It should come as no surprise that we are unable to hold our Annual General Meeting in its usual form this year. In keeping with current restrictions on large gatherings, John Rowand Night was not held in 2020. Instead, the AGM will be a brief, business-like affair offered through an online platform on Thursday, June…

Covid-19 is on everyone’s mind, including the board and members of the Edmonton and District Historical Society. In response to the pandemic, we’ve postponed our recent talk “A Mystery from Norway”, which will instead run during the 2020/21 season.  After careful consideration, we have also cancelled John Rowand Night in April. The board passed a…

On Tuesday, February 25, EDHS welcomed Dave Clarke for a Speaker Series presentation on the history of film censorship in Alberta. In a deep dive into the surviving records at the Provincial Archives of Alberta, Dave discovered that Alberta’s maverick reputation carried over to its approach to film censorship. Alberta cut and banned films more…

On Tuesday, January 28th, another healthy crowd of EDHS members and history buffs joined us at the Old Timers’ Cabin, this time for Matthew Dutczak’s presentation, “Best Edmonton Mall.” Matthew, a “self-appointed mall historian,” started looking into the history of West Edmonton Mall some years ago as a hobby, and has indulged his amateur interest…

Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity to get involved in local heritage? Do you want to give back to your community? Do you want experience working with a dynamic group of people who are passionate about our city? The Edmonton and District Historical Society is seeking to fill two voluntary board member positions starting…

This past fall saw some significant impacts to the heritage landscape in Alberta, driven by changes put in place by the provincial government. This includes folding the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation, cuts to the Provincial Heritage Organizations (including the Historical Society of Alberta), and cuts to certain grant streams. At the moment, none of these…

On November 26, we celebrated the EDHS Christmas party at the Prince of Wales Armouries. This year the festive evening featured Dr. Linda Many Guns, who spoke on the wide diversity of knowledge in the Americas before the arrival of Europeans. The evening started with a traditional Christmas dinner. Dr. Many Guns, a professor in…

Over the course of a year, the Edmonton and District Historical Society touches the lives of many people. Hundreds attend our speakers and bus tours, thousands of children benefit from educational enrichment opportunities, and tens of thousands explore their community through the historic festival. This work is done through the hard work of EDHS’ volunteers…

On October 22 EDHS members and guests were treated to a recounting of the James Bond Steele diaries by Melanie Moore and members of the Highlands Historical Society. Steele travelled to the Edmonton area from Ontario in the 1880s and his diaries offer a fascinating glimpse into Canada’s west during a tumultuous and exciting period…

On Tuesday, September 24, EDHS held its first Speaker Series presentation of the 2019-20 season in our new home, the Old Timers Cabin. As a fitting salute to this beautiful venue, Dorinda Emery, Executive Director of the Northern Alberta Pioneers & Descendants Association (NAPDA), started the evening off with a brief history of her organization…