Neil Henry was born in South Africa in 1942 of Scottish parents; he spent 7 years as an army kid in post-war Germany and immigrated with his parents to Alberta in 1953. He graduated from Ross Shepherd High and completed a B. Com and an M.A. at the University of Alberta1. During university summers, he worked for McNamara Construction Western Ltd as an onsite clerk/bookkeeper. This work included running the site office for the construction of Meadowlark Shopping Centre in 1963, under Joe Steil, the McNamara superintendent on the job.
The shopping centre was built on a 22-acre cleared site at the corner of 87th Avenue and 156th Street in the neighbourhood of Meadowlark Park, kitty-corner to the Starlite Drive-In. It was the first covered and air-conditioned mall in western Canada, and housed 35 stores and businesses including Safeway, Zeller’s and Simpsons-Sears at its official opening on October 2nd, 1963.2
The initial plan to build the mall dated to 1957 and was led by the Edmonton District Planning Commission on behalf of the Town of Jasper Place.3 The owner and developer of the shopping centre was Leeds Development Limited, “one of the development firms managed by Canadian Investments Limited.”2 Leeds was already involved in a number of other developments in Meadowlark Park for the Town of Jasper Place. Once leasing of most of the space was complete, “the actual management [was] turned over to City Savings and Trust Company,”3 and Neil Henry recalls working directly with City Savings & Trust throughout the four months he was there.
Canadian Investments Ltd. chose McNamara Construction (Western Ltd.) as the general contractor from the 12 construction companies which tendered on the project. Ira Young, president of Canadian Investments, noted that:
…McNamara was not only the lowest bidder, but the only company which would undertake to complete the centre by Oct. 1. It is quite clear that McNamara has done something quite remarkable. Completing the centre in five months is something that should not even have been attempted, but they did it.3
McNamara managed over 30 sub-contractors in the summer of 1963 to meet the deadline and, in fact, “set a record in western Canada, building the centre in 4 ½ months.”4 Joe Steil, superintendent for McNamara, and Neil Henry were on the front lines of that accomplishment.
Neil Henry lives in the Patricia Heights neighbourhood, which was part of the County of Parkland until the City of Edmonton annexed it in 19645; it was not part of the Town of Jasper Place.
References
1Biography supplied by Neil Henry, November 2024.
2“Centre at Meadowlark Park Opens Officially Wednesday,” Edmonton Journal, Oct 1, 1963, p. 37, via Newspapers.com.
3“Meadowlark Park Complex 5 Years In Planning Stage,” Edmonton Journal, Oct 2, 1963, p. 45, via Newspapers.com.
4“Record Set As Centre Built in 4 ½ Months,” Edmonton Journal, Oct 1, 1963, p. 36, via Newspapers.com.
5 ”Patricia Heights Neighbourhood Profile,” City of Edmonton, n.d.
