But that’s the case for all heritage buildings, isn’t it? Their very existence isn’t practical to the needs of a growing city. They’re old, notoriously temperamental, use outdated construction techniques, are obsolete in style, are undersized for the areas they inhabit, aren’t worth the land...

A physical photo could be sitting at the City, Provincial, or Glenbow Archives. Back then photographers took pictures of everything and anything, so it's likely. But as far as online? Not that I’ve been able to come across. The closest you’re gonna get is this 1912 picture (with it on the...

If we have a thread for the Transit, I may as well share this for those interested: https://forgottenedmonton.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-transit-hotel.html

But the existing building is made out of brick... Strathcona Town Council banned the use of all-wood construction in 1907. The Archibald was built in 1909. It just doesn't look it because it's been stuccoed (likely in the '30s, when many buildings were, for a cleaner, more modern look). The...

Yup. Massey Harris Co. of Canada was a major farm implements manufacturer and wholesaler. For decades the company operated out of a small and relatively inaccessible building located at the intersection of 101A Avenue and 100A Street. By the end of the Second World War they were desperate for a...

Saw that this was finally posted over on Beljan's website: https://beljandevelopment.com/projects/scona-garage/

I hadn't seen it mentioned anywhere else, so I'll leave this here. Apparently there was a press conference earlier this week talking about the funding for the Wellington and King Edward Park housing projects: https://globalnews.ca/news/7523881/modular-units-edmonton-rapid-housing/ And some words...

^Yup, I posted it here before with a few other proposals from the same report:

Unfortunately, it’s pretty much impossible for Rat Creek to be properly restored. If you go way, way back in time, Rat Creek use to run basically up until 97th Street. In about 1905, when Norwood was being built, they filled it in up until 90th Street to make 111th Avenue — hence that road's...

It was. I did an extremely brief (and dated) write up on it years ago if anyone's interested. The home, while not particularly significant architecturally, was noteworthy. Its small-scale, unadorned character reflected the once predominantly working class nature of community, and it was the last...

https://engaged.edmonton.ca/thebaron?fbclid=IwAR3vQtMBQ0Ka9fx4dpNzx6W15FqgefoGUkrzP4lA2NNl14e9ex9KSk2zkt4 A new(?) render was included in the video here that has a more 'Edwardian' influenced Whyte-facing facade. The planner notes that "the podium of the building is intended to be compatible in...

I know people love to hate on catenary wire as a form of visual pollution but I think with cases like this, there's something artful about it.

On that topic, do we know what's going on with Michener Park? Obviously it's in the process of demolition, but does the University have any plans for the site or is it going to be sold off?

^Here's an awful picture from last week showing that:

For you or anyone else who's interested, the City Archives has all their surveying aerials online. They have about a dozen sets (from 1924, '30, '43, '48, '52, '57, '65, '78, '88, and '98) digitized and freely accessible to view. The quality from the 1940s on is amazing too. Fair warning...

Ask and you shall receive... Here's an aerial from 1965. 142nd Street runs down at the centre-left of the frame. 53rd crosses along the very top. Whatever avenue existed before the Whitemud (45th?) runs through the centre of the frame, left to right: I'd never noticed the 53rd/51st alignment...

^ I completely agree, the sooner it gets replaced with something, the better. I'm not going to say there's no place for gas stations in more central areas, but in an area like this, along such a walkable and continually densifying strip, it's becoming increasingly inexcusable for it to stick...

I'm sure that repurposing a church from the early '60s and renovating a seniors' residence of the same era is an exceedingly difficult task, so I can’t say I hold it against them to redevelop the site. I do hope, however, that there's some effort put into salvaging what can be. If nobody’s ever...

You'd be right on it being relocated, although it was already taken down this past summer: https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/iconic-sign-going-to-neon-sign-museum-instead-of-dump-1.5039046

^I noticed this last Wednesday just as the old building next door was coming down. I hope to swing by tomorrow and get some good pictures of it before its gone for good.