User Story

By Denise Daubert

Having loved Edmonton since the very minute I opened my "baby blue eyes," it's not hard to guess that I was born here. In the mid-1950s, Edmonton was still a young Western Canadian city with a population nearing 224,000 and had just celebrated her 50th anniversary of incorporation.

What makes Edmonton special to me is her history. "History" lets me discover and know where we've been and has indeed paved the way to what we've become!

Because many committed Edmontonians and various government departments have strived to keep the city's history "alive" for residents and visitors, I can visit Fort Edmonton Park or the Prince of Wales Heritage Centre. Old Strathcona showcases many heritage buildings as does the downtown core. A tour the charming neighbourhoods of Highlands or Glenora captures a sense of early Edmonton. Our High Level Bridge was opened in 1913 and continues to stand proudly as the North Saskatchewan River flows by.

Photographs and documents at the City of Edmonton Archives allow me to research Edmonton's history. Have you ever taken a stroll along MacDonald Drive downtown to read the history panels? All you have to do is look over our beautiful river valley from that vista and know that Edmonton is one beautiful city!

Unique past stories of Edmonton can be found at the Edmonton Public Schools Archives and Museum downtown. Our city also has some wonderful historic churches and cultural museums. At such venues, I can learn about Edmonton's fur trading, aviation, transportation, arts and "people" history. In late July and early August, the 2009 Edmonton & Northern Alberta Historic Festival will take place with events, tours and activities showcasing history ... this annual festival is amazing.

I'm proud to say that my family is a part of Edmonton's history and has been since my paternal and maternal great-grandparents settled in Edmonton in the early 1900s. I'm grateful they chose Edmonton!

A salute to your history, Edmonton!