Southeast Edmonton

Ritchie

Development in Ritchie began with the arrival of the Calgary and Edmonton Railroad line in 1891 and the completion, in 1902, of the Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific Rail line following Mill Creek Ravine across the Low Level Bridge to Edmonton. Early development radiated out from a commercial area on Whyte (82nd) Avenue, now called Old Strathcona. Subsequent commercial development extended along Whyte Avenue where, from 1908 to 1949, a streetcar line joined Ritchie with downtown Edmonton (via 99th Street). Ritchie became part of Edmonton when the City of Strathcona amalgamated with Edmonton in 1912. By that time, most of Ritchie had been subdivided using a grid street pattern. While most structures were built prior to 1950 both development and redevelopment, especially in commercial areas, has continued to the present time.

Because of its history and location, Ritchie is an area of mixed land use. It is predominantly residential (63% of property area) with a sizeable number of commercial and industrial properties (20% of property area). Single detached homes account for just under 50% of all residential units in the neighbourhood and a mixture of semi-detached dwelling, row housing and low to medium rise apartments make up the remainder of the units. Ritchie residents have good access to downtown Edmonton and the Mill Creek portion of the river valley park system. In addition to the ravine, Ritchie features a series of parks that run along the central spine of the neighbourhood in conjunction with school sites. The eastern portion of Whyte Avenue runs the northern length of the neighbourhood providing good local commercial access and many residents are within walking distance to the Old Strathcona Farmers market in the adjacent Strathcona neighbourhood.

Ritchie was named for Robert Ritchie, former Mayor of the Town of Strathcona and original owner of the Ritchie Mill which still stands, as an historic site, at 102 Street and Saskatchewan Drive.

Demographics

Population 3,783 Median Income $56,762 # of Homes 2,124 © Stats Canada Census Data

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King Edward Park

The King Edward Park neighbourhood is bounded on the north by 82nd Avenue, a major arterial; the southern boundary, 76th Avenue, is a collector roadway. A portion of the land in King Edward Park was being farmed as early as the 1870s by James Inkster, who sold most of his land in 1909. The neighbourhood’s development history is reflected in Edmonton’s pattern of growth. The land west of 91st Street was annexed by the City of Strathcona in 1907 and was later absorbed by Edmonton through the amalgamation of the two cities in 1912. The structures at the western end of King Edward Park are generally the oldest in the neighbourhood. Early residents of this area were able to hear the train whistles of the Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific Railway as trains wound their way through the Mill Creek Ravine. The railway tracks since have been replaced with a pathway that connects the ravine to the North Saskatchewan River Valley park system.

The portion of the neighbourhood between 91st Street and 75th Street was annexed by Edmonton in 1913, but the majority of development in the area did not occur until the 1950s. As Edmonton continued to grow, the portion east of 75th Street was added to the city in 1960.

Single detached housing accounts for just over 50 percent of the structures in King Edward Park, and one quarter of the neighbourhood’s dwelling units are found in apartments under five stories with the remainder of multiple unit homes located in semi-detached residences and row housing. Higher density residential and commercial land uses are located along 82 Avenue and in the area east of 75 Street. Additional retail businesses and services are located at nearby Bonnie Doon Mall. The neighbourhood’s western is formed by the Mill Creek Ravine, which gives residents excellent access to natural amenity space.

King Edward Park was named before it was annexed to the City of Edmonton and commemorates King Edward VII (1841-1910), the eldest son of Queen Victoria.

Demographics

Population 3,281 Median Income $65,394 # of Homes 1,620 © Stats Canada Census Data

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Forest Heights

The North Saskatchewan River Valley is a prominent feature for the residents of Forest Heights. The neighbourhood sits atop the south bank of the valley where the river makes a bend from the north to east. A view of the river valley is possible on the west, north and east sides of the neighbourhood. Three roadways that bound Forest Heights (75th Street/Wayne Gretzky Drive, 98th Avenue, and 84th Street) and three roadways that pass through the neighbourhood (101st Avenue, 106th Avenue, and 79th Street) serve as access routes to North Edmonton via four valley bridges. The neighbourhood’s commercial and higher density residential land uses are concentrated along these roadways. The neighbourhood’s street network is a combination of grid and modified grid patterns. The dominant structure type along the quiet interior streets is the single family house.

Development in Forest Heights occurred primarily during the 1950s and like many other mature suburban neighbourhoods, its demographic composition displays a lower than average proportion (compared to civic totals) of individuals less than 20 years of age and a higher than average proportion of individuals over 50 years of age. This is typical of a neighbourhood in which the majority of the family units have matured.

Forest Heights was initially developed in 1911 by Windsor Realty, and it is assumed that the owner of Windsor Realty, James H. McKinley, and Edmonton alderman from 1909 to 1911, chose the neighbourhood name. The neighbourhood officially became part of Edmonton in 1913 but remained in agricultural use until the 1940s, when housing demand increased significantly after WWII.

Demographics

Population 5,259 Median Income $62,943 # of Homes 2,425 © Stats Canada Census Data

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Terrace Heights

Terrace Heights is located on land identified by the first river lot and township surveys of the Edmonton Settlement as part of the River Lots 31 and 33 and a quarter section of land held by D. McLeod. McLeod was a Hudson Bay Company employee turned saw mill operator who, in 1883, pioneered regular weekly stage coach travel between Edmonton and Calgary. A plan of subdivision was first registered for thearea, including the land overlooking Capilano Ravine, in 1912. At a distance of more than 3 kilometers from the centre of Edmonton, Terrace Heights developed slowly until it was annexed in two steps by the City of Edmonton in 1954 and 1959. Following the 1954 annexation River Lots 31 and 33, north of 101 Avenue, were developed. Beginning in 1959, the area south of 101 Avenue was developed.

In effect, the Terrace Heights neighbourhood functions as two quiet low density residential areas separated by the hustle-bustle of a high-density residential and commercial corridor along 101 Avenue. The neighbourhood has good road access to major shopping and employment centres and especially to nearby Capilano Mall. The northern residential area is particularly well placed for residents to take advantage of access to the Capital City Recreation Park system via the Capilano Ravine which runs through the neighbourhood on the northeast side.

Terrace Heights takes its name from a small former subdivision of the same name located just north of the area dating back to 1912. When the City redeveloped Terrace Heights in the 1950s the name was formalized.

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Bonnie Doon

At the turn of the 20th century, the cities of Edmonton and Strathcona were engaged in an intense rivalry to attract growth. This competition and nation wide land boom led both cities on a path of rapid subdivision and expansion. The portion of Bonnie Doon that lies west of 91st Street was annexed by Strathcona in 1907 and was later absorbed by Edmonton through the amalgamation of the two cities in 1912. In 1913, Edmonton expanded once more, and included eastern Bonnie Doon within its borders.

At the time, Bonnie Doon seemed somewhat distant from the development concentrated around 82nd Avenue (Whyte Ave) and 103rd Street, but the extension of a streetcar line made development in the area more attractive. Early residents of Bonnie Doon took advantage of the river valley views by constructing their residences in the northwest corner of the neighbourhood next to the Mill Creek Ravine and overlooking the North Saskatchewan River. During the inter-war years, Edmonton grew rather slowly, and by 1950 less than half the present structures in Bonnie Doon had been constructed.

After WWII and the discovery of oil at Leduc, Edmonton again underwent tremendous growth. Neighbourhoods like Bonnie Doon began to fill out. Bonnie Doon’s development, and now redevelopment is still underway, due to the neighbourhood’s attractive central location and relatively permissive residential zoning. The bulk of the neighbourhood is zoned RF3 – low density infill zone – which provides the opportunity for single-family and duplex housing while allowing some apartment or row housing with up to four units. As original structures are being replaced, most residential redevelopment is of a higher density.

The neighbourhood is the site of one of Edmonton’s first suburban shopping centres – Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre – which still provides important commercial space within the neighbourhood today.

Bonnie Doon takes its name from the Scottish for “pleasant, rolling countryside,” and was named in 1912 in honour of Canadian-born Premier Alexander Cameron Rutherford of Scottish descent who owned a portion of the land east of Mill Creek.

Demographics

Population 5,790 Median Income $67,202 # of Homes 3,004 © Stats Canada Census Data

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Strathern

Strathearn is located on portions of land identified as River Lots 21 and 23 plus part of a section to the east by the first river lot and township surveys of the Edmonton Settlement. Two of the original land holders were J. McKernan, Edmonton first telegraph operator, and W. Bird who built one of Edmonton’s first water driven grain mills in Mill Creek. Donnell Road in the Strathearn area was annexed to the City of Strathcona and subdivided in 1907. In 1912, it joined Edmonton when Edmonton and Strathcona amalgamated. The remaining area was annexed in 1913. Most of Strathearn remained undeveloped until the late 1940s and 1950s when the land was subdivided and housing and commercial structures were built.

It was during the 1950s that most of Strathearn’s single unit housing, as well as neighbourhood shopping and service facilities, was built. In response to the 1950s oil-driven demand for new rental accommodation, the Strathearn Heights apartment complex was completed in the center of the neighbourhood as an early example of a large scale housing development. In 2008 City Council approved a large scale rezoning of this fifty year old site to accommodate a new mixed-use development containing 1,750 dwelling units and an additional 10,000 square feet of retail space on a 23 acre site.

At its northern and western boundaries, Strathearn is perched atop the North Saskatchewan River Valley. This location affords easy access to the river valley park system and provides commanding views of the valley from vantage points along Strathearn Drive and Strathearn Crescent.

While the origin of the neighbourhood name is not known definitively, it was likely named after Prince Arthur (1850-1942), the first Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, who was the Canadian Viceroy during the first years of World War I.

Demographics

Population 3,361 Median Income $79,616 # of Homes 1,941 © Stats Canada Census Data

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Ottewell

With a gross area of over 250 hectares Ottewell is among the largest of Edmonton’s neighbourhoods, which is especially notable for a neighbourhood located within Edmonton’s Mature Neighbourhood Overlay. Its boundaries are defined by major arterials to the east, north and west, and a collector road to the south. Road patterns within the neighbourhood are reflective of subdivision planning within the 1950s and 1960s. The majority of single detached houses, the dominant structure type in Ottewell, were built during this period. The commercial focus of the neighbourhood is Capilano Mall located in the northeast corner of Ottewell. A smaller commercial plaza is situated on 90th Avenue. This large neighbourhood features six religious assemblies, seven schools and several parks, sports fields and facilities. Additionally a post-secondary institution, nearby Kings University College, is located just east of the neighbourhood.

The name that was originally intended for the neighbourhood was Braemar, and it was briefly known as both East Glenora and East Edmonton Park in the 1910s. The neighbourhood was ultimately named in honour of the Ottewell family who in 1881 were among the first to settle south of the North Saskatchewan river in the Cloverbar area. The Ottewells were active grain farmers and then got into dairying; the Ottewell family later opened the Ottewell Coal Company and Campbell & Ottewell Flour Mills. Today, Ottewell’s historic log cabin is on display at Fort Edmonton Park’s 1885 Street.

Demographics

Population 3,965 Median Income $79,179 # of Homes 1,654 © Stats Canada Census Data

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Holyrood

Holyrood has many of the design features found in neighbourhoods developed during the 1950s. It is bounded on four sides by major roadways which clearly define the neighbourhood and allow residents good access to other parts of the city. Its tree lined interior streets are arranged in a modified grid pattern and incorporate several landscaped street islands. Most streets carry only local traffic, the exception being 95 Avenue and 79 Street which serve as collector roads. A school and community league hall are located in the centre of the neighbourhood.

The dominant structure type is the single family house. Multi family structures and apartments are situated adjacent to bus routes; 95 Avenue and 85 Street. A small commercial plaza is located in the southeast corner of Holyrood. Bonnie Doon Mall, a regional shopping centre, is just southwest of the neighbourhood. Holyrood displays several interesting demographic traits. Over 55 percent of residents have resided in the neighbourhood for five or more years. Households composed of two adults, retired individuals and individuals over 50 years of age are strongly represented in Holyrood. These characteristics are typical of a neighbourhood whose residents are stable and maturing.

The Holyrood neighbourhood has had four names since its inception in the early 1900s. The neighbourhood was called both Mount Pleasant and East Edmonton Gardens in 1912. A couple of decades later the area was called Balmoral, and in 1953, because of the duplication of subdivision names, the area was re-named Holyrood. Holyrood likely takes its name from Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Demographics

Population 3,469 Median Income $71,626 # of Homes 1,529 © Stats Canada Census Data

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Fulton Place

Fulton Place, located adjacent to Fulton Ravine, offers residents easy access to the North Saskatchewan River Valley system as well as scenic views from vantage points located along Fulton Drive. A number of recreational opportunities are available in the neighbourhood including Hardisty Fitness and Leisure Centre, the Michael Cameron Arena, and three neighbourhood parks. Other prominent features in Fulton Place are two schools, several churches, and a community league facility. A small number of businesses serve local residents as a wider range of goods and services are available in the nearby Capilano Mall.

Fulton Place was annexed to the City of Edmonton in 1954. Most of the residential land in Fulton Place was developed during the 1950s. Single detached homes account for almost 80% of the total dwelling units within the neighbourhood, while low rise apartments and semidetached homes make up the remainder. Fulton Place is typical of the mature suburban neighbourhood which has experienced population ageing. The stability of the population is very high with three-quarters of residents having lived at the same address for five or more years. Compared to city totals, the neighbourhood has a higher proportion of individuals over 50 years of age.

Fulton Place is named after Fulton Creek running through the ravine on the west boundary. The neighbourhood extends eastward to 50 Street and lies between 101 Avenue and 106 Avenue.

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Capilano

The North Saskatchewan River Valley and the Gold Bar Ravine encompass three sides of the neighbourhood, and 106th Avenue forms the southern boundary of Capilano. The two major arterial roads located in the neighbourhood (50th Street and 106th Avenue) provide residents with easy access to other areas of the city. Local residents also have good access to Capilano Park in the river valley and to neighbourhood parks. Samis Park is named after Earl Samis (1895-1970) who dedicated fifty years of service to recreation in Edmonton. Another local park recognizes Alexander Harold Thiele (1920-1981) who was an Edmonton lawyer involved with the German Canadian community.

Capilano’s residential make up is almost entirely (99%) single-detached housing, and over 90% of these homes were constructed before 1960. Capilano features many beautifully landscaped homes, streets lined with mature trees and two parks. The neighbourhood also features two elementary schools and a community league. Capilano Mall, a regional shopping centre located in nearby Ottewell, provides residents with a variety of commercial services.

Older neighbourhoods such as Capilano tend to have a higher percentage of their population in the upper age groups (50+) than do newer suburban neighbourhoods. Capilano has almost 40% of its population over the age of 50 years, as compared to the city average of just under 30%.

The neighbourhood was named after the Capilano River, Capilano River Canyon and Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver, BC. “Capilano” is an adaptation of a Salish word that means “people of Hiap.” It was also the hereditary name of the Chief of the Squamish, central coast Salish who traditionally lived in what is now North Vancouver. The Capilano neighbourhood in Edmonton was subdivided in 1910 but remained in agricultural use until urban development in the 1950s. Capilano was annexed to Edmonton in 1949.

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Ellerslie

The Ellerslie neighbourhood was planned and built-out in the early 2000s. Construction in this community was rapid, and as of 2008 only small residentially designated pockets have yet to experience construction. The neighbourhood is bounded by Anthony Henday Drive to the north, 91st Street / Parsons Road to the west, Ellerslie Road to the south, and 66th Avenue to the east.

Residential structure types within Ellerslie are diverse, ranging from single and semidetached housing to row housing and lowrise apartments. Pre-existing country-residential homes, on lots approximately one hectare in size, are located in the eastern portion of the neighbourhood. The neighbourhood features several natural tree stands and many small parks, connected via a series of strategically placed pathways, which provide good open space and recreation amenities for residents. Ellerslie was planned to take advantage of the natural features, access to major transportation facilities and other locational attributes such as commercial and institutional assets within the surrounding area. In addition to regional shopping attractions such as the nearby South Edmonton Common shopping area to the north, Ellerslie includes neighbourhood level commercial amenities for residents. Ellerslie was planned as a “neighbourhood unit” which means that the school/park and community facilities are to be located at the centre of the neighbourhood, situated well away from traffic on the arterial roads that surround the neighbourhood, and basic commercial, institutional and some service needs can be met within the community itself.

“Ellerslie” is the name that’s been used to designate this area since the turn of the 20th century. Some sources indicate that the name was likely derived from the Ellerslie House, believed to be the birthplace of William Wallace, a Scottish insurgent against Edward I of England. Other sources believe this area was named by the brothers John and James McLaggan, owners of the first store and post office in the area, after a character in a novel by Sir William Scott. The Ellerslie School District was established in 1895 and the post office began operating in 1896.

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Summerside

The Summerside neighbourhood is located within the Ellerslie Area Structure Plan (ASP) and is found at the centre of the ASP. The neighbourhood is bounded by Ellerslie Road (9th Avenue SW) to the north, 66th Street to the east, 25th Avenue to the south, and Parsons Road (91st Street) to the west. The most significant feature of Summerside is the 13 hectare and 28 feet deep Summerside Lake located in the western portion of the neighbourhood. Summerside Lake was Edmonton’s first purpose-built man-made lake. All other lakes in Edmonton constructed before Summerside Lake were stormwater management lakes designed to effectively handle drainage within neighbourhoods. Summerside, by contrast, was created for the sole purpose of providing residents with recreational space where they can swim, fish and use non-motorized vehicles. Residents pay a maintenance fee to enjoy exclusive use of the lake.

Construction of the Summerside neighbourhood began in the early 2000s and is still actively underway. The plan for Summerside was to create a community that provides for a range of low to medium density residential and business development opportunities in addition to a good mixture of institutional and recreational land use. When completed, residential units in Summerside will be 75% low density in character and 25% medium density. The ratio between low and medium density housing as of 2006 was 80/20, but that will change once all of the housing within the neighbourhood has been completed. The neighbourhood will also contain a variety of park spaces and two school sites once complete. A business and office park is located along Parson’s Road on the neighbourhood’s western border and small community level commercial facilities are located along Ellerslie Road to the north.

Summerside was named after a city on Prince Edward Island and the neighbourhood exudes a nautical character reminiscent of an east coast resort community.

Demographics

Population 21,628 Median Income $80,871 # of Homes 7,292 © Stats Canada Census Data

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