Village Squire, 1978-12, Page 54becoming the ghost town so often
presented in your typical western saga and
it's a town that will continue to prosper for
many years to come.
' The "town" is the city of Edmonton,
capital of the energy -rich province of
Alberta.
The first time the town boomed was as a
result of the discovery of gold in the Yukon,
and Edmonton became the overland
gateway to the north, the outfitting centre
for the hardy prospectors. It boomed again
when "black gold" was discovered and it's
that same "black gold" that to a large
extent has launched yet another economic
bonanza for the city and the province.
Edmonton's history is a colorful one.
What is not the city was once a wilderness
area where Wood-Cree Indians roamed
and hunted bountiful wild game. Because
of the fur potential, early French traders
were attracted to the area.
Although the village of Edmonton was
incorporated in 1871, it wasn't until much
later that the first boom began. The rush to
the Klondike for that elusive yellow metal
set it off in '98 and the hamlet suddenly
expanded from 700 souls to 4,000 almost
overnight.
Leap ahead in time again to 1947 and the
launching of another boom with the
discovery of "black gold" at Leduc, just a
hop, skip and a jump south of Edmonton.
Today, Edmonton is a thriving city with a
metropolitan population of 560,000, stead-
ily growing, and enjoying yet another
economic surge. It can't all be attributed to
oil, but certainly the development of the
Albertatar sands north east of Edmonton
at Fort McMurray has been a significant
factor.
It's been said that the tar sands
development has in some way affected just
about everyone in the city and has had
some impact on practically everyone in the
province.
Perhaps the best way to describe the
surging economy of Edmonton is to scan a
few facts and figures:
•Personal disposable income 1977 (est.)
$3,508,000,000.
•Construction (permit value 1976)
$618,686,035.
•Retail volume 1976 (est.) $2.5 billion.
•Manufacturing shipments 1976 (est.)
$1.9 billion.
•Wholesale trade 1976 (est.) 52.1 billion.
*Livestock marketing 1976, $256, 116,
628.
So the city is obviously prosperous. But
what kind of a place is it in which to live?
What kind of a place to visit? What's it got
to offer the vacationer?
Everything any large centre has!
It has to be a pleasant place to live. Just
take a brief tour and see the tree -lined
streets, the well kept houses, the
numerous parks seemingly at everyone's
doorstep. It's a pretty location with the
heart of the town sitting high on the banks
of the twisting North Saskatchewan River.
For the visitor the city offers all the
52 Village Squire, December 1978
amenities...excellent hotels and restaur-
ants, and a wide variety of events and
attractions.
It also has something that can't really be
put down on paper; a special brand of
hospitality. Drop into a lounge for a cool
one and don't be afraid to strike up a
conversation.
One thing that strikes you is that
although new buildings are constantly
reaching for the clear blue sky in the city
core. they don't seem to be blocking off the
sun. There is ample room for development
and it becomes increasingly apparent that
city planners are determined their town
won't become just another sprawling
concrete jungle. It's called planning;
Edmontonians don't want uncontrolled
growth.
The determination to preserve has
resulted in the control of a strip of land on
both sides of the river stretching 10 miles.
Part of the land will remain in its natural
state and other pieces will be systematical-
ly developed into parks for the benefit of
generations to come.
Edmonton, through the years. has set
aside so much greenery that the city now
boasts "more parkland per capita than any
other in Canada"
Things to see and do...
There's the Provincial Museum of
Alberta. the Valley Zoo, where the
youngsters can spend a full day enjoying
the animals and other attractions while you
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comment to yourself on how spotless this
operation is.
Not to be missed is Fort Edmonton Park
where fur trade history comes alive. An
on-going construction development, it will
trace the history of the area through the
decades.
Other must places to visit include the
Alberta Legislative Building. Queen
Elizabeth Planetarium, the Muttart Con-
servatory where pyramidal glass structures
--hot houses --display plants from various
climatic zones. They say designers weren't
considering pyramid power when they
were constructed. but sometimes you
wonder.
Or just beyond the fringe, a short drive
from town there's Elk Island National Park
v.here you can see.the buffalo, hike any of
numerous nature trails. swim or just soak
up the atmosphere of a wilderness area.
And not too far from there. the famous
Alberta Game Farm. This is where Al
Oeming fulfilled a lifelong ambition and
proved that virtually no matter where the
origin of the animal species. it was possible
it could adopt in a natural environment to
even the brisk conditions of a Canadian
�i
v.nter.
When you're planning your trip to
Edmonton. keep in mind also that there is
no direct sales tax in Alberta. If you pay
$9.95 for something and hand over a 10
spot. you've got a nickel corning back.
The price you see is the price you pay.
No additional addition.
BRASS
COPPER
CANDLES
[Plain & Fancy'
FIGURINES
WICKERWARE
SPOON RACKS
BOSSONS HEADS
CUPS & SAUCERS
GOURMET KITCHEN WARE
FENTON & CUSTARD GLASS
ETC.
ETC.