|
The Strathcona district south of the North Saskatchewan River grew up at the end of the nineteenth century, thanks to a decision by the Calgary and Edmonton Railway Company (C&E) to avoid the expense of a bridge across the North Saskatchewan River by concluding a rail spur from Calgary south of the river and Edmonton proper. In 1912, when its population had reached about 7500, the new town was incorporated into the city. Today the streets and many of the older buildings have been spruced up in a manner typical of urban-renewal projects - lots of new pavements and fake period street furniture. This said, it's still the city's best-preserved old quarter, and the nicest to wander around on a sunny day. Plenty of buses run here from downtown, or you can walk across the river via the Walterdale or High Level bridges. The best approach is to take the LRT to University station and board buses #8, #43 or #46 to 104th Street and 82nd Avenue. The area centres on Whyte Avenue (82nd Ave) to the south, 109th Street to the west, and 103rd to the east. Most of the cafes, restaurants and shops are on or just off Whyte or 103rd, which makes the Old Strathcona Foundation office (summer Mon-Fri 8.30am-4.30pm; rest of the year Tues & Wed 8.30am-4.30pm; tel 433-5866), at 401-10324 Whyte Ave, on the corner of these two thoroughfares, a sensible first port of call. Here you can pick up pamphlets detailing walks and drives that take in the area's historic buildings. Just to the north, on 83rd Avenue, is the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market (July & Aug Sat 8am-3pm, Tues & Thurs noon-4pm; rest of the year Sat 8am-3pm; tel 439-1844; free), a happy hunting ground for picnic supplies and craft goods. If you tire of wandering or sitting in cafes, you can give a little structure to your exploration by heading for one or both of the area's two small museums. Rail buffs should check out the C&E Railway Museum , 10447-86th Ave (June to Aug Tues-Sat 10am-4pm, winter by appointment; $2; tel 433-9739), a collection of railway memorabilia, costumes and photos housed in a replica of Strathcona's original 1891 station. Nostalgia buffs might make for the Telephone Historical Information Centre , 10437-83rd Ave (Tues-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat noon-4pm; $3; tel 441-2077), a collection of exhibits and displays connected with telecommunications in Edmonton past, present and future housed in Strathcona's original 1912 telephone exchange. It's North America's largest museum of its kind.
Your Tip for Old Strathcona
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Old Strathcona - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Old Strathcona - visit the main Old Strathcona forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Old Strathcona webguide section below! Thanks.
|
