Our History

QUEEN MARY PARK AND CENTRAL MCDOUGALL

Edmonton High School renamed Victoria High in 1913. Originally built in 1911 for $150,000, Edmonton High was built on land acquired from the Hudson’s Bay Company. Specifically, eight (8) acres and 264/1000 of an acre for the sum of $14,048.80. It contained 12 regular classrooms in addition to the natural science suite and a “fine library”.
In 1912, Edmonton was in the midst of a real estate boom. The Hudson Bay Company, after having paved two miles of Portage (Kingsway) Avenue, offered parts of its large land holdings in Central McDougall for sale. Shortly thereafter, the boom collapsed and many subdivisions lay vacant for years.

Central McDougall was formed at a meeting in Victoria High School in 1923 with the motto: “Better streets, more beautiful gardens and boulevards”.
Residents meet at Victoria High, listen to musical numbers, and watch a dramatic performance.
Important caveat from Hudson Bay (1928) specifies the area to consist only of single family homes. This will be the source of large controversy later in the century.

Proper recreational facilities for young people of the district, particularly a dual-purpose rink for skating and hockey.
Canadian American Permanent joint Board of Defence took over the Alaska Highway Project in August 1940. The prairie route had the advantage of being far enough inland to avoid attack by enemy planes from the sea. The rapid increase in the number of American, Canadian, and Commonwealth military and civilian personnel in Edmonton and the City’s role as a staging route for the north led to a demand for space and facilities. Military personnel occupied many of Edmonton’s existing buildings, and a military building program was launched on September 4, 1939, with the construction of huts at the Prince of Wales Armoury, located in Central McDougall.
48,000 Americans spent some time in the city and for much of the war made up about 10% of the total population.

St. Mary’s High is closed and St. Joseph becomes co-educational in early fifties.
Queen Mary Park Community League founded and held the first meeting in May, 1952, in the Prince Rupert Golf Course clubhouse. The course had already been defunct for two years and a residential neighbourhood was filling up the fairways.
A rink was erected and the golf clubhouse was purchased from the city to use as the Queen Mary Park Community Centre.
Membership to Queen Mary Park rose to 125 families in 1953. By the end of the decade, membership soared to1,300.
Regular dances, box socials, ice carnivals (started in 1954), talent shows (started in 1955), bridge nights, and Christmas parties started to happen.
By 1958, Queen Mary Park had repaid the city $5,000 for the community centre. Two Hundred (200) citizens were out for a mortgage burning ceremony.

Central Community League closed in 1968 due to a lack of volunteers. This was attributed to the highly transient nature of the population. Queen Mary Park suffered a similar scenario.

McDougall School Advisory Committee held talks with Queen Mary Park and Prince Rupert to form an amalgamated Airway Park Community League in 1975.
When it was discovered that monies of the old Central League, held in trust, could only be used by a new league in the same neighbourhood, amalgamation negotiations discontinued.
In 1976, Central McDougall Community League was formed by a resolution of the McDougall School Advisory Committee. The initial objective of the new league was to set up a job counselling and social service referral agency.
In 1979, residents were invited to produce plans for neighbourhood park, construction began in September.

Peter Hemingway (Architect) designs pedestrian walkway along 103rd street, dotted with boutiques and outdoor cafes to stretch from 107th street to downtown core.
40% of Queen Mary Park’s housing was made up of high-rise and walk-up apartments.
Hudson’s Bay Company caveat relevance is fiercely argued by residents and developers.

Residents would like a mix of young and old while developers try to build low-rent buildings to attract young adults.

WORKS CITED

Bartlett, C. (1994 August 6) Multicultural Queen Mary Park, Edmonton Journal.
Bell, H. (1994, June 24) Fate of Queen Mary Park hall unknown after fire, Edmonton Journal.
City of Edmonton. (1983) Neighbourhood Fact Sheet.
City of Edmonton. (1987) Neighbourhood Fact Sheet, Central McDougall.
City of Edmonton. (1987) Neighbourhood Fact Sheet, Queen Mary Park.
Edmonton Journal. (1979, February 15). Residents will design park. Edmonton Journal.
Edmonton’s Story: Chapter 6. (n.d.) Retrieved from Edmonton: A City Called Home: http://www.edmontonhistory.ca/prelaunch/citycalled home/edmstory/page.php?ScreenKey=2495
Gilpin, J. (1984). Edmonton, gateway to the North: An illustrated history. Windsor Publications.
Kohut, K. (1980, August 6). Massive redevelopment plan for McDougall. Edmonton Journal.
Kostek, M. A Century and Ten.
Sadava, D.T. (2001, September 15). Community gets top-notch park. Edmonton Journal.
St. Joseph High School. (n.d.) Retrieved April 2009, from General: www.stjoseph.ecsd.net/index.htm
Thomas, D. (1980, February 7). Caveat victory may keep hungry developers at bay. Edmonton Journal.