Strathcona Hotel - Edmonton, Alberta - Antique Hotels on Waymarking.com

One hundred years ago the councillors of the town of Strathcona got together and voted to change the face of Whyte Avenue. Alarmed by the fires that were razing the wood-framed buildings of countless small communities across Canada, they passed an ordinance that all new buildings must be constructed of fire retardant materials like brick.

And so the wood-framed structures with their false fronts that had populated the main street were constructed no more. Yet, more thana century later, remnants - like the Strathcona Hotel still survive and help tell the story of what it was like, back at the beginning of what was first called South Edmonton.

In March 1891, when the Calgary and Edmonton Railway Company announced plans to complete its line from Calgary to a terminus about two miles south of the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. Despite pressure to cross the river and end the line at Edmonton, the company wanted to monopolize the benefits of future land sales and so created their entirely new settlement they called South Edmonton.

The new link to the outside world brought prosperity, thousands of new settlers and the promise of a great future. The new community was incorporated as a town in 1899 and named Strathcona, after Lord Strathcona, a pioneer fur trade and clerk born Donald A. Smith who became Hudsons Bay Governor, Member of Parliament, railway financier and Canadian High Commissioner.

The railway put up the first buildings along 103th Street and Whyte Avenue including the railway station, section house, engine house and hotel, called Edmonton House. That building is still standing and is now called the Strathcona Hotel.

Name of the Hotel: Strathcona Hotel Address: 10302 82 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 1Z8, Canada Height in floors: 3 Hotel Rating: 2 stars Hotel since: 12/05/1891 Date Building was built: 12/05/1891 First use of building: This was built as a hotel Historic Hotel (Historic Building, National Monument or similar): yes Number of Rooms: Not Listed Urban Hotel (located in a village or town): Not Listed Mountains Nearby (less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil): Not Listed Beachs Nearby (less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil): Not Listed Historic Place nearby (Unesco or National monument/site less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil): Not Listed Major Pilgrimage Place Nearby (less than 25 Kms / 15 Mil. Consider any religion).: Not Listed Hotel website (if available): Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/02/2017 navy30000 visited it