Paula E. Kirman
If you were in the Edmonton area in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, you may remember the huge billboard at the corner of 149th Street and Stony Plain Road featuring a larger than life shirtless, muscular young boy towering over buildings. The “Young Giant” sign was originally placed at the east and west highway entrances to what was then the Town of Jasper Place. The Jasper Place Town Council granted $1,000 to the Jasper Place Chamber of Commerce to create the signs, which, in addition to the “Young Giant” character, featured the town name, its characteristic features such as industrial and residential areas, and a mention of its night shopping.1 The Chamber of Commerce came up with the “Young Giant” slogan to describe the rapid growth of Jasper Place.2 The “Young Giant” was also incorporated into the header of the stationery used for correspondence by the Jasper Place Chamber of Commerce.
The theme of the “Young Giant” became part of the annual Children’s Day event in the early 60s in Jasper Place, when a teenage girl would be crowned “Miss Jasper Place” and a teenage boy as the “Young Giant” of Jasper Place. Contestants between the ages of 13 and 16 were selected from various communities in the area. According to a call for contestants in Glenwood, the young people were chosen based on their character, school grades, and their attendance at church or Sunday school. Girls wore a simple cotton dress with a full skirt, while the boys appeared in blue jeans, no shirt, and bare feet.3 The winners at Children’s Day were chosen based on how well they personified the “beauty and robust strength” of Jasper Place.4 The event, organized by the Jasper Place Chamber of Commerce, also included a parade and various sports.
In 1963, the J. P. “Young Giant” was 16-year-old Steve Kovacs.4 Kovacs attended St. Francis Xavier High School. His family had fled Hungary in 1956, when the country was still under Communist rule. After immigrating to Canada, Kovacs became an award-winning competitive swimmer, as well as a swimming instructor at Jasper Place Pool.5
However, other than newspaper clippings discussing the establishment of the billboards and the Children’s Day activities, there is little documented history about the “Young Giant” image and slogan. It appears to have gone out of usage in the late 60s, judging by the drop in information in the Edmonton Journal and other local media. Information about the initial development of the “Young Giant” and its eventual retirement remain mysteries – for now.
1 “Two Big Signs Will Boost Features of Jasper Place.” Edmonton Journal, September 17, 1957, page 22.
2 “Jasper Chamber Honors Girl, Boy.” Edmonton Journal, June 15, 1963, page 46.
3 “Glenwood.” Edmonton Journal, May 5, 1962, page 22.
4 “Jasper Chamber Honors Girl, Boy.” Edmonton Journal, June 15, 1963, page 46.
5 “Refugee Student Builds New Life At St. FX School.” Susan Hawkins, Edmonton Journal, May 15, 1964, page 60.
Paula E. Kirman is a freelance writer who grew up, and still lives, near the Jasper Place area.
[This is a slightly expanded version of an article that originally appeared in SPANN Summer 2022].
Do you have any comments about this article or memories to share? Click here.
