About the Groat Estate, Groat Ravine, and Groat Road, Edmonton Albearta.

Photo obviously, taken before 1923, Copy right expired.

Overview

Malcolm Alexander Groat was born April 1, 1836 in Halkirk, Caithness, Scotland. He was educated at the common school in Halkirk, and between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, helped on his father’s farm. He served with the militia during the Crimean War. Following the war, he served as an apprentice carriage builder until 1861, when he signed on with the Hudson’s Bay Company, travelling to Fort Edmonton. At Fort Edmonton, he served as the steward to the chief factor, William Joseph Christie, and supervised the Fort’s farm. On June 26, 1870, he married Margaret Christie, daughter of William Christie; they had two daughters and eight sons. In 1875 he left the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company and farmed land he had obtained in 1870 after the Hudson's Bay surrendered MOST of its lands to the Dominion of Canada in 1869 (retaining lands around their forts); Malcolm’s land was just west of the Hudson's Bay Reserve lands and became known as the Groat Estate.His lands WERE NOT and had NEVER BEEN owned by the City of Edmonton, The Province of Alberta, or The Dominion of Canada. In 1903, he sold SOME of his land to William Tretheway, who in turn sold it to James Carruthers in 1905. Malcolm died May 17, 1912. Margaret died December 22, 1915.

Groat Estate, Groat Ravine, and Groat Road are all named after Malcolm Alexander Groat; employee of the Hudson’s Bay Company, businessman, community organiser, merchandiser, farmer, fur trader, horse breeder, master builder of coaches, rancher, real estate promoter, land speculator, member of Edmonton’s first school board, and charter member of the Pioneer’s and Old timer’s Association; who came to Canada at the age of 25 from Halkirk Scotland.

Malcolm Groat settled in Edmonton in 1878 and bought, and/or claimed, a large tract of homestead and other land that became the original “WEST END”. It stretched from 121st Street to 149th Street and from Jasper Avenue as far north as 111 Avenue. While much of the land remained speculative in nature, Groat did raise cattle and horses, on some of it, while operating a cartage business elsewhere.

Groat’s home on 125th Street was said to have one of the most beautiful views of the river in its time. As he grew older, he subdivided and sold parcels of his land all of which were named after him, including Groat Estates, and Groat Ravine. Groat Road is also named after Malcolm Groat, who donated MOST, but as the city was to rediscover; only after THE ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION OF GROAT ROAD was well under way, NOT ALL, of the ravine to the city in the early 1900s.

After signing up with the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1861, Groat then came to Fort Edmonton to run the company’s farming operations and to organize the pack trains that carried trade goods. In that same year (1870), he married Marguerite Christie, daughter of the chief factor of the fort. They eventually had 10 children. Malcolm Groat remained as an employee with Hudson’s Bay until 1878, when he moved from the fort to his land to begin farming. His farming operation included crops and livestock, but his biggest joy was horse breeding.

By the 1880s, more people were settling around the walls of Fort Edmonton; and Malcolm Groat was involved in uniting the settlers into a community. He sat on the first school board and was a charter member of the Pioneers and Old Timers’ Association. During a real estate boom in 1903, Malcolm sold ALL but 20 acres, OR SO, ((city records, at least, were far from accurate), of his land to eastern real estate promoters. He kept the remaining land to continue his award-winning horse breeding operation.

Malcolm Groat built his third and final house in 1904. It still stands today (10131 Clifton Place, a goodly distance from, and access too, his horse breeding operation). Unfortunately, but not unusual, considering the way in which Edmonton Archives were, and are, traditionally, handled, there is not much of a recorded/written history of this house;other than this quote from the Edmonton Bulletin on Sept. 28, 1904. “Malcolm A. Groat is erecting a splendid residence near the site of his old house on the Groat estate. It overlooks one of the most beautiful portions of the Saskatchewan valley at Edmonton. The house will be fifty-one feet by thirty-nine, and consists of two storeys and a full-sized basement with a concrete floor. It will be built of rubbed brick with buttresses, corners and turret pillars of cement blocks. A splendid veranda extends around two sides of the building. The veranda will be supported on hollow pillars. The house will be fitted in an up-to-date style with the most modern conveniences. The plasterers are now at work on the house.”

Malcolm A Groat remained active in the Edmonton business community until he died on May 17, 1912. His funeral was the largest in Edmonton to that date-45 carriages, or so it is claimed, formed a procession to the cemetery.

William G. Trethewey

William G. Trethewey purchased the BULK (but not all) of Malcolm Groat’s 900 acres in 1903, at a cost of $100 an acre (very expensive, considering that in the 50s and 60s, you could buy rural land, west of Edmonton, for the same price. Tretheway then set about subdividing the land in a grid pattern, with each lot 50 feet by 120 feet. The streets were numbered and the avenues were named. This was two years before Edmonton experienced its first major land boom (1906)when houses couldn't be built fast enough to meet demand. As was true anywhere, in, or near, Edmonton, people often had to live in tents until their houses were complete. But, Trethewey was disappointed at the rate at which his lots were selling. To his way of thinking, part of the problem seemed to be the lack of public transportation to the west end; which meant it, like Jasper Place, was so considered rural, rather than a part of the city. Trethewey and his partner made several attempts to have city council extend the street car to the west end, but nothing came of it.

When he had an opportunity to sell the land to another eastern speculator (James Carruthers); Trethewey did so and then left Edmonton; going back to Ontario; where he made his millions in mining.

The Buena Vista was built by investors who purchased property from Malcolm Groat’s estate shortly after his death in 1912. Construction was barely complete when the real estate market crashed in early 1914. The investors never enjoyed the profit they had expected from the commercial block that was ideally situated along the streetcar line on 124 Street and lost it to foreclosure in 1930.

The building was for a time, home to renowned flyer “Wop” May. It has been a gathering place for generations.

James Carruthers, a Montreal grain merchant and prolific entrepreneur purchased much of the Groat homestead property from less successful real estate promoters in 1905. In 1909, he agreed to build a bridge 20 feet wide in exchange for the guarantee of a municipal street car route on 102 Avenue in to his Glenora subdivision.

City planners tried to convince Carruthers to build a 40 foot wide bridge. Not willing to invest any more money, Carruthers donated two parcels of parkland in the Westmount area to the city in exchange for municipal funds to cover the additional costs for a wider bridge. Four years later, the real estate market crashed, leaving the parkland absolutely valueless, but Carruthers’ steel bridge remains wide enough to handle 102 Avenue traffic more than eighty eight years later.

James Carruthers’ marketing schemes to attract the wealthiest of Edmonton’s families to Groat Estates were successful. He created a neighbourhood of country estates on the very large irregularly shaped lots on Villa Avenue. He ensured that the area would remain intact by registering a caveat stipulating that all homes built here would be at least 25’ back from the street front and that they would all have minimum monetary value of $5,000 (a princely sum in 1911). The caveat disallowed any kind of trade, advertising or multiple dwelling buildings, and is still in place to this day.

Edmontonians took notice of the “ELITE “neighbourhood that was developing and because of the high proportion of lawyers and businessmen who were establishing themselves on these estates; the area was nicknamed “Robbers’ Roost”.

Up until the day he died, John Groat,(I believe a grandson to Malcon); who my children called “Grandpa”-originally an Edmontonian, in later years he lived in Mulhurst Alberta- received a monthly payment from the City of Edmonton, in payment for illegal trespass on and usage of Groat family owned land-land that had never been city, provincially, or federally owned; upon which the city had absolutely NO claim so could not expropriate. There was at the time another small lot just north of the Delton school that very much to the chagrin of the city planners; they found out that the same conditions applied. For a few years before his death, I was John’s constant (24 hour a day) nurse.  ©Al (Alex, Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.

The MacDonald is a "Grand" Hotel, Built in 1912, in the City of Edmonton, Alberta, by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway.

The hotel has successively been owned by Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Hotels, and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. Situated high on the bank overlooking the North Saskatchewan River valley. The building is faced with limestone and roofed with copper. Construction and furnishings cost of about $2,250,000 (over $44 million today)The characteristic Château style, an adaptation of French 16th Century castles, was first brought to Canada in 1892.

This historical hotel is full of character and claimed, by some, to be the only 4 or 5 diamond hotel in Edmonton Alberta. It is conveniently located in the centre of Edmonton; and, being situated on the river bank, the elegantly appointed rooms offer fantastic views of either the North Saskatchewan River valley, or both downtown and south Edmonton.

History

Prior to the construction of the Hotel MacDonald, the area, (east of 100^th street, west of 96^th street) was home to several squatters' camps. The squatters often lived in tents or in small caves dug into the side of the river valley wall (the largest; just east of 97 street ran, for a considerable distance, under Jasper avenue) where some remain to this very day. Many of the squatters were Ukrainian-speaking immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian province of Galicia. The locals nicknamed the area (not one particular site) the "Galician Hotel".

Ross and MacDonald, in conjunction with GIRVAN STUDIOS, described as "the renowned interior and finishing firm of the era" Girvan studios /Townley and Matheson later located in Dairiada or Girvan House the same architectural and interior finishing firms that designed many of Canada's other landmark buildings, hotels,  and theatres, designed the hotel in the Château-style that characterized Canada's other large railway hotels. Construction completed July 5, 1915, and the structure was named after Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald. Standing high on the bank overlooking, what is now, one of, the largest, urban, parkways in North America, the North Saskatchewan River Valley(the park way from Stanley Park to Wreck Beach, Vancouver BC, is larger), the Hotel MacDonald has a garden in the rear of the building where the queen of England (Queen Mother) was once offered “the moon”, on a silver tray.

Over the years, 'The Mac' has proudly hosted visitors from all walks of life, including the many American soldiers stationed here during World War II. The royal visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother) in 1939 caused throngs of well-wishers to gather below the main balcony in hopes of a glance (and creating Edmonton's first traffic jam).

Along with the Palliser Hotel in Calgary, it was one of the first two establishments to be re-issued with a liquor licence by the Alberta Liquor Control Board when the province repealed Prohibition in 1924.

In 1953, in order to cash in on the booming beer trade; and, also to keep up with the rising demand for hotel accommodation in the city; the owners constructed a 300-bedroom, 16-storey, remarkably blank, and  nondescript, addition. However, this addition soon proved to be a detriment, rather than (except for the larger kitchen facilities) an asset. It looked, and  or so many patrons claimed, felt, cheap. This, along with the fact that the beer parlour, which had one entrance facing onto Jasper avenue and was the very first to open in the city core; gave the hotel somewhat of a not quite up to par“skid row” status. Many patrons also connected the hotel with some of the more unsavoury enterprises conducted out of the Mandarin Gardens Restaurant (located directly across, on the north side of Jasper Avenue).
The kitchen gained a reputation for being filthy dirty.
Together the hotel and the addition were soon dubbed "The Mac, and, the box it came in”.
Local gossip had it that the “box” was situated on an old mine shaft or tunnel (room style, no timbering, coal removal) that had never collapsed or been properly filled in.

The hotel continued to fall into disrepute, and, into disrepair until it closed in 1983. In the then typical Edmonton Heritage Council  way of thinking -all older land marks had to be defaced, modernised or demolished and replaced with something "Mod" as always, there was serious talk of demolition.

Thankfully- at some threat of being tarred and feathered-the City of Edmonton, finally, managed to do one thing right; and, designated the building as a Municipal Heritage Resource, on January 08, 1985, (thereby saving it from the usual wrecking ball!). 
The Mac” was the first building, in Edmonton, to receive such INSPIRED consideration AND this “special” designation.

Five areas were, specifically, included in the designation; they are: the building exterior, (much of the stone work, especially the main entrance, done by my grandfather), the Confederation Lounge, the Lobby, the Wedgwood Room (Uncle John Girvan’s work), and the Empire Ballroom.

Canadian Pacific (CP) Hotels purchased the hotel in 1988, began a restoration campaign that included (thankfully) demolishing the 1953 addition. The hotel reopened in 1991, after work totalling $28 million.

Over the next several years, the owners debated how (and if) the hotel should be developed. Canadian Pacific Hotels came to the rescue in 1988 when it bought the chain of CN hotel properties. A total commitment was made to restore The Hotel MacDonald to its former elegance and to re-establish its importance in the community. In 1999, Canadian Pacific Hotels was sold out  to Fairmont Hotels creating the largest luxury hotel management company in North America – U S owned, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

During the restoration, a number of speciality suites were constructed in what had once been the attic (laundry or storage space) of the hotel. These suites feature turret spaces; and breathtaking views of the city, and, of the river valley. The Fairmont Hotel MacDonald's grandest suite, the Royal Suite, is built on two levels and includes a large foyer, dining room, service pantry, two bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms, and spacious living room. Guests staying in this grand suite will truly feel “Royal”. While, such ultra, luxury suites,and$12.00 a small bag,  popcorn, are very indicative of the ever mushrooming trend  toward a return of feudalism; this time catering to the so called, North American celebrity nobility; at least the building and the many irreplaceable, heritage, art treasures, therein, have been saved.

 The guestrooms throughout the hotel were also completely reconstructed during the restoration. Paying homage to its roots, the door knobs of the guestroom closets are original -- complete with the Grand Trunk Rail monogram.  With only 199 rooms in total, this 'new' hotel became Fairmont Hotels & Resorts boutique château-style hotel.

The Hotel MacDonald, exuding a feeling of FRENCH, Victorian, elegance, re-opened its doors to the public on May 15, 1991. The hotel in Edmonton boasted every modern convenience while preserving its heritage detailing.

Overall, the Hotel MacDonald has long been known as the most elegant hotel in Edmonton and is lovingly referred, especially to “Old Timers” to as “The Mac.”It, like the "Alberta" were long recognised as about Edmonton,s most "really distinctive" land marks
After four years of construction, the hotel, named after Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald, and was destined to become the centre of Edmonton's social life. The Mac opened its doors on July 05, 1915, so will be celebrating its centennial in 2015. Celebration is slated throughout the entire year.©Al (Alex, Alexander) D Girvan. All rights reserved.

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. 

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 
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.

GREAT OR NOT SO-THE END OF AN ERA-Lost Buildings, Lost Hotels. Lost Heritage, Lost or Revamped History-EDMONTON IN CONTEXT

The City of Edmonton is situated on relatively flat farmland that is among the most fertile on the Prairies. The North Saskatchewan River separates the north and south parts of the city. Some neighbourhoods of the city have undergone revitalisation, including the city centre and the Old Strathcona district. The City of Edmonton also has a number of commercial areas, including the West Edmonton Mall, still reported as one of the largest shopping malls in the world, although in reality, it is not even the largest in Edmonton (that would be City Centre Mall, which depending on whether of not you consider the LRT as necessary mall transportation{in the Oxford dictionary, a mall is defined as “a large enclosed PEDESTRIAN shopping area-WITH A SHELTERED WALK WAY OR PASSAGE AREA} extends, at least, from 96street to 109street and from just south of Jasper Avenue north to 103avenue. Of course, if you take into account the LRT connection it is considerably larger than that

CRIMES IN EDMONTON TEND TO BE CONCENTRATED IN SOME NORTH EASTERN NEIGHBOURHOODS AND THESE ARE OVERWHELMINGLY DRUG RELATED. Some areas with a reputation for higher crime levels in the north east are Abbotsfield, Beverly, Cromdale, Hermitage and Norwood; (The downtown area also has problems after dark – particularly in the east – Chinatown and McCauley.) THE OLDER AND THEREFORE, USUALLY, MORE AFFORDABLE, FOR PEOPLE LIVING ON PENSIONS, PENSION INCOME SUPPLEMENTS, GUARANTEED INCOMES,(SOCIAL ASSISTANCE-ALL WELL BELOW THE POVERTY LINE), PARTS OF THE CITY.

In 2001, the Edmonton census metropolitan area (CMA) had a population of 938,845.

It was the sixth most populous CMA in Canada, HOME TO APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF ALBERTA'S POPULATION. From 2001 to 2006, as from 1996 to 2001, Edmonton registered the fourth largest population growth of all Canadian CMAs.

IN 2006, EDMONTON WAS THE MOST NORTHERLY URBAN AREA WITH A POPULATION OF MORE THAN 1 MILLION (1,034,945) IN NORTH AMERICA. This robust growth is associated with the favourable economic situation in Alberta, which is mainly due to the strength of the oil industry.

The City of Edmonton, lies at the centre of the CMA and covers 684 square kilometres. In 2001, the city had a population of 666,104. The geographic area of the City of Edmonton is entirely served by the Edmonton Police Service, which in 2001 was made up of 1,194 officers distributed among 4 divisions and 12 community police stations.

CRIME RATES IN EDMONTON ARE ABOVE AVERAGE FOR CANADIAN CITIES – ALTHOUGH SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN VANCOUVER, IT IS APPROXIMATELY 50% HIGHER THAN THE MORE AFFLUENT(since most of the U.S. controlled OIL INDUSTRY OFFICES are now located there), CALGARY AND MONTREAL AND HAS OVER DOUBLE THE CRIME RATE OF TORONTO.

In the 2004 General Social Survey, residents of the Edmonton CMA reported a rate of violent victimisation in Canada of 191 violent victimisation incidents per 1,000 inhabitants aged 15 and over, and a household victimisation rate of 361 household victimisation incidents per 1,000 households. (HOWEVER, RESIDENTS OF THE EDMONTON CMA ARE NO EXCEPTION TO THE GENERAL TREND OBSERVED IN CANADA: RESIDENTS OF THE PRAIRIE CMAS (WINNIPEG, REGINA, SASKATOON AND CALGARY) REPORTED RATES OF VIOLENT VICTIMISATION AND HOUSEHOLD VICTIMISATION ABOVE THE CANADIAN AVERAGE (111 VIOLENT VICTIMISATION INCIDENTS PER 1,000 INHABITANTS AGED 15 AND OVER AND 248 HOUSEHOLD VICTIMISATION INCIDENTS PER 1,000 HOUSEHOLDS).

The Drake, Beverly Crest Motor Hotel, and the Rosslyn Hotels

For more than half a century, they've been a part of the east Edmonton landscape.

The Drake Hotel and the Beverly Crest Motor Hotel are more than just places to stay - they're places of gathering and celebration that have become integral parts of the Beverly story.

When the Drake Hotel officially opened May 26, 1950, it was touted by Aunt Hilda’s father (then, mayor of the town of Beverly) as proof that as far as Beverly is concerned, the boom is on. Although the hotel was not really much to look at; the two-storey frame and stucco building featured 20 rooms built on an L shaped floor plan to give all rooms outward facing windows, a lobby, coffee shop and separate beverage rooms for men and women. Rough cedar planks covered the bottom of the north and west exterior walls, with canopies over all entrances and the famous vertical H-O-T-E-L sign prominent on the second level near the front corner.

Named for the male Mallard ducks that frequented a large slough nearby, the site of the hotel at the southeast corner of 40th Street (3945 118 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB) was one of the most popular in the town right from the beginning. Recollections of early settlers(including my father)who worked in several of the mines) say a livery stable was on the property at the time of the early mines. Later, the post office and then a half-finished retail development stood on this spot.

The drake hotel was developed by a group of Edmonton businessmen and, as a May 25, 1950 Edmonton Journal article proclaimed, it was the quality of accommodation and appealing decor that made it so attractive. Real feature of the Drake rooms is the high quality mattresses and springs. Sleeping comfort is assured every guest. All rooms are fitted with running water and all afford clothes closet space.

The hotel again made the news two years later when $10,000 was allegedly taken by two masked and armed robbers in a heist at 2 am the morning of September 21, 1953. Night clerk Metro Westrouk was bound and gagged and the two blew the safe with explosives. The bandits fled into the night with $3,000 to $4,000 cash and cheques for $6,800. Beverly Police Chief A. McIhargey described the safe cracking as the work of experts and said it was obviously a well-planned job as the thieves knew where to find the key to the office after binding the clerk.

THE BEVERLY CREST: The hotel is located at 3414 118 AVENUE, EDMONTON, EDMONTON, AB. The 1960 announcement of the planned construction of a new hotel between 34 and 36 Streets along the north side of 118 Avenue generated much excitement in the community. The new hotel was to supply a minimum of 20 new jobs.

Owned by brothers William and Joe Lutsky and Wolfy Margolis, the Beverly Crest Motor Hotel was completed in 1961 The hotel did NOT open in 1961as is commonly posted; the official opening came the following spring (1962). It wasn't an easy time, the hours were long and the work was hard, Joe recalls. But I guess we did alright.

Designed by the Edmonton architectural firm Hemingway and Laubental, the 42-room hotel was acclaimed for its extensive use of plate glass, which lent the lobby an air of spaciousness, according to one newspaper account. The hotel is designed as far as possible on one level, the article continued, the exception being the downstairs banqueting rooms and one floor of bedrooms on the second floor reached by a wide, gently rising staircase. The design has thus eliminated the necessity of elevators a necessary convenience in most hotels.

THE ROSSLYN HOTEL: was originally conceived and built in 1962 at what was then the edge of the city, the hotel has grown up serving Rosslyn, Greisbach-on record as being a source of organised violence- and the surrounding communities. The hotel underwent a major redevelopment in 2002 when the tower was added,

The Cromdale Hotel

The alcove, behind cab and power pole, Led down to the cocktail bar

The parking lot, length of the entire block, was, as you can see  VERY valuable HOTEL property. Poorly managed; or not, the property owners were ROBBED, BIG TIME.

Workers demolish the old Cromdale Hotel on 118 Avenue and 82 Street in Edmonton, Alberta on Wednesday, August 8, 2012

As crews began demolition on the infamous Cromdale Hotel Wednesday night, one Edmonton man came down to watch what he says is the "end of an era."

George Ross stood and stared at the building that has been part of his life for so long. The 52-year-old says he grew up just four blocks from the hotel, and would later work and frequent the bar.

"It's been here for so many years. I drank in here, I worked in here as a bouncer, it is just a part of me," he said. ”The Cromdale has been here forever."

Actually: The hotel – was built in 1954 and next to the Beverly Crest and the Rosslyn hotels it was the newest hotel in the area (east of 97street, north of Jasper Avenue.

Never intended to be fancy, or upscale, it had been built to cater to the horse racing crowd. Unfortunately, in the later years, it also became a hangout for those of mixed, mongrelized, “aboriginal/first nation/white” blood plus a few other people who were, notoriously, takers; seldom ever givers.

"I got a case of whisky,

got it from a friend.

Went to a funeral in Brocket,

that was the end.

Went to the Cromdale in Edmonton

Got into a knife fight

and stabbed him in the gut"

--Song from “Indian Idol", on their third album "Not Too Pretty Bad"--

“I can't even begin to tell you how many conflicted emotions I have about the Cromdale Hotel. Most of my childhood memories involve that rat trap in one way or another.

We lived in a house directly behind the Cromdale when I was about four years old. My mom worked there as a waitress and it was at the Cromdale where she met the man who would be instrumental in making the rest of my childhood something I'd rather forget and have had to bury in order to survive. He is the reason my adult life has been filled with nightmares, anger and hate.

Good ol' Cromdale.

I remember sleeping in the car outside the Cromdale, waiting for him & my mom to finish drinking.

When we were old enough to be left at home, 7-8 years old, I remember phoning the Cromdale and paging my mom only to be told by the person on the other end that they didn't page anyone. Even at that age, I remember being cocky and pulling attitude with whoever answered the phone, saying, ‘Listen, let me talk to Mike or Stan (the owners at the time) because he knows my mom!’

Sometimes, she would call me back. Most times, she didn't.

There is not one year of the 15 years I lived at home that didn't involve that place in one way or another.

Walking to Klondike Days, we would have to walk right by the Cromdale to get to the grounds. I remember thinking that if we could just get past that block, we'd be OK. Even taking the bus to school was frustrating because anytime the bus stopped in front of the Cromdale, I always wondered which scumbag would get on.

The number of times my mom came home from that bar, bruised, bloody and battered are too many to count.

My mom left her soul in that place, I'm sure of it.

The Cromdale was always there, attracting the lowest of the low: hookers, strippers, drug dealers, low life criminals. If you wanted to get into that life, the Cromdale was the place to network.

I've been in the lobby; I actually had a drink for my 18th birthday with my mom, sort of a "bonding moment" for us.”

Who or what was to blame; was it the community, the mother, or the hotel? Or could it have been GOVERNMENT LEGISLATED poverty(Canadian politicians could save the TAXPAYERS a lot of money, simply by allowing all citizens a "decent", livable income; but, as usual, they fail to see any connection)? What do you think? 

If you believe it was the hotel: Why, If they lived directly behind  the hotel, would this girl have to sleep in  a car; “waiting for him and my mother to finish drinking? How is it; a child is old enough to be left sleeping in a car (during winter months, in Edmonton it could well be 40 below) before age7-8 but is hot old enough to be left at home? 

The parking lot, almost constantly under police surveillance, was directly behind the hotel: many of these people might have been alcoholics, drug dealers and/or fourth generation “hood “ hookers; but most at least, were not completely, stupid; why anyone living so close, take a car and risk an impaired or drunk driving charge? 

What excuses can you give for the mother being so well known there and why did she live so close for so long? 

If conditions were as bad as described, how is it that this girl and her sister, or brother, were allowed to remain in the home and they were not under social service/child protection custody?

Personally, I believe there is bullshit to be found in the comments both above and below, more than just a little. Perhaps that is why, there are groups who feel the Cromdale Hotel should have been re-opened; as “it would have provided a “variety” of employment opportunities in the Cromdale area.”

“yikes, I’m a 'hood'kid too, and remember that place being terrifying. I was only a kid, but I remember frequently using the word 'rapist' to describe certain places in the neighbourhood, and that was one of them, (rapist park, rapist forest in the river valley, rapist hotel, you get the picture) sadly enough it was usually because someone I knew had been raped in our around them. It’s a rough patch of earth, and as long as I remember it always has been.

“I was a little further north down 118th, but I remember when there was literally ONE police officer with a vehicle at the Abbotsfield station, and watching my playground burn to the ground because the police came down on bikes when we called 911 saying there were kids telling us they were going to light it on fire. It’s going to take a massive effort to turn that place around!”

118^th Ave runs east and west. You can’t possibly be a little further north down it. “The Cromdale Hotel, rapist forest, rapist park, in the river valley”???

Abbottsfield (not Cromdale) is a neighbourhood in east Edmonton, Alberta, Canada ,overlooking the North Saskatchewan River valley.

The neighbourhood is named for Abraham Abbott, a resident of the Town of Beverly and long-time school custodian in the Beverly School District. While development of Abbottsfield didn't begin until nearly a decade after the amalgamation of Beverly with Edmonton in 1961, the neighbourhood is located in an area closely associated with Beverly. Beverly was a coal mining town, and one of the major Beverly coal mines was located in the Abbottsfield area.The Abbottsfield area was also associated with the local GARBAGE DUMP/LAND FILL.

Abbottsfield is bounded by the North Saskatchewan River valley on the east, 118 Avenue on the south, 34 Street on the west, and the Yellowhead Trail corridor on the north. Victoria Drive forms the boundary between the neighbourhood and river valley proper. Rundle Park is located in the river valley below Abbottsfield and the neighbourhood of Rundle Heights located immediately to the south. It is not , really, close to the Cromdale district and had the town of Beverly not amalgamated with Edmonton would not even have been in the same city.

True, the Cromdale Hotel like many of the older hotels in the Edmonton area, including the Hotel MacDonald, had long been, very badly, managed and true, on any given night, about half of the female patrons would be under age, many would be 4^th generation drug dealers, hookers or both. Many would also “self-identify as being aboriginal;MÉTIS OR “FIRST NATIONS” but, this is a problem with our government and their policies of GOVERNMENT LEGISLATED POVERTY. It is not a social problem, and, it is not a problem that is CREATED in any community or social environment (outside of a reservation or possibly, now days, by a ridiculous land grant, such as Nunavut.
In this country,Canada,Canadians are supposed to all be equal . Supposedly there is NO SPECIAL PRIVILEGES allotted to any one minority, or; majority; group. 

More  importantly; to most all really concerned or involved, it sat on a very, very, among the most valuable pieces of property in all of Edmonton. The property included the parking lot behind; that like the old Dominion store- actual site and parking lot- (north of 118th Ave and east of the old Safeway store) encompassed almost an entire block. It “has been vacant since it was-officially, by the city of Edmonton declared unfit for occupancy and closed in 2004”.

Why then, has not the CITY closed the Dover Hotel (Note below, Dover Hotel),? That hotel is just as decrepit and notorious for crime as was the Cromdale. The reasons can only be, because:

1. It is at least in part, a “heritage” building.

2. The land is not nearly as valuable, TO THE CITY BUREAUCRATS and POLITICIANS, as The Cromdale property was.

3. By allowing the Dover to operate as a CASINO, while still, very thinly, disguised as strictly a hotel/bar operation, these same bureaucrats and politicians are able to receive more funding for their six month long  paid holidays-every six months.

When the hotel was first built, the rooms would be every bit comparable with those of the Kingsway Inn; (about the same age)which catered to NAIT students, and also had a strip bar which had been closed for allowing grossly lewd and/or sexually explicit acts on stage and for running a bawdy house and those of the Edmonton Inn(strangely, although this hotel was long reputed to have the largest and second busiest beer parlour in the city, there is, now, nowhere, (including archived, city, records and files) that you can find the RAMADA EDMONTON HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTRE referred to, or pictured with its original name.

The city issued the demolition order for the Cromdale Hotel back in 2009 -- and despite brief opposition from the owners -- the property was sold to United States of the Americas based Shoppers Drug Mart.

The move is said to be part of a larger effort to revitalise the Alberta Avenue area. The city (actually the taxpayers of the city; cities have no money of their own.) has already spent millions of dollars putting in new sidewalks, lights and pavement along 118 Avenue. News of its demise was welcomed by SOME residents in the area, as the hotel continued to be a magnet for crime in the TRADITIONALLY, CRIME RIDDEN, CROMDALE COMMUNITY. Most of this area was originally encompassed by RAT (an omen?) Creek, which ran eastward from 97th street and the Calder area; and the vast Kirkness Lakes-a system of lakes that ran as far east as the present Drake Hotel.

During a period starting in the 1980s, using the same or a very much related excuse, (some claim several years before) Edmonton did a rather efficient job of getting rid of most all of the less expensive, “working man’s-“railroad” type hotels and bars..

REMEMBER THE NIGHT-N-DAY CAFE.

THE NITE-N-DAY CAFE SAW ITS LAST DAWN IN 1975, TURNING OFF THE LIGHTS ON A BUSINESS THAT BEGAN IN 1932.

THE EATERY, AT THE CORNER OF 118TH AVENUE AND 81ST STREET, WAS STARTED BY GUS GREEKAS AS THE WHITE DOVE COFFEE SHOP. “IT WAS A BIT OF A ROUGH NEIGHBOURHOOD. PEOPLE ON 118TH AVENUE DIDN’T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY SO IT WASN’T FANCY AND WE JUST MADE ENDS MEET,” GUS’S WIFE ANNIE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING IN AN EDMONTON JOURNAL ARTICLE PUBLISHED JULY 19TH, 1975.

Actually, people living near, or conducting business on, 118th Ave. had a considerable amount of money. Examples are: the owners of Brody’ jewellery, The Campbell family of Campbell’s furniture. The Cleavly family, builders of the heritage - last house odd side, 118 Ave 96 st. The Cotter family, of Cotters Hardware. The Easton family, builders (with my grandfather’s help) of the heritage home, (last building even side, 19th Ave 96 St.) and owners of Easton’s Furniture, Edmonton politics. The Fox family, Fox Airlines. The Glauser family, of Glauser’s Jewellery, The Lundy family, John- NHL Mrs Lundy-real estate, including at least two apartment buildings. Henry’s Donuts and Shade’s Sweet Shop.

IT WAS THE BEVERLY/CROMDALE DISTRICTS THAT GENERALLY DIDN’T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY; AND THAT TIME,(1951)  AND IT WAS PRIMARILY THE NITE AND DAY CAFÉ THAT WAS A “ROUGH DISTRICT. JOHN GREEKAS TOOK OVER HIS FATHER’S RESTAURANT IN 1951 AND SAW AN OPPORTUNITY AS AN ALL-NIGHT OPERATION, BECOMING ONE OF ONLY FOUR OR FIVE OFFICIALL RECOGNISED AS SUCH IN THE ENTIRE CITY(IN TRUTH, FROM THE FLAMINGO, AND GOLDEN GATE ON 101 ST NEAR THE CNR STATION, THE BUS DEPOT, AND TWO ON 111 AVE, THEY WERE NUMEROUS.

JOHN GREEKAS CHANGED THE NAME TO THE NITE-N-DAY. IT IS TRUE; THERE WERE ONLY THREE NOTORIOUS “CRIME MAGNET” ALL NITE RESTAURANTS IN EDMONTON AT THE TIME. THE PPCLI MOVED IN TWICE TO CLEAN UP THE OTHER TWO, THE PHOENIX/RED ROSE GARDENS AND THE COFFEE CUP INN. I’M SURE THEY WOULD HAVE “CLEANED UP” THE NITR-N-DAY AS WELL, HAD NOT JOHN AND HIS MOTHER MOVED THEIR BASES OF OPERATION TO THE PARK HOTEL AND BEACHCOMBER RESTAURANTS (DR ALLARD). BEFORE THEY DID SO, JOHN GREEKAS WAS QUOTED, “I USED TO GET BEAT UP FOUR OR FIVE TIMES A MONTH, BEFORE I HIRED A BOUNCER.” COULD IT POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF SMALL PORTIONS, POOR QUALITY FOOD, AND EXORBITANT PRICES?© Al (Alex,Alexander) D Girvan. All rights reserved

The Alberta Hotel, Edmonton, Never Looked as it is Made Appear in the Plaque Picture, Attached to the new Replica Building.

 Plaque Photo-The photo-not the plaque(material it is otherwise made of)-is public domain

The carriage is shown parked where there was an iron pipe railing protecting people from falling into and down the stairs leading to the hotel basement (see, especially, colour photo below).

Placing a plaque with this VERY obviously, very much, RETOUCHED, photo on the Replica Alberta Hotel is a supreme insult to the highly talented (the work can not be duplicated now days), artists and craftsmen who did the original work. Some people might even claim that it is an insult to the former King and the Queen Mother. They stayed in the rooms(later,with balcony fire escapes) just above the Main (corner) entrance.One thing the Alberta Hotel had in common with the Jasper house/Hub Hotel, both originally, had doors, without a balcony or protective railing, that opened to thin air.The difference; instead of just one such door, the Alberta Hotel had four. It took a while for local blacksmiths to construct the iron balconies, railings, stairs, and fire escapes; which were all forge; not acetylene welded.

Grandfather, Sandy Girvan, did much of the tile work, front bar, off the lobby in the original hotel, and granduncle John  Girvan (Girvan Studio- SEE POSTING: The Canadian Branches of the Girvan/Cameron Family)-contributed the plaster work (wall and ceiling of the same area, very similar to his work in the Gem theatre and some similar to his work in the McDonald Hotel). Grandfather Girvan also did much of the stone work and carving on the front of the building. When it was owned by Mrs Lucas (she would work herself as a chamber maid in  the Queens Hotel, directly across on the other side (south) of Jasper Avenue) I worked for a time in the historic Alberta Hotel.
When we were first married,, my wife and I stayed in the hotel on several occasions.
Charlie, for a time ran his (Very Well Known, Community Icon; he had also operated in the Gem theatre building)Tokyo Restaurant[original location, white building, right side of photo],-Neither he or the restaurant were Chinese and he did not serve ethnic foods) in the hotel.

Because it clearly shows three facts, not commonly known, or at least admitted, by most "experts" on   Edmonton Historic buildings; this photo undoubtedly should be the one on any plaque. Scrutinise closely the lower, two story adjoined building, left in photo. What is written on the front? Right; at the time this was the ONLY sign identifying the Alberta Hotel..The Alberta Hotel was built in four, separate, but, later, adjoined sections, and the floors weren't quite at the same level. Although, the hitching posts are not visible, the horse and sled indicate where they were, for many years, located. Visible behind pole is the pipe railing that kept from falling into the stairwell; which lead to the basement. The uniquely shaped, conical, tower roof, is the feature that made the Alberta Hotel one of the most visible and well known landmarks in all of Edmonton.

It was in the portion of the original beer parlour(Four windows, behind front lobby and,  later, elevator; that grand uncle John's work was to be seen, while  grandfather Girvan (GIRVAN STUDIOS, described as "the renowned interior and finishing firm of the era" did tile work in the same area, most of his stone work was on the front entrance tower.

The Alberta Hotel as it  ACTUALLY LOOKED-the smaller sign, attached to the building(colour photo) is above the door leading to the restaurant. The photo was taken about the same time Charlie was operating it as the Tokyo. Just a short distance behind the church (background, same photo) is where Edmonton's last log cabin was located. The church also marks(running north,behind the hotel, as pictured) the beginning of CHURCH STREET, which extends to 118th (Alberta) Avenue.There were also at least four bars or beer parlours and numerous brothels. For over Half a century, I lived in, and worked out of, this area.

Another, rather amusing story, about the Alberta and Queen's Hotels and the people, living in the community, who frequented them: There was this old retired fellow who stayed in the Queens Hotel,  for years. Now, while the rooms were less expensive, the Queen's didn't have a restaurant. He of course, didn't want to enter the Phoenix(no older person did). And, he didn't care for the other two restaurants that operated within two blocks on that side of Jasper Avenue either. Besides, as he  so often put it, "he preferred to drink his beer and eat, in the Alberta Hotel anyway. Mrs Lucas reserved a special table for him, right beside my uncle and grandfathers work. That's not the story.
This fellow, every morning, would take a taxi/cab, from the Queen's to the Alberta and eat breakfast. He would then take another cab from the Alberta Hotel, to the Queen's Hotel. where he would order two beers, and wait the twenty minutes or so for The Alberta Hotel to open. He would then take another cab from the Queen's back to the Alberta, so he could sit and enjoy his beer at his favourite table. Towards evening, of whenever  he felt that he'd had enough to drink; he'd take another cab back to the Queen's. He did this every day, except. at that time Sundays.
Eight cabs, eight cab fares; and he had travelled, only, about 800 feet, by taxi/cab. 
He was not mentally handicapped, and he had no problems with mobility or walking. He would walk on the sidewalks, either side of the Avenue. He would walk in, to and from the hotels. He just never walked across Jasper Avenue-some of the old timers claimed-in his life.
That was what he "preferred"  and he did not object to paying the cab fare. 
Many of the cabies did, or had, operated out of the "Smallest Commercially Operated Multi-story Building in the World",(Guinness ), so they wouldn't even charge him. In which case he would figure a way to pay them in some other way. © Al (Alex,Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.
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