course (on land later known as Mayfair Park/Hawrelak Park).
Around 1951 the department was renamed the Engineering Department. In 1952 the activities of the Engineering Department included: design, construction and maintenance of bridges, roads, lanes, sidewalks and sewage systems; scavenging and garbage disposal; traffic engineering; the maintenance of mechanical equipment; street cleaning and snow removal; maintaining a complete accounting system (excluding payroll), including capital and operating budges and cost control; making recommendations on labour issues; collaborating with City departments concerning utility matters; and related administrative duties.
In 1953 the department began setting up district yards to disperse equipment around the city and reduce travelling time. A committee of utility and construction superintendents was also set up to coordinate work on jobs.
Formerly an independent department, between 1961 and 1966 Waterworks was operated as a section within the Engineering Department.
The department had intermittent responsibility for airports. Prior to World War II the City Engineer was responsible for the Municipal Airport and Cooking Lake Air Base. From 1964 to 1965 there was an Industrial Airport division, which likely provided support to the Municipal Airport.
In 1971 the Engineering Department was dissolved when it merged with the Edmonton Transit System.
Custodial history
Scope and content
This fonds consists of records created by the Engineer’s Department, and includes correspondence, financial information, and other records created as a result of doing their work. An arrangement has been placed on the records. They have been placed into the following series:
- Class 50.0: Engineer’s Department Records, 1901-1962
- Class 50.1: Engineer’s Department Records, 1911-1968
- Class 50.2: Royal Visits
- Class 50.3: Photographs
- Series 4: Reports
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
This material was transferred to the City of Edmonton Archives between 1969 and 1984 by the Engineering Department.
Arrangement
The photographs were assigned item numbers with the prefix EA-75. Some reports were assigned item numbers with the prefix GP.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
These records contain information that is protected in alignment with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Copyright may apply.
Reproduction restrictions may apply.
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
General note
Accession numbers: A69-71, A70-65, A73-28, A74-72, A74-107, A77-14, A80-8, A84-162, A94-110, A2007-92
Alternative identifier(s)
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Rules for Archival Description (RAD)
Archives Society of Alberta Subject Terms