Boyle Street, Edmonton
Encyclopedia
Boyle Street is a neighbourhood located in central Edmonton
, Alberta
, Canada
, immediately east of the downtown core
. The neighbourhood is bounded by Grierson Hill to Rowland Road until Alex Taylor Road and then Jasper Avenue east until 82 Street by the south, 82 Street by the east, 97 Street by the west, and the LRT tracks to the north, with Jasper Avenue and 103A Avenue running through the neighbourhood.
The area is ethnically diverse, with a large Chinese
community (14.7% of the population in 2001), and Aboriginal
descent (4.0% North American Indian, 1.2% Métis, 0.2% Inuit in 2001).
.
The origin of the name 'Boyle Street' lies in the original street layouts of the area. Prior to the adoption of the grid system, the district had its avenues running north-south and its streets running east-west (which contrasts with the modern road system in Edmonton). Boyle Street was an east-west throughway which roughly corresponds with the modern 103A Avenue.
Boyle Street was originally the downtown of Edmonton, when the current downtown was under the Hudson's Bay Reserve Lands. Later, land was sold by Hudson's Bay Company, and development occurred on the modern downtown.
Boyle Street has some of the highest concentrations of old buildings in Edmonton.
A large number of the buildings in the area were destroyed during the 1970s, largely because the city wanted to remove old and derelict housing and redevelop the area.
According to the 2001 Federal Census, 42.3% of the occupied private dwellings in Boyle Street were constructed during the 1970s, with a further 14.8% constructed during the following decade. The 2005 Municipal Census reports that 80% of the 3,486 dwelling units in the neighborhood are apartment style dwellings with a further 15% being rooming houses or collective residences.
Many sites left vacant by demolition during the 1970s were never redeveloped, leaving the area with a patchwork of vacant lots, parking lots and historic buildings. Most of the buildings that escaped demolition were spared because of their Edwardian structures or because they had been previously designated as heritage buildings.
One of the more distinctive municipal historic resource sites in the Boyle Street area is the Gibson Block, a "rare example of a commercial building following the 1902 prototype of a flat iron building, so named for its distinctive triangular shape."
Boyle Street is an ethnically diverse neighbourhood. According to the 2001 Federal Census, there were 5,930 people living in the neighbourhood, with 46.7% of the population identifying themselves with a specific ethnic group (including Canadian). The most common ethnic groups, with their percentage of the total Boyle Street population were:
This plan saw the area divided into four quarters. The Heritage Quarter would consist of a stretch of Jasper Avenue between 97 Street and 96 Street, which held a large number of historical structures. The Civic Quarter would lie immediately to the north of the Heritage Quarter, and would consist of the area adjacent to the Law Courts
, which are located immediately across 97 Street from the Civic Quarter. The other two quarters would be largely residential, a low density McCauley Quarter (so named because it borders on the neighbourhood of McCauley
) would lie in the north-east of the district, while the Five Corners Quarter (so named because it centres on the intersection of Jasper Avenue, Harbin Road (102 Avenue) and 95 Street, which has five corners) would be a higher density residential quarter.
Some new developments at the south end of 95 Street paint a promising picture for the redevelopment of the area, though as of the end of 2010, the area is still largely considered low income.
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, immediately east of the downtown core
Downtown Edmonton
Downtown Edmonton is bounded by 109 Street to the west, 105 Avenue to the north, 97 Street to the east, 97 Avenue, 100 Avenue, and Rossdale Road to the south and Jasper Avenue to the southeast , though many people consider part or all of the surrounding neighborhoods to be part of downtown...
. The neighbourhood is bounded by Grierson Hill to Rowland Road until Alex Taylor Road and then Jasper Avenue east until 82 Street by the south, 82 Street by the east, 97 Street by the west, and the LRT tracks to the north, with Jasper Avenue and 103A Avenue running through the neighbourhood.
The area is ethnically diverse, with a large Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
community (14.7% of the population in 2001), and Aboriginal
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
descent (4.0% North American Indian, 1.2% Métis, 0.2% Inuit in 2001).
History
Boyle Street is one of the oldest parts of the city, and is named for lawyer John Robert BoyleJohn R. Boyle
John Robert Boyle was a Canadian politician and jurist who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, a cabinet minister in the Government of Alberta, and a judge on the Supreme Court of Alberta. Born in Ontario, he came west and eventually settled in Edmonton, where he practiced...
.
The origin of the name 'Boyle Street' lies in the original street layouts of the area. Prior to the adoption of the grid system, the district had its avenues running north-south and its streets running east-west (which contrasts with the modern road system in Edmonton). Boyle Street was an east-west throughway which roughly corresponds with the modern 103A Avenue.
Boyle Street was originally the downtown of Edmonton, when the current downtown was under the Hudson's Bay Reserve Lands. Later, land was sold by Hudson's Bay Company, and development occurred on the modern downtown.
Boyle Street has some of the highest concentrations of old buildings in Edmonton.
A large number of the buildings in the area were destroyed during the 1970s, largely because the city wanted to remove old and derelict housing and redevelop the area.
According to the 2001 Federal Census, 42.3% of the occupied private dwellings in Boyle Street were constructed during the 1970s, with a further 14.8% constructed during the following decade. The 2005 Municipal Census reports that 80% of the 3,486 dwelling units in the neighborhood are apartment style dwellings with a further 15% being rooming houses or collective residences.
| Name | Year built |
|---|---|
| Hecla Block | 1914 |
| Gibson Block | 1913 |
| Pendennis Hotel/Lodge Hotel | 1904/1912 |
| Ernest Brown Block/Brighton Block | 1911–1913 |
| Goodridge Building | 1911–1912 |
| Gem Theatre | 1913–1914 |
| Kingston Powell Building | 1907 |
One of the more distinctive municipal historic resource sites in the Boyle Street area is the Gibson Block, a "rare example of a commercial building following the 1902 prototype of a flat iron building, so named for its distinctive triangular shape."
Ethnic diversity
- 14.7% Chinese
- 8.2% Canadian
- 5.4% Aboriginal (including North American Indian, Métis and Inuit)
- 3.1% English
- 2.9% Ukrainian
- 2.2% Irish
- 2.1% German
Future development
In 2006, the City of Edmonton began holding public consultations for what it deemed the "The Quarters Downtown". The project's aims were to transform a large part of the Boyle Street Community (officially the borders of 'The Quarters Downtown' were defined as being from 97 Street in the west to 92 Street in the east, and from the river valley in the south to 103A Avenue in the north).This plan saw the area divided into four quarters. The Heritage Quarter would consist of a stretch of Jasper Avenue between 97 Street and 96 Street, which held a large number of historical structures. The Civic Quarter would lie immediately to the north of the Heritage Quarter, and would consist of the area adjacent to the Law Courts
Law Courts (Edmonton)
The Law Courts building is the main courthouse in the city of Edmonton, the capital of Alberta. It hosts hearings of the Provincial Court of Alberta, the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, and the Court of Appeal of Alberta...
, which are located immediately across 97 Street from the Civic Quarter. The other two quarters would be largely residential, a low density McCauley Quarter (so named because it borders on the neighbourhood of McCauley
McCauley, Edmonton
McCauley is an inner city neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta. It is named for the Matthew McCauley, the first mayor of Edmonton, and is located just to the north east of the downtown core...
) would lie in the north-east of the district, while the Five Corners Quarter (so named because it centres on the intersection of Jasper Avenue, Harbin Road (102 Avenue) and 95 Street, which has five corners) would be a higher density residential quarter.
Some new developments at the south end of 95 Street paint a promising picture for the redevelopment of the area, though as of the end of 2010, the area is still largely considered low income.
External links
- Boyle Street Community Profile including 2001 Census Data.
- Downtown East Project
- Boyle Street McCauley Area Redevelopment Plan Consolidation (14 MB)
- Edmonton Designated Municipal Historic Resource Sites
- Hecla Block
- Gibson Block
- Pendennis Hotel
- Ernest Brown Block/Brighton Block
- Goodridge Building
- Gem Theatre
- Kingston Powell Building