Events and Updates

Think the Highlands Historical Society has been quiet this summer? Hardly!

by  • 

Highlands Historical Society Self-Guided Walking Tour

Over 450 “Highlands Edmonton Historical Walking Tour” booklets have been distributed! 

We thank Ted Smith for most of the distribution. You can walk by his house (111 Ave and 56 Street) on a nice day (or any day!) and there is a little sign and a box with the booklets inside. If you are lucky, Ted will be working on his garden and he will strike up a conversation! Ted is passionate and knowledgeable about all things Highlands. Recently, the ladies who were watering the boulevard trees were fascinated about what Ted had to say, especially about Heritage Tree Avenue (pg 61 in the booklet).

Highlands Historical Society Plaque Month Winners

Decorative historic plaques adorn many homes and businesses in the Highlands neighbourhood. The plaques reflect the interest and support our community has for its history by identifying the year the building was constructed, as well as the original owners of the homes and businesses and their diverse occupations.

This spring, the Highlands Historical Society challenged our members to see who could locate and record the most plaques. Our contest winners each received a gift certificate to a local Highlands business.

Congratulations to Bernadette Stolte, Karen Teghtmeyer, Carissa Morrissey and Vicky Smith!

Up and Coming!

Decorative Plaque Deadline – October 31, 2020
Make sure to submit your decorative plaque applications before our bi-annual plaque deadline! Please browse our many blog posts for more information!

Annual General Meeting – November 28, 2020 at 2 pm
Via Zoom
Free Eventbrite tickets – information to come soon. Watch this space.

In challenging times, the work of the Society continues. We as a Board are looking for innovative ways to provide events and help document the stories of this great historic neighbourhood.  Now is the time for you to become involved. One of the easiest ways to contribute to this work and to become involved is by becoming a member and attending the AGM. Annual memberships expire October 31.

Watch for our upcoming post entitled, “The Edmonton Normal School.”

Highlands History, History, Your Old House

Introducing Buttercup the Cow

by  • 

“[…] Up until the Second World War this area between 55 Street and 60 Street and 112 Avenue to 118 Avenue remained farmland. Clyde Smith, an auctioneer, was the first resident of [Buttercup Farm House] and lived there from 1919 to 1942. His home was named after Buttercup the cow, a resident of the barn at the rear of his property. Henderson’s Directories does not list any neighbour to the Buttercup Farmhouse until 1950 when the area was further developed as a residential district […] https://www.edmontonsarchitecturalheritage.ca/index.cfm/structures/buttercup-farmhouse/”

Artwork by Irina Kruglyakova

Events and Updates

With Spring flowers, bring May showers – Join the hunt!

by  • 

Good morning all! 🌧☀️ Rain or shine, embark on the plaque hunt. In your pajamas, with your morning cup of coffee ☕ We won’t judge. Embark on our quest to hunt down as many plaques as you will. May is decorative plaque month. Hurry! May is almost over!
To find your form to participate – edmontonhighlands.ca
For a separate entry, tag us on instagram and include the hashtag #yeghighlands and #yeghighlandsplaquehunt for a chance to win a local prize to one of our local Highlands shops!
Join the hunt!
@yeghighlands @mandolinbooks @foxburgerbar @majestyandfriends @junesdelicatessen @bodega_yeg @highlandsliquor @highlandswellness @highlandsgolfclubyeg @highlandsyogaroomyeg

yeghistorical #yegevents #yegscavengerhunt #decorativeplaque #plaquemonth #springflowers

Events and Updates

YOU are Highlands History

by  • 

Are you tired of being isolated? Let’s turn that upside down. We are rarely given the opportunity to be part of a huge historical event. CoViD19 pandemic and our responses will rival the crises of the Cold War, or the Spanish Flu. For the first time, we can scientifically track the pandemic as it proceeds, and our communities are beginning to open again. Lessons will be learned. What worked? What should we do differently next time? Some things will change forever. Safe bets: there will be less commuting, and less business travel. Other thoughts: will there be more home delivery? Which restaurants will survive? Will people cook more at home? How will elder care change?

Let’s do our part to record this history. Please take some time (most of us have some to spare!) to post up to 200 words on our Facebook page about a day in your pandemic life. What did you do today? What were you NOT allowed to do today? What do you really miss? What do you consider a Godsend? Did you have any CoViD dreams? What worked for you? What didn’t? What might be different after CoViD 19? Share your thoughts: deep, light, sad, it does not matter. What matters is that we make a record of what we are going through, and how we experience one of the most significant events any of us has ever witnessed. You are Highlands History. Join us in recording the present, for the future. ( Remember: what you post on Facebook is public. We will archive these, and may share these outside the community. https://www.facebook.com/highlandshistoricalsociety)

Events and Updates

Highlands Historical Society Plaque Month: Go on the Plaque Hunt!

by  • 

To celebrate May and the return of spring, the Highlands Historical Society has declared this Plaque Month! As you stroll around the Highlands neighbourhood you will have noticed that Decorative Historic Plaques adorn many homes and businesses. These plaques reflect the interest and support our community has for its history by identifying the year the building was constructed, as well as the original owners of the homes and businesses and their diverse occupations.

The Highlands Historical Society would like to challenge our members to see how many plaques you can locate during the month of May. First, download the plaque chart below and print it out. When you locate a building displaying a plaque, please record the following information:

The date of the building
The building’s original owner
The occupation of the original owner


Fill out the chart and email it to: marketing.edmontonhighlands@gmail.com

OR

Complete the entry form by hand and drop off your entry to 6526- 111ave. (mail slot)

Each decade contains a bonus question with a clue.

The completed form serves as an entry into a draw which will be held the first week of June. Five entries will be drawn for prizes from our local Highlands businesses. Winners will be notified by phone.

For an additional entry, upload a photo of your favourite plaque to Instagram with the hashtag #yeghighlandsplaquehunt or #yeghighlands and tag @yeghistoricalhighlands!

The deadline for both drop-off and email entries is May 31, 2020.

We look forward to hearing from you. Good luck and enjoy your research!

historic-society-plaque-chartDownload