Many of Edmonton's Historic Buildings, Restored but Basically as I Remember Them.

Edmonton is one of the two Cities I Call Home.

The Public Library LOST BUILDINGS COLLECTION shows original photos of a number of historic buildings that were located in Edmonton. http://www.epl.ca/photo-collections?collection=Buildings

These photos are ALL IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. JUST SO LONG AS THEY DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE WHOLE COLLECTION; AT LEAST, NOT ALL AT ONCE, ANYONE is perfectly free to download them and they may altered, used, or posted in any way that person sees fit. The only thing that is illegal is to claim any sort of ownership--YOU KNOW--LIKE THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IS TRYING TO DO. The collection, as a whole, is library property-- BUT-- the individual photos are NOT.YOU CAN NOT RECLAIM OWNERSHIP OF ANYTHING ONCE IT HAS BEEN DECLARED PUBLIC DOMAIN and that includes anything and everything originally published before 1923.

Over the past few years I have read many reviews of the shown historical Edmonton buildings and sites. Most are decidedly inaccurate (probably at least 75%).

For example I have read that the "WORLDS SMALLEST, COMMERCIALLY USED, MULTI-STORIED, BUILDING" (coined by at least one reviewer as "THE MIGHTY MITE" was Edmonton's smallest building. Of course this rather irrational and ridiculous statement could not possibly have ever been true. Nor was this building ever, even, Edmonton's smallest commercially operated building. That honour would probably go to a small boot and shoe shop located on the South-side of Jasper Avenue, at 95th street (just North of the house in which the kids and I lived after my wife died--most of the actual boot and shoe construction, and repair was carried out in the house). The "WORLD'S NARROWEST", multi storied, commercial, building is located on Pender in Vancouver's China Town.

THE ABOVE PHOTO (1890-98) IS PUBLIC DOMAIN

 I have also read that the Hub Hotel once housed WW Sales Hardware and that a Chinese restaurant operated out of the Gem theatre. Both statements untrue. WW Sales/Arcade was always housed in the Goodridge Building; which, as you can see from the photo posted on the site I have linked to, is a building (while it did have light-housekeeping and sleeping rooms upstairs), completely separate from the Hub Hotel.

Charlie's Tokyo Restaurant--located in the Gem Theatre was not Chinese--obviously-- and Charlie did not serve ethnic food of any kind. His most popular dishes were hamburgers, braised pork hocks, and noodle soup to which he would add some kind of meat garnish--what ever he had available-- and called "Tokyo" soup.The Red Rose Garden/Phoenix restaurant didn't become known as the the Riviera until very near the last of the buildings existence. It was so named by a woman who had tried; rather unsuccessfully, to specialize in Austrian  style Schnitzels, She had previously tried (same name, same type of restaurant); with equally unsuccessful results  behind the Selkirk Hotel location (Johnson's Restaurant). Edmontonians like their cutlets breaded.

The Hub Hotel,which obviously, was NOT originally brick; and at the time above photo taken the rear portion still wasn't. Equally obvious--there is very, very little, if any at all, of the original building left. Although there are very few left who would actually know, it is claimed, that the original building started to fall into the excavation being dug for construction of the Goodridge Block; perhaps, that is when the brick veneer was added. The building now has an elevator; which, I believe, was historically the first in Edmonton; but I have been unable to confirm the exact date on which it was installed and the Castle/Lincoln, Castle, Empress Hotel (96 street, 103 A Ave. ), Saint Regis, Ritz, King Edward, Leland, Hotel MacDonald (built on the site formerly affectionately known as the"Galician Hotel"), New Edmonton, and The Alberta Hotel all had elevators.

 An image, commonly posted, of the Alberta Hotel, has obviously been "doctored"; and may well be the actual source of the King Edward Hotel image I mention in my posting of that hotels destruction.

 Edmonton's first MUNICIPAL hospital; which was located on 103 Ave. was not torn down to make room for the Remand Centre; which is on 104 ave two blocks, and on the other side of the rail road tracks; from where the hospital was located. The hospital later became known as the Astor Hotel; and one of Edmonton's most notorious drug related "flop" houses. Edmonton's most notorious drug house, "THE FORT" was located only a few blocks away. The original Royal Alexandra (better Known as the Royal Alex or just Alex-pronounced Alec) Hospital is now the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.

 This image of the original Transit Hotel is Public Domain, the copyright long expired.

 

First opened Sept 11,1908, The Transit Hotel, pictured above (then and now), was strategically placed as the first, or last, stop for travellers between the town of Beverly (the area became commonly known as "Packing- town), Edmonton, and Fort Saskatchewan, and for its proximity to the recently built J Y Griffin Slaughter House (later Swift's, Burns also came along). Naturally, the hotel catered to local, Farmers, Miners, Packing Plant Workers, the general working class of Beverly; but also of East Edmonton. A good friend of mine lost his wife; who was shot and killed in the hotel bar but I believe this is still the only occurrence of major violence in the hotel's history.

City Hall and the famous "Spaghetti Tree": the three lighter rectangles (window reflexions), seen below CITY HALL show, approximately, where three stone slabs  fell off the building, narrowly missing some pedestrians, and had to be re-secured--I believe the whole wall was re-done.

 My viewing of the below linked site brought to me a great deal of relief. Not only are the images shown of excellent quality but the descriptions of the various building locations and what they contained when, is also quite accurate, for as far as they go.These descriptions of course all represent the "official"descriptions. Common Knowledge, that of the people who actually lived and worked in these buildings was often quite different.
Over all an excellent job and a site well, well worth the viewing.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=168376

The Girvan family was, in some way , involved in the construction of many--most, of these historical buildings and business operations.