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Fort Saskatchewan is one of the closest areas to Edmonton with ‘city’ rather than ‘town’ status. The larger region is home to about 21,000 citizens residing across 48 square kilometres. Highway 15, better known to locals as Manning Drive connects the city of Edmonton to Fort Saskatchewan, about a 30 minute drive from city centre. Hardly rural, Fort Saskatchewan is bordered by the booming areas of Sturgeon County on its north and west corners , Strathcona County to the south and east sides, with Edmonton falling to the southwest of the city.

Historic Fort Saskatchewan Train Station. Image Credit: Winterforce Media

Historically, as the name suggests, the city was originally a fort established in 1875 by the North-West Mounted Police. Previously, the area which was rich in resources was used by the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North-West company to build canoes and some trade was established. However it wasn’t considered a residential area until 1899 when it became a village. By 1905 the Canadian Northern Railway would pass through Fort Saskatchewan, literally and figuratively putting it on the map. This long history has created deep cultural roots and strong economic foundations for the community to thrive.

Fort Saskatchewan circa 1916. Postcard from the Bruce Peel Collection, University of Alberta

A unique amenity of Fort Saskatchewan is the Dow Centennial Centre, a facility that accommodates both recreation and cultural activities, built to commemorate Alberta’s centennial. The recreational side of DCC includes a skating rink, gymnasium, field house, indoor track, and fitness centre. For the more artistically inclined the facility includes a 550 seat performing arts theatre, art gallery, banquet hall, and pottery guild.

Pavilion at the Dow Centennial Centre. Image Credit: Fort Saskatchewan Record

Additionally, there are two more recreation centres that house ice rinks, an indoor pool, and many outdoor amenities. Town infrastructure includes 30 kilometres of paved walking trails throughout over a dozen parks, including Legacy Park. This central gathering area hosts a majority of the city’s outdoor festivals. Elk Island is great nearby option for a day trip out of the city. The national park is just a stones throw from the city limits to the southwest, about a 30 minute drive.

Aerial View of Fort Saskatchewan. Image Credit: Edmonton Journal

The area is served by the Fort Saskatchewan Community Hospital, 7 elementary schools, 3 junior high, and 3 high schools. Many graduates choose to take post-secondary schooling in Edmonton and make the quick daily commute into the city. Two local newspapers report on the city, including The Fort Saskatchewan Record, and The Sturgeon Creek Post. As of 2012 the town officially was approved for their own radio station, 107.9 FM.

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The city of Leduc is located 33 Kilometres (just over a half hour drive) south of Edmonton and is considered part of the ‘Edmonton Capital Region’. The short commute to South Edmonton Common amenities, as well as proximity to the Edmonton International Airport makes Leduc a geographically desirable community for potential homebuyers.

The Town of Leduc in 1907. Image Credit: University of Alberta Libraries.

The area was first settled in 1889, and the 1891 addition of a railway stop was a milestone for the burgeoning community. Rapid expansion led to the achievement of ‘town’ status in 1906, just 17 short years after the initial settlement. Hastily dubbed ‘Telford’ after the town’s original postmaster, it was quickly renamed in honour of prominent Roman Catholic missionary Father Hippolyte Leduc, who had long served in the area. Finally, after a more extended period of growth the town grew to become a city in the fall of 1983.

The city now covers over 40 square kilometres, and has expanded to nearly 25, 000 residents. Though it’s geographic proximity to Edmonton is convenient, the city is home to all major shopping chains, restaurants, and necessary amenities to make residency efficient and convenient. It has a functioning hospital, medical clinics, and lab services, as well as its own transit system and two regional newspapers; The Leduc Representative and the Leduc-Westaskiwin Pipestone Flyer.

Main Street, Leduc. Image Credit: Leduc Representative.

For the culturally inclined, Leduc also has a broad array of arts offerings. Home to the Maclab Centre for the Performing Arts, a 460 seat facility which stages a wide variety of music, dance, theatre, lectures, and  special events year round.

Aerial View of Leduc Residences. Image Credit: City of Leduc.

Leduc is prominent for its ease of access to both indoor and outdoor leisure areas. It has a large network of multi-use trails, which include prominent water features. Telford Lake lies on the east end of Leduc, and and 6 other features are scattered though the area including Saunders Lake, multiple ponds, and a reservoir. Additionally, the city is home to the Leduc Recreation Centre, an all-purpose leisure facility that sprawls over more than  300,000 square feet.  Features include 3 NHL size arenas, an aquatic centre, and curling rinks.

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The communities of Dunluce, Oxford, and Kensington are prominent neighborhoods in Edmonton’s residential north-west.

The borders of Dunluce run from 127 Street to Castle Downs Road, and from 167 Avenue to 153 Avenue. As explained by the City of Edmonton, in the 1970’s the city expanded its northern borders in response to the rising population caused by the oil boom. It was during this expansion that the communities of Castle Downs, including Dunluce, legally became part of Edmonton.

Dunluce Treestand. Image Credit: City of Edmonton

The neighborhood is home to two elementary schools, as well as The Castle Downs Recreation Centre, a dry pond, and the Dunluce Treestand, and is therefore conducive to family living, and recreational lifestyles. The area has a very active community league and activities include dance, soccer, softball, Pilates, gymnastics, and even Spanish classes.

About half of the area is comprised of single-family dwellings while the remainder are a mix of apartments, duplexes, and few mobile homes. Just over sixty-percent of homes are owner occupied.

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Oxford falls to the west of Dunluce, sharing it’s 127 Street border. It sprawls as far west as 133 Street and from 167 Avenue in the north down to 153 Avenue. The neighborhood of Oxford is part of the larger Edmonton area the Palisades ASP (area structure plan), which was annexed to the city in 1982. It was just after this that residential development began, and was completed in 1999.

This scenic area is positioned around a large, central green space and a small water feature that functions as both an area amenity as well as a storm sewer.

Oxford, Edmonton. Image Credit: COCL

Oxford shares a community league with it’s southern neighbor, the community of Cumberland, which is heavily active in organizing youth recreation programs. Additionally they also organize educational and cultural events year-round.

Around ninety-percent of residences in the area are single-family dwellings, the remainder are duplexes, and overall the rental rate is around ten-percent.

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Kensington falls farther South than both Oxford and Dunluce, spanning from 137 Avenue and 113a Street, to 132 Avenue and 127 Street. Named after the trendy district in London, England, Kensington is a comparatively old neighborhood in the city’s north-west, it’s official annexation to Edmonton occurred in 1913.

The bulk of residential development didn’t occur until post-world war II and tapered off in the 1960’s. About sixty-percent of the area is single-family dwellings, followed by rental apartments, condominiums, and then duplexes. Around seventy-percent of residences in the area are owner occupied.

Kensington Elementary School. Image Credit: EPSB

Kensington, through primarily residential, is home to an elementary school, medical offices, and some small commercial developments that have cropped up on the corners of it’s main thoroughfares. These include small shops, restaurants, and other amenities.

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The burgeoning communities of Canossa, Chambery, and Elsinore are three of Edmonton’s newest residential areas, located in the north-west, found just south of the Anthony Henday. These small areas were previously used for agricultural purposes and have now been appropriated for residential use within less than two decades. Their northern location and access to thoroughfares make them a popular in-town location for personnel of the CFB (Canadian Forces Base) located just north of Edmonton.

The borders of Canossa reach from 121 Street to 112 Street, and from just south of the Henday to 167 Avenue. Construction on this purely residential area began in the 1990’s, with around 80% of the residences constructed as single-family dwellings and the remainder as duplexes and row houses. Canossa is considered to be an entirely owner occupied area.

Canossa Treestand. Image Credit: Edmonton.ca

A unique area feature is the Canossa Treestand, a patch of deciduous forest with an open grass meadow which accommodates for a diversity of plant species and wildlife. According to the City of Edmonton,

“This treestand provides foraging habitat and cover for many bird species and small mammals…there are also possibilities of viewing species that are less common in more urbanized areas, such as white-tailed deer and coyote.”

As is convention in Castle Downs, this subdivision was named after a famous Castle, Canossa Castle in Bologna, Northern Italy, which still stands today.

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Chambery falls to the East of Canossa, carrying on from 112 Street to 105 Street. This area’s residential overhaul began slightly later than Canossa, and though the bulk of construction occurred in the early 2000’s, development continues presently.

Named for the Chateau de Chambery in France, the elegant houses in this upscale neighborhood attempt to exude the same luxury of French countryside estates. Around 644 dwellings make up this community, and while this number may seem small, the area has more than doubled in size since it’s 300 dwellings in 2005.

Chambery Residence. Image Credit: Yegishome.ca

Future development plans include two parks and recreational areas along with a central school. In attempt to maintain the residential feel of the neighborhood, there are no plans for commercial development to date.

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Elsinore falls easternmost of the the three carrying on to 97 Street. It’s southern border lies around 174 Avenue and extends north to the Henday. Slightly older than Canossa and Chambery, Elsinore slowly began development after 1985. The comminuty is named after Elsinore Castle in Denmark, which was interestingly the central location in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Elsinore Pathway System. Image Credit: Yegishome.ca

The city has taken advantage of a pipeline corridor running through the neighborhood, to create a park and pathway system with a unique water feature, and many of the residences back on to this scenic green space.

Predominantly owner owner occupied single-family dwellings, just less than 20% of the residences are duplexes or row houses.

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The communities of Garneau, Strathcona, and Bonnie Doon neighbor each other from West to East, all bordering 82 Avenue to the north. Known to be exceptionally vibrant and culturally rich areas of Edmonton they are always trendy spots to visit, and make for lively neighborhoods to live in. With easy access to south-side amenities, the University of Alberta campus, and river valley and ravine trails, there’s something for everyone.

Garneau runs along 82 Avenue from 107 Street to 112 Street, spanning to it’s northern border of Saskatchewan Drive. Formerly a community in the city of Strathcona, it was adopted by Edmonton in 1912, making it one of the oldest south-side communities. Garneau takes it’s name from an original inhabitant of the time, Laurent Garneau, a consort of Louis Riel and successful trader with the Hudson’s Bay Company.

Garneau is notable for the trendy shopping district of Whyte Avenue; dotted with boutiques, cafes, and a plethora of nightlife venues. In the summer months it is a bustle of activities and festivals, when shoppers flood the sidewalks, and cafes and bars open their patios.

Whyte Avenue at night. Image Credit Travel Alberta

Garneau properties are comprised mostly of rental units predominantly occupied by Univerisity Students living in the hi-rise apartments so popular to the area. There is also a mix of single family dwellings, and homes considered Heritage Sites by the City of Edmonton.

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With Whyte avenue shopping spilling over into Strathcona, one of Edmonton’s oldest conversions, the area maintain a freshness and vibrancy as a major cultural center for Edmonton’s arts community. The area is home to the Edmonton Arts Barns which houses the popular Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market as well as the Fringe Theatre Company, not to mention the scores of restaurants, coffee shops, and boutiques running along Whyte Avenue.

Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market. Image Credit where.ca

The former city and it’s many communities were incorporated into Edmonton in 1912, and this area in heart of Strathcona maintained it’s original name. Like Laurent Garneu, Lord Strathcona was an important figure in the Hudson’s Bay Company.

Strathcona neighbors Garneau to the East, picking up where it leaves off at 107 Street and continues until it’s natural border ending at the Mill Creek Ravine. It too spans 82 Avenue to Saskatchewan drive, meaning a majority of its boundaries lead to scenic river valley walking trails. Around three-quarters of the residences in this area are apartment style buildings, mostly rentals, while the remainder are comprised of single-family dwellings, row houses, and duplexes.

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Bonnie Doon neighbors Strathcona on the eastern side of Mill Creek Ravine, carrying on until Connors Road/83 Street. Interestingly, the land was named for Premier Ruthorford, but rather than taking his name his Scottish heritage was honoured; the name Bonnie Doon recalls the “pleasant, rolling countryside” of Scotland.

Bonnie Doon is home to Edmonton’s exciting French quarter, La Cité Francophone, a cultural centre for the Francophone community of Edmonton. Including the University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean, and the trendy Cafe Bicyclette, where you can comfortably order your latte in English or in French.

Cafe Bicyclette, Campus Saint-Jean. Image Credit University of Alberta

Bonnie Doon has a more residential feel to it, as the bustling livliness of Whyte Avenue tapers off a few blocks before the ravine. There are more owner occupied residences of the area, which is comprised of more single family dwellings. It centers around the convenience of Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre, providing all the necessary amenities for living in the area.

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