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Saturday, 14 June 2014

Edmonton's Lost Boomtown Hotels, Why is There no Mention of Them, In Either City Archives or by the Heritage Council?

City Archives and the Edmonton Heritage Council-members there of- present themselves as a voice –a voice demanding community silence-for the city's memory; an active link between historians, educators, heritage organizations, artists, government and entrepreneurs: everyone who seeks to understand where our history meets our future.
We strive to make Edmonton's history and heritage indispensable to newcomers, to those already here, to those unconvinced about the power and resonance of this legacy.”
 “From the personal to the public, our shared heritage is about Edmontonians making a beloved home and a place in the world.
 The Edmonton Heritage Council is committed to partnerships and projects that:
- provide a forum for analysing, discussing and sharing heritage issues
- advocate for a vibrant heritage community and heritage programs
- unify Edmonton’s heritage community and give it a voice
- promote the awareness and development of effective, informed and recognised heritage principles and practices.
OK, so their purported mandate is to encourage, promote and advocate for the preservation and safeguarding of historical properties, resources, communities and documentary heritage. They strive to do so by restricting, or attempting to, restrict access to, or extract remuneration from, Public Domain Material; which they do not, and cannot, own. Perhaps, many Edmontonians are not aware that this is happening, but the question remains; why are our city politicians-the city government, who are very well paid to be aware; allowing this to happen?
I  use the Lincoln Hotel  as the land mark
The Lincoln Hotel was originally known as the Castle Hotel.

But, over the years there were two Castle Hotels, the other was directly east of the Leland Hotel.
Why is there no mention of the Leland on Edmonton Heritage Councils list of "Lost Boomtown Hotels-Parts 1 or 2?
While we're at it; why is there no mention of The St. Regis Hotel; or The Ritz Hotel-the former was demolished when they built the "new" CNR station and tower, the later was cut in half.
Why, is there no mention of the infamous;York, the Empress, Empire, or Royal Hotels? Why is there no mention of The Queens(most noted for the large field stone fireplace in the bar)-across Jasper Avenue south of the Alberta Hotel?
Why, is there no mention of the much beloved, or despised, depending on your perspective, New Edmonton Hotel? Why is there no mention of the Yale Hotel?

A Grand Hotel (10765 98 Street Edmonton, Alberta Canada) is mentioned as  a heritage building which it well may be. 
Hotel Grand, 2006Hotel Grand, 2006
I  see the images have been removed; which only goes to show-
there exists a REALproblem with city archives.=PUBLIC DOMAIN

Though it is now claimed that this building was the "first" Grand hotel, a long time friend lived the first twenty years or so of her life about a block away. Her parents had owned their house for years before that. None of us,my friend, her parents, or myself, heard of this rather obscure, "rooming house" ever being referred to as the Grand Hotel. Some of the local residents thought of it as part of a school.
 “The Hotel Grand / Hagmann Block is valued as a representative example of an early mixed-use hotel, that accommodated the area’s seasonal and traveling population during the time of Edmonton's rapid development as a commercial centre in the early twentieth century. Representing the booming growth and investment of the pre-World War One era, this hotel was built in 1913 as an investment property by John Hagmann, who farmed the land on what is now the Hagmann Estate in northwest Edmonton."
And, it is not the hotel most people think of as THE Grand Hotel”, located west of the Lincoln Hotel, across from the”new” north side Greyhound Bus Station(EDMONTON BUS DEPOT 1, 10324 - 103rd ST Grand Hotel
The hotel most of Edmonton knows as the Grand would be about about comparable to the Cecil Hotel, in later years.
Edmonton, address of the hotel would be, about,10266 103th Street). The Grand and the Corona were known as Edmonton's FIRST GAY BARS.
Two, historic Grand Hotels? 
Like the two Castle Hotels? Why is this not noted; and much more prominently documented?
This is not the accurate preservation and safeguarding of (Public Domain)historical properties, resources, communities, and documentary heritage information.
What this is, is local government condoned,  though globally, internationally,illegal,  exploitation. 
Exploitation of Canadians,Edmontonians,and of Public Resources,for Personal Monetary Gain.© Al (Alex, Alexander) D Girvan. All Rights reserved.

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