Three Generations of Holgate Descendants Visit the Highlands

By Melanie Moore

Much has been written about the family who built the iconic Magrath Mansion, William and Ada Magrath. However, very little is known about Bidwell Holgate, William Magrath’s business partner and co-developer of the Highlands. Still less is known about his wife, Mabel—until now.

Bidwell arrived in Edmonton in 1909, and shortly thereafter became Magrath’s business partner. Bidwell and his wife Mabel constructed their own grand residence in the new Highlands neighbourhood at the same time as William and Ada Magrath. Around 1912, not long after the construction on their homes commenced, Magrath and Holgate declared they were retiring from the development business. While Magrath diverted his energy into making a run for Mayor of Edmonton, Holgate continued to build his real estate portfolio. Magrath’s fortunes failed during the economic downturn; however, those of the Holgate family were more stable. They acquired other properties in the Highlands in addition to their grand home. Magrath eventually lost his mansion as a result of tax arrears, whereas the Holgates left by choice to a smaller house on 111^th Avenue (6010-111 Avenue) in 1921. [1] After Bidwell’s unexpected death in 1928 from complications of diabetes, Mabel stayed in Edmonton Highlands for another three years until 1931, when she moved with her two youngest children, George and Gertrude, to Belleville, Ontario. 

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[1] Ken Tingley, My Heart’s in the Highlands, Highlands Historical Society, Edmonton, 2012.

Despite the Holgates having lived in the Highlands for almost 20 years, few images could be found of Bidwell Holgate or his family. But that all changed on July 18, 2023, when three descendants of Mabel and Bidwell Holgate graced the Highlands with a visit to the Holgate residence.  Joan Neely, Mabel and Bidwell’s granddaughter, arrived with her daughter Tamara and granddaughter Kemi.  

Left to right: Joan Neely, granddaughter of Mabel and Bidwell Holgate, her daughter Tamara Neely and granddaughter Kemi Neely in the living room of the Holgate residence.

This wasn’t Joan’s first visit to the Holgate residence. Apparently, she had stayed there in 1998 when it was a Bed and Breakfast operated by the Vanderwells. During that visit, Joan had been a guest speaker at a meeting of the Highlands Historical Society. While Tamara and Kemi toured the home with current owner Robyn Fowler, Joan shared pictures and stories with me. I was delighted to see a picture of Mabel and Bidwell taken around the time of their marriage (c. 1903). 

Mabel and Bidwell met in Belleville, Ontario. Both were born into prosperous families. Mabel’s family, the Houstons, had emigrated from Ireland, where they ran a successful linen business. Bidwell’s father had also been a businessman in Ontario, reportedly operating a cheese making establishment.

Mabel and Bidwell were married in 1903 in Ontario. Their eldest son John Findlay (Jack) was born in 1904.  Before coming to Edmonton in 1909, Bidwell worked for the Grand Trunk Railway. He visited Edmonton with his father, who had worked with Magrath, and it is likely that the senior Holgate bankrolled his son’s real estate business partnership. The family rumor is that Mabel’s father also contributed some financial support. The couple’s second son, George, was born in Edmonton in 1911, and a daughter, Gertrude, in 1912. 

Joan is Gertrude’s eldest child and lives in Calgary with her husband George Neely. Joan was 20 years old when her grandmother Mabel died, so has many memories of the woman she called “Gammy.” She said Mabel was an accomplished bookkeeper, and had taken care of the books for her father’s business.  Perhaps it was this business acumen that helped her family survive the financial crisis that plagued many families (including the Magraths) during and after World War I.  Joan shared a picture of Bidwell and Mabel on holiday with friends (is that William and Ada Magrath in the car?) visiting the Hollow Tree in Vancouver‘s Stanley Park (date unknown). Bidwell is in the driver’s seat and Mabel in the back row (without a hat).

According to Joan, Gertrude was devastated when her father Bidwell died on her 16^th birthday in 1928. She was 19 when her family moved back to Belleville. While in Belleville, Gertrude studied nursing.  Mabel’s independence and resourcefulness was evident when she asked Gertrude what she wanted for a graduation present. Gertrude replied, “I want to return to Edmonton for a visit.” So Mabel drove Gertrude and her friend Helen Demerest across the country. This was a long journey in 1936 and required crossing the border into the United States. A daring trip for three women.

Gertrude met her husband John Allan shortly afterwards. He worked as a Mine Manager, and Joan remembers that “Gammy” had frequently visited her family as she was growing up in mining towns across the country.  One time Mabel visited them in Gold Bridge, British Columbia, via seaplane. Joan remembers her astonishment when her grandmother deplaned in the small community—confident, determined, and unfazed by what must have been a lively conveyance.

Joan followed in her mother Gertrude’s footsteps and became an accomplished nurse and hospital administrator, working in increasingly responsible positions across Canada. She remained close to her mother Gertrude, who eventually relocated to Toronto, where she died in 1998. Gertrude was interviewed by Richard Vanderwell, a previous owner of the Holgate residence, as part of the research he conducted to obtain Provincial Heritage Designation for the house.

Joan’s daughter Tamara is a journalist and recently relocated from Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, to Calgary. In Whitehorse Tamara worked for several years as a copy editor for “What’s Up Yukon?” Her daughter Kemi, age 9, is a precocious girl, who loves animals (she lavished attention on Cassie, Robyn’s aged dog), and is already a whiz with a smartphone, helping me to edit a photograph. These three female family Holgate descendents demonstrate the pluck and leadership ability exhibited by their ancestor Mabel Holgate. It is heartwarming to hear some stories of the lives of the women who contributed to the early development of the Highlands neighbourhood.

Acknowledgements:

Photographs and Stories provided by Joan Neely, Calgary

Editorial Review by Robyn Fowler

Photograph Reproduction by Ted Smith