Celebrating Camrose History (081505)

It was 1905 that a construction crew finished laying railway tracks from Wetaskiwin to the north end of 50th Street. A year earlier, news that the railway was coming sparked a building boom.

Much of the land that is now Camrose was owned by Ole Bakken, a Norwegian who had settled on the banks of Stoney Creek in 1893. A replica of his log house has been built and will be dedicated at the Camrose Museum.
Ole Bakken was one of the owners of the first hotel in Camrose, the Windsor, which was built, where the Alice Hotel now stands. This original Windsor Hotel burned in 1916. Ole left Camrose in 1906 for Banff, but died within the year. He's buried at the Wang Cemetery north of Wetaskiwin.

George P. Smith was one of the entrepreneurs who moved to Camrose when he heard the railway was coming. Smith was an Ontario businessman who moved west to sell insurance. However he was soon a fur trader in Duhamel, southwest of Camrose. In 1904 he moved his family to Stoney Creek, as the community was then called. He was involved in several businesses and organizations. In 1908 he started a weekly newspaper, The Camrose Canadian and with his editorials was a constant and strong promoter and supporter of the community. In 1909 he was elected to the Alberta Legislature, and was our MLA until he lost the riding in the 1921 election. He held the positions of Minister of Health and also the Minister of Education. It was during his tenure that the Camrose Normal School, a training facility for teachers was built in Camrose. Rosehaven, as the building is now known still stands across the street from the hospital, and is a Provincial Historic Site ...more...schedule

Camrose Parade(072905)
Thousands of people lined the route Thursday, July 27th for the Camrose Chamber of Commerce Big Valley Parade. It?s the seventh year for the parade that marks the start of the Big Valley Jamboree country music weekend in Camrose.

This year there were over 70 entries in the parade with a total of nearly 120 units of floats, marchers, dignitaries and bands.

Spectators began staking out the best vantage points for viewing the parade hours before a police motorcycle lead the first entry down 50th Street. While some people preferred to watch from the warm sunny side of the streets, others choose to view from the shade. Dozens of residents from Rosehaven, Bethany and some of the senior?s lodges sat in a tree-shaded reserved section by the United Church.

The parade is organized by a committee of volunteers that begin planning in February. The numbers of volunteers swell on parade day with duties ranging from working in the staging area putting entries into the parade line up, to staffing the many barricades around the route. Dozens of workers with the Camrose Public Works department are also drafted on parade day to control traffic around the parade area.

Photo: Pipes and Drums of the Edmonton Police Service

Contract for Mainstreet Project Signed (071305)
A facelift will start soon on one of the oldest buildings Downtown. The building, which was once a Presbyterian church, stands across the street, north of The Camrose Canadian.

It was one of the first churches in Camrose. The church was later converted to a meeting hall, and then to office and commercial space, with walkup apartments on the upper floors. The only hints that it was once a church might be the steep pitched roof, but also on the west side is the lower portion of the steeple tower, now the stairway apartments on the upper floors. It ceased being a church in 1925 when the Presbyterian Church became a part of the United Church. In 1935 the local Elks Lodge purchased the building for $1,750 for their meetings, and was their home until 1953.

Now owners Gail and David Stolee have signed a contract with the Camrose Main Street Project to return the 99 year old building to what it looked like in the early 1950s. The Main Street board designated this building, and the adjacent former manse for the church, as part of the Main Street area, when the project started in 1999. While the ground floor will remain available for either retail or commercial space, the upper floors are being converted to two loft style apartments. Gail Stolee says more living space is important for the Downtown. The Stolees hope the work will be completed by fall.

Photo: 1913 ? Norwegian Independence Day, Presbyterian Church with manse to the left.

Founders Square Construction (071305)
Construction is underway Downtown on Founders Square in the city owned parking lot on 51^st Street. The City received $48,000 from the province as funding for an Alberta Centennial Legacy project. It was the Camrose Founders Days committee which proposed development of a Founders Square as a focal point for events in the Downtown.

The main feature of the square will be an eye-catching fountain. There is space on the sides of the 2-metre square fountain for plaques to be placed each year as Camrose pioneers, settlers, and founders are honoured during the annual Camrose Founders Days. On the back of the fountain will be a bust of Francois Adam, who is known as ?The Father of Camrose?. The square will have bench seating for about 50-people, and standing room within the boundaries of the square for about another fifty. When larger crowds are expected the parking lot can be closed off.

Donations from companies and individuals are being accepted. Cheques should be made payable to The City of Camrose, which can issue tax receipts for the donations. For more information, call either Founders Days Chair Janice DePaoli at 672-3456 or our fundraising chair Pat Downs at 608-4166.