Love it or hate it, going to school has been a fact of life in Edmonton for more than 130 years. Today, there are over 300 schools in Edmonton, and around 2/3 are operated by Edmonton Public Schools.
Schools grow with communities, reflecting population increases and patterns of development. Between 1882, when the community’s first public school opened, until the end of the First World War in 1918, 24 permanent public schools were built to serve Edmonton’s growing population. Scattered throughout the city’s older neighbourhoods, these early schools can be easy to miss – especially since many are on quiet residential streets, hidden by large trees and other buildings.
In this joint exhibition by the City of Edmonton Archives and the Edmonton Public Schools Archives and Museum, we invite you to discover Edmonton’s oldest public schools.
Bibliography
This bibliography is designed to situate the records used in the Building Education virtual exhibit in their larger context. It shows where these disparate records come from by grouping them by creator rather than by subject.
Wherever possible, links to catalogue entries in the City Archives’ online catalogue have been included. There is also further catalogue information in the reference rooms at the City of Edmonton Archives and the Edmonton Public Schools Archives and Museum.
For an explanation of terms and acronyms, see our Virtual Exhibit Glossary.
| Record Number | Description |
|---|---|
| P85.11.3 | Children in sandbox at King Edward School, ca. 1915 |
| P86.15.41 | Bennett School |
| P89.2.10 | Highlands School |
| Record Number | Description |
|---|---|
| 84.2.276 | George Turner's paper on the design of grade schools, presented to the Alberta Association of Architects, January 1914 |
| P86.15.41, Book 1 | March 1885, minutes from the first official meeting with the Edmonton Public School Board |
| Record Number | Description |
|---|---|
| 93.121.156 | Happy 75th Anniversary McCauley 1912-87, 1987 |
City of Edmonton Archives
| Fonds Number | Record Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| MS-56 | Northern Alberta Pioneers and Old Timers Association fonds | |
| EA-10-602 | Donald Ross Homestead | |
| EA-10-927 | Oliver School | |
| EA-10-934 | Strathcona Collegiate Institute | |
| EA-10-949 | Westmount Public School | |
| EA-10-2939 | First Edmonton Public School Board | |
| EA-43-62 | McCauley School | |
| EA-43-67 | Edmonton's First School | |
| EA-43-76 | College Avenue School | |
| EA-43-77 | Schools | |
| MS-155 | Edward Bell fonds | |
| EA-281-1 | Bennett School – Temporary Classroom | |
| MS-206 | Jean & Hector C. Thompson fonds | |
| EA-246-13 | Norwood School | |
| MS-244 | William P. Wagner fonds | |
| MS-267 | Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre fonds | |
| EA-364-2 | Some Strathcona Schools | |
| MS-1026 | Doreen Miller fonds | |
| EA-481-3 | North Delton School | |
| MS-1037 | Edmonton Chamber of Commerce fonds | |
| EA-500-106 | Mckay Avenue School |
| Fonds Number | Record Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| RG-17 | City of Edmonton. Planning Department fonds. | |
| MP-1912-418 | McKay Avenue School Proposed Additions |
| Record Number | Description |
|---|---|
| 371 KOS | Michael Kostek, Looking Back: A Century of Education in Edmonton Public Schools, Edmonton, Alberta: Edmonton Public School Board, 1982. |
| 371.71 KIN | King Edward Elementary and Jr. High School, 66 Years of Youth Education, 1967. |
| 371.8 INN | Duncan R. Innes, Strathcona High School 1907-1967, in retrospect, 1967. |
| 371.8 INN | Terry Butler, Strathcona High Schools 75 Years 1907-1982, Edmonton: Strathcona Triunion Association, 1982. |
| 371.8 PAR 1982 | Parkdale History Committee, Parkdale School 70th Anniversary, 1912-1982, 1982. |
| 371.8 RUT | Rutherford School Booklet Committee, Rutherford School 1910-1967 Centennial Open House, 1967. |
| 372.9 | Ray Thompson, 1906-1967, The ‘Queen’s’ Story (being a brief account of some of the happenings at Queen Alexandra School), 1967. |
| 917.1233 EDM 1914 | Edmonton: Alberta’s Capital City, Edmonton, Alberta: The Esdale Press Limited and McDermid Engraving Co. Limited, 1914. |
| 971.233 GOY | Linda Goyette and Carolina Jakeway Roemmich, Edmonton In Our Own Words, Edmonton, Alberta: Edmonton Public Library Board, 2004. |
| 971.233 KIN | Dorothy May King, “Childhood Memories of Edmonton, Alberta 1902-1911” |
| 971.233 MEN | Men and Makers of Edmonton, n.d. |
Contact Us
City of Edmonton Archives
Prince of Wales Armouries, 2nd floor
10440 108 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
Email cms.archives@edmonton.ca