Author: Jared

Vintage historic sites research papers now available online

Vintage historic sites research papers now available online

Jared

Editor’s note: The banner image above is a slanted roof, dug-out home with a four-post frame, 1913, found in Occasional Paper No. 11.

Written by: Dorothy Field, Heritage Survey Program Coordinator and Ronald Kelland, Historic Places Research Officer

The Alberta Heritage Survey Program is happy to announce that digitized versions of the first 15 Historic Sites Services Occasional Papers, published by the Historic Sites Service (HSS) between 1976 and 1985, are now available online.

Starting in 1976, the HSS produced and published an Occasional Paper Series about sites, people and historic themes in Alberta. Similar to the Archaeological Survey of Alberta’s Occasional Papers, popularly known as the “Blue Books” or the “Blue Series,” the HSS occasional papers series were produced by staff historians and contractors based on their in-house research.

Fort Victoria Clerk’s House, Provincial Historic Resource, 2014. Source: Historic Resources Management Branch.
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Revisiting the Indigenous Resources Guide at The Provincial Archives of Alberta  

Revisiting the Indigenous Resources Guide at The Provincial Archives of Alberta  

Jared

Editor’s note: The author would like to give special thanks to Quinton Crow Shoe for his contribution to this post. As well, the banner image above features audio reels at the Provincial Archives of Alberta. Source: Provincial Archives of Alberta.

Written by: Mikaela LeBlanc, TRC Archivist Intern

The Provincial Archives of Alberta (PAA) acquires, preserves and makes records available to researchers. These includes government records, which are records created by agencies, boards and commissions as well as departments within the Government of Alberta, and private records, which are records created by individuals, families and organizations. The records come in many formats and can include letters, photographs, drawings, audio recordings, journals, newspapers and maps, among others. Within these records are also a wide variety of materials that were created by and about Indigenous people and communities.

The PAA first released an “Aboriginal Resource Guide” finding aid in 2006, which listed records identified as being about Indigenous communities in Alberta. This guide provided the building blocks for archival research to become more user-friendly when accessing Indigenous related records. The hearings and report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Calls to Action related to archives and the heritage sector identified ways in which the PAA could make improvements in access to records by Indigenous creators and about Indigenous communities. This coincided with the PAA’s move to a new collections management database webpage Access to Memory (AtoM), and saw the release of the Indigenous Resources Guide (IRG) in April 2023. The guide identifies records that relate to Indigenous people and communities in Alberta that are currently in PAA’s holdings.

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The curious life of J.E. Almond and his Great Western Club

Jared

Written by: David Murray, Architect AAA, FRAIC

This story begins with the discovery of hundreds of artifacts that were uncovered during the dismantling of the interior of the original Pendennis Hotel in Edmonton in 2006. The Pendennis Hotel, located at 9660 Jasper Avenue, dates to the late 1890s when it was formerly named the California Rooming House. The earliest photo of the building is dated 1898.

Pendennis after 1904. This building was incorporated into the 1911 hotel expansion. Source: Provincial Archives of Alberta, B4328.
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Arthur Erickson’s Dyde House: Rediscovering a hidden masterpiece

Arthur Erickson’s Dyde House: Rediscovering a hidden masterpiece

Jared

Editor’s note: The banner image of Dyde House above was taken by an unknown photographer, Edmonton, 1961-1962. Source: University of Calgary, Canadian Architectural Archives, Arthur Erickson fonds, CA ACU CAA F0002.

Written by: Robb Gilbert, Archivist, Canadian Architectural Archives

Dyde House, located a short distance outside Edmonton, is one of Canadian architect Arthur Erickson’s first notable projects in residential design. The house is located southwest of Edmonton, in Parkland County, on the grounds of the beautiful University of Alberta Botanic Gardens. The project was designed by Erickson in the Spring of 1960 and completed in late 1961 after returning from travels in Japan and Southeast Asia on a Canada Council for the Arts fellowship.

2024 marked the centenary of the birth of Erickson so I wanted to highlight one of his most important works from his early years as an architect: a rare Erickson project located in Alberta and a work that has recently been the subject of a documentary and an ongoing preservation campaign. The Canadian Architectural Archives at the University of Calgary houses the work of Erickson from 1953 to 1973 in the Arthur Erickson fonds. His archive includes thousands of original drawings and dozens of boxes of files documenting the design process behind his revered works of architecture.

Arthur Erickson, Sketch of the Dyde Residence, Edmonton, [1960-1961]. Source: University of Calgary, Canadian Architectural Archives, Arthur Erickson fonds, CA ACU CAA F0002.
Arthur Erickson, Sketch of the interior of the Dyde Residence, Edmonton, [1960-1961]. Source: University of Calgary, Canadian Architectural Archives, Arthur Erickson fonds, CA ACU CAA F0002.

Erickson was born in Vancouver in 1924. He studied at the University of British Columbia and served overseas during World War II in India and Malaysia. Pursuing a career as an architect, he studied at McGill University and established his practice in Vancouver in the mid-1950s. In the span of the next 40 years, Erickson became Canada’s most renowned architect, nationally known but also the one of the few Canadian architects with an international reputation. His work includes icons of Canadian architecture such as Simon Fraser University, the University of Lethbridge, Robson Square and the Museum of Anthropology at UBC.

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Architectural camaraderie: the friendship of Tanner, Wallbridge and Imrie

Architectural camaraderie: the friendship of Tanner, Wallbridge and Imrie

Jared

Editor’s note: Jillian Richardson is the curator of Labour and Industry at the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) and worked on both the Doris Tanner Architecture Collection and Wallbridge & Imrie Architecture Collection there. Devon Owen Moar recently wrote his Masters thesis on Wallbridge & Imrie and worked as the cataloguer for the RAM’s Tanner Collection.

The banner image above is a composite image composed of portraits of the three architects. The portraits of Jean Wallbridge (left) and Mary Imrie (middle) are sourced from the private collection of Mary S. E. Wallbridge-Lillis. The portrait of Doris Newland Tanner (right) is sourced from Cheryl Mahaffy’s “Women Building Alberta” website.

Written by: Jillian Richardson and Devon Owen Moar

While cataloguing the Doris Newland Tanner architecture collection for the Royal Alberta Museum, we noticed something interesting. A few of Doris’s books and technical manuals were inscribed with the names of former colleagues, Mary Louise Imrie and Jean Louise Wallbridge. Finding these inscriptions made us wonder—were these books exchanged as references?  Left to Doris after Jean and Mary’s passings? Or, do they hint at an ongoing professional and personal dialogue that extended far beyond the drafting table? This discovery pointed towards the deeper connection between these three architects, beyond being professional acquaintances. The presence of Wallbridge & Imrie’s names in Doris’s books offers a rare glimpse into the professional and intellectual network of Alberta’s pioneering women in architecture at a formative moment in the province’s history and urban development. 

Exploring these materials raises broader questions about how museum and archival collections—including architectural tools, books, drawings and correspondence—can illuminate the network of support and influence among professional women. While this research is still in its early stages, this small but compelling kernel of evidence points toward a larger story—one of friendship, mutual mentorship, collaboration and lasting bonds.

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Township maps at the Provincial Archives of Alberta

Jared

Written by: Michael Gourlie, Government Records Archivist, Provincial Archives of Alberta

Township maps are a popular research source at the Provincial Archives of Alberta (PAA). An outcome of the Dominion Lands Surveys beginning in 1881 that captured most of what is now Alberta, the township maps document a grid system using meridians, ranges, townships and sections established by federal surveyors. Known as the Alberta Township System (ATS), this grid forms the basis of legal land descriptions used for Alberta land titles to the present day.

The original township maps were subsequently published in several editions, with the published maps used for a variety of operational purposes. They acted as a template or index for various offices to identify land uses for programs such as grazing leases, timber berths, mineral leases, land grants and homestead applicants. They also provided a standardized perspective to administer and oversee land use.

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Archaeology in Alberta’s Eastern Slopes: The Occasional Paper Series in 2024 (Part 1)

Archaeology in Alberta’s Eastern Slopes: The Occasional Paper Series in 2024 (Part 1)

Jared

Written by: Timothy Allan and Todd Kristensen

The Archaeological Survey of Alberta is proud to kick-off Occasional Paper Series No. 43 with its first three articles, which are available to download for free:

Alberta Obsidian Project chronicles: Obsidian research within Alberta’s Eastern Slopes (Timothy E. Allan)

Snare, Snake and Iroquois: An upper Athabaska ethnohistory (Jack Elliot)

Obsidian from Idaho’s Big Southern Butte in Alberta’s archaeological record (Todd Kristensen, Timothy E. Allan, and Emily Moffat)

Cover of the 2024 Occasional Paper Series.
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Where Wallbridge and Imrie lived and worked: a quick guided tour of Six Acres

Where Wallbridge and Imrie lived and worked: a quick guided tour of Six Acres

Jared

Editor’s note: The dwelling Wallbridge and Imrie created remains standing today, bequeathed to the Province of Alberta upon Mary’s death along with several other parcels of land. It is still owned, managed and maintained by the province, with its current tenants being the Land Stewardship Centre. However, its name has since shifted to “Imrie House.”

The author, Devon Moar, recently completed his Master’s thesis on this very topic.

Written by: Devon Owen Moar

First, I want to open with a quote from the poet Muriel Rukeyser:

“The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.”

The hope is that this line sets the tone for how I believe this dwelling exists, shaped both by structure and story. This place is not only a physical, humble shelter but holds a profound account of its inhabitants.

Welcome to Six Acres

Gathering at Six Acres in the Living Room, back inscription: “French Class Finish, 1971”. Source: Private collection of Mary S. E. Wallbridge-Lillis.

Six Acres is a place where architecture, nature, and personal stories blend into one remarkable narrative. The following isn’t just a tour of a building; it’s an adventure through the living history of a place that served as both an everyday sanctuary and a bustling office for two groundbreaking Albertan women, Jean Wallbridge and Mary Imrie. Now, I’m going to share some anecdotes, quirks, and standout moments that make Six Acres far more than just a simple structure.

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John Utendale: From the Monarchs to the Miracle on Ice

Jared

Editor’s note: All images below courtesy of the Provincial Archives of Alberta.

Written by: Michael Gourlie, Government Records Archivist, Provincial Archives of Alberta

From his start playing hockey on the northside rinks of Edmonton to winning a gold medal the 1980 Winter Olympics, John Utendale had a remarkable career as an athlete and coach, but his achievements during his career as educator were no less distinguished.

Born in Edmonton in 1937, Utendale played rugby, baseball and hockey while attending Victoria Composite High School.  He continued to play softball at the provincial level while also playing hockey for the Edmonton Oil Kings.  It was his skill as a hockey player that landed him a contract in 1957 with the Detroit Red Wings organization as a member of the Edmonton Flyers of the Western Hockey League. Utendale would become the first Black hockey player to sign a contract with an NHL team.

Utendale with the Edmonton Oil Kings, Oct. 26, 1954.

He later played for the Quebec Aces, joining Willie O’Ree, who broke the National Hockey League’s colour barrier, and Stan Maxwell for an all-Black line.  He also played for the Windsor Bulldogs and for teams in Sudbury and Windsor.

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New Town Centre 58°

New Town Centre 58°

Jared

Editor’s note: David Murray is an architect in Edmonton and met Arni Fullerton in 1981 while working for him on an alternate, traditional plan for the development of a new town at 58˚ N as required by his contract with the province, led by Montreal architect Ray Affleck. Fullerton and his wife Merle were interviewed on Zoom in April 2024 at their home in Nanaimo.

All images courtesy of the Arni Fullerton Collection at the Provincial Archives of Alberta, unless otherwise noted.

Written by: David Murray, Architect AAA, FRAIC

In the late 1970s, the Alberta Government’s Department of Housing and Public Works, initiated a planning process with the intent to design a new community in northern Alberta, north of Fort McMurray, specifically to house workers and their families at the expanding oil sands extraction developments. It would be a most imaginative and provocative approach to living in the north, the culmination of a lot of precedent research by a team of planning and engineering visionaries.

Illustration prepared by David Murray.

Architect Arni Fullerton was hired by the Alberta government to design the proposed new town. His vision, on which he collaborated with Britain’s Buro Happold Engineers and German structural engineer Frei Otto, was a 35 acre air-supported, weather-controlled, transparent dome, covering a town centre that incorporated housing, recreation fields, a sports complex, commercial properties, a shopping centre, schools, an amphitheatre, parks and a children’s plaza. The town was intended to grow incrementally, outside the town centre dome, over time. All parts of the town would be connected by public transit.  

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