Fonds RG-50 - City of Edmonton. Engineer's Department fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

City of Edmonton. Engineer's Department fonds

General material designation

  • Textual record
  • Graphic material - photograph

Parallel title

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Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title based on name of creator.

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

CA EDM RG-50

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

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Archival description area

Name of creator

(1904 - 1971)

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

    Related 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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    Standard number

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    Description record identifier

    Institution identifier

    City of Edmonton Archives

    Rules or conventions

    Rules for Archival Description (RAD)
    Archives Society of Alberta Subject Terms

    Status

    Final

    Level of detail

    Dates of creation, revision and deletion

    Language of description

      Script of description

        Sources

        Accession area