Glenora Neighbourhood

The Glenora Neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta is on the 2019 Top 10 Endangered Places List.

Published with permission from the National Trust for Canada

 — Posted June 18, 2019
Courtesy of National Trust

Location

Edmonton, Alberta

Why it matters

Glenora is one of Edmonton’s most unique and historic residential neighbourhoods.

It boasts the city’s highest concentration of historic resources with many detached houses designed by prominent architects in the late 1920s to early 30s in revival and Modern styles.

Heritage experts have called Glenora the best-preserved “Garden City Suburb” in Canada, with curvilinear streets, irregular lots, and preserved views to the North Saskatchewan River Valley.

Why it’s endangered

A 2015-2017 heritage study of Glenora’s historic core expanded the buildings on the City’s heritage inventory to 137.

Since 2016, however, Glenora has seen nine of these inventoried houses demolished for larger homes, often out of scale and unsympathetic to the neighbourhood’s historic character.

While the City is working to develop new character area zoning for the neighbourhood, more needs to be done quickly by civic authorities and the community or this residential jewel will be irreversibly eroded.

This article is also available in French.

Canada's Top 10 Endangered Places List 2019

St. Vital Roman Catholic Church

Built in 1883, St. Vital is the oldest Catholic church in Saskatchewan.

Birtle Residential School

One of the last three remaining residential schools in Manitoba. Operating from 1889 to 1972, this brick building was completed in 1931.

Rubin Block

Opened in 1914, the building was designed by prominent Winnipeg architect Max Zev Blankstein.

Former St. Paul’s Anglican Rectory

Together with three different churches occupying the other corners, the Rectory is a key part of an historic ensemble leading to the heart of town.

Future Heritage Designations in Ontario

Ontario’s new More Homes, More Choice Act removes the abilities of municipalities to protect local heritage and gives final say over designation to appointed tribunals.

Ile d’Orleans

The cultural landscape of Ile d’Orleans still bears the physical imprint of the first families that settled the island in the seventeenth century and that went on to populate large sections of the new country.

Cyclorama of Jerusalem

The 120-year-old Cyclorama of Jerusalem is the only Canadian example of a painted circular panorama — an art form popularized in the nineteenth century.

United Memorial Church

The church was erected in memory of those who lost their lives in the Halifax explosion on December 6, 1917, and housed both Methodist and Presbyterian congregations.

Grand Bank Downtown and Waterfront

More than any other community in Newfoundland, Grand Bank’s collection of buildings calls to mind the character of New England and Maritime seaside towns.

Every year, the National Trust publishes its Top 10 Endangered Places List as part of its mission to raise awareness of the value that historic places bring to quality of life, local identity and cultural vitality.

The Top 10 Endangered Places List is compiled from nominations received as well as from reports and news items the National Trust has been following throughout the year. First published in 2005, the Top 10 Endangered Places List has become a powerful tool in the fight to make landmarks, not landfill.

The National Trust believes that historic places are cornerstones of identity, community and sense of place, yet every year, more are lost due to neglect, lack of funding, inappropriate development and weak legislation. By shining a spotlight on places at risk, the Top 10 Endangered Places List raises awareness about their plight and bolsters the efforts of local advocates working to save them.

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