We want this community to have access to its own stories and have pride in the neighbourhood.
Dedication
This project is dedicated to the many generations of Knowledge Keepers and the more recent community historians who have worked to collect and share the stories of this place.
Our area…
The southern boundary of Jasper Place is the North Saskatchewan River. For millennia, Indigenous people have travelled on it, transporting goods for survival and trade. Much later, it supported the fur industry. To the north, there was another traditional route which allowed access to the river from the forests. Ultimately, part of this became Stony Plain Road, the spine of the community.
The Town of Jasper Place, established in 1950, included the 14 neighbourhoods and industrial areas stretching from the river to 118th Avenue in the north, and between 149th Street and 170th Street. In 1964, when Jasper Place amalgamated with Edmonton, it was the largest town in the province.
Who is involved…
The core of our project is stories from people who live here. From the beginning of the twentieth century, the neighbourhoods that make up Jasper Place have welcomed all kinds of people.
We are working with community members to gather Indigenous history, stories of the first settlers, and of people who have arrived here more recently, including those from the Philippines, the Caribbean, Africa, West Asia and Asia, as well as other parts of Canada and Europe.
We’re creating a Community Collection of oral history interviews, videos and photos, all of which will be donated to the City of Edmonton Archives.
To give back to the community, we’ve created a website [https://jasperplacehistory.org/] where all of these stories can be read; photos, maps, and video clips from the oral histories can be viewed; full transcripts of the interviews can be downloaded; and guides for further reading and research can be consulted. We also publish an article in every issue of the community newspaper, SPANN.
Do you have a memory to share?
We want more stories of the people that lived, worked and played within Jasper Place. Please get in touch with us. Email jasperplacehistory@gmail.com.
Acknowledgements
This project has received funding from a number of sources:
- The Stony Plain Road Business Association Project through We Belong in Jasper Place
- The Government of Alberta through their Heritage Preservation Partnership Program.
- The City of Edmonton through their Neighbourhood Revitalization Grant Program.
- The Edmonton Heritage Council through their Project Accelerator Program.
Banner concept by Don Bouzek of Ground Zero Productions, created by SignWorks Plus
Rivers
The river flows one way
and in its passing, swift
or slow, you feel
the weight of time,
the lunar pull, the turn
of seasons. Go with
the current and it takes
you where all things
come at last together.
–Glen Sorestad, preface to Reading the River by Myrna Kostash.
