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Churchill Square (Edmonton)
Encyclopedia
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...
, which plays host to a large majority of festivals and events including: the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival, Edmonton Fashion Week, The Works Art & Design Festival
The Works Art & Design Festival
The Works Art & Design Festival is a thirteen day celebration held at the end of June and the beginning of July in downtown, Edmonton, Canada. The festival displays the work of artists and designers from across Canada as well as featured exhibits from international presenters.-Overview:The Works...
, Taste of Edmonton, Cariwest and in recent years the annual Pride Festival (which was previously held in Oliver Square, north-west of downtown).
Site
It is bordered on the north by 102A Avenue, on the west by 100 Street, on the south by Harbin Road (102 Avenue) and on the east by Rue Hull (99) Street. In 2009, 102A Avenue was closed to vehicle traffic permanently, providing easier pedestrian access to City Hall.Surrounding the square are several cultural and governmental buildings, including Edmonton City Hall
Edmonton City Hall
Edmonton's City Hall was designed by Dub Architects, and completed in 1992. It features two steel and glass pyramids, one 43 meters high , on top of a three-story concrete structure. One pyramid provides natural light for the main atrium, the other for the council chambers...
to the north, 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...
and the Art Gallery of Alberta
Art Gallery of Alberta
The Art Gallery of Alberta is a public art gallery located in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Its collection of well over 6,000 works of art includes historical and contemporary paintings, sculptures, installation works and photographs by Canadian and international artists...
to the north-east, Chancery Hall and the Francis Winspear Centre for Music
Francis Winspear Centre for Music
The Francis Winspear Centre for Music is a performing arts centre located in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Built in 1997, it is the home of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. The center is named after Dr. Francis G. Winspear, who donated $6 million to the construction of the facility - the...
to the east, the Citadel Theatre
Citadel Theatre
The Citadel Theatre is the major venue for theatre arts in the city of Edmonton, located in the Downtown Core on Churchill Square.-History:Originally the "Old Salvation Army Citadel", the Citadel was bought by Joseph H. Shoctor, James L. Martin, Ralph B. MacMillan, and Sandy Mactaggart, and the...
to the south-east, the Stanley A. Milner Library
Stanley A. Milner Library
The Stanley A. Milner Library is the main library for Edmonton Public Library. It is located on the southern side of Sir Winston Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton, near City Hall, Edmonton City Centre mall, the Francis Winspear Centre for Music, and the Citadel Theatre. As a central location in...
(the main branch of Edmonton Public Library
Edmonton Public Library
The Edmonton Public Library is a publicly funded library in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, available for use by any member of the public. Children are eligible for free library cards, while adults pay an annual fee . University of Alberta students can receive free access using the L-Pass...
) to the south and Edmonton City Centre
Edmonton City Centre
Edmonton City Centre is a shopping mall in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, across the street from Churchill Square.-History:In 1974, the City Centre Place shopping mall was completed within the larger Edmonton Centre development; TD Tower was added in 1976. In 1978, Oxford Tower and the...
mall to the west.
History
Historically, Edmonton's main square was Market Square, located just to the south of Churchill Square, on the site of the present Milner Library. The City Market was housed in Market Square from its beginning in 1900, originally with the market happening outdoors. Successive plans were considered develop the square into a civic centre, beginning in 1912. A building was built far away on 107 Street for the market to be moved indoors in November of 1914, but was never used for this purpose and was boycotted by vendors and customers. The market returned to its original location and the city agreed to help construct a shelter. Beginning in 1915 the market was moved indoors, and 1920 only overflow stalls were outside. From 1916, when the shelter was built, to 1965, when it moved off the site, the market flourished as the hub of Edmonton life. The City Market was finally shifted east to 97 Street97 Street, Edmonton
97 Street is a major arterial road in north Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is used to take travelers in and out of Downtown Edmonton to the city's northern suburban neighbourhoods and communities such as CFB Edmonton. The neighbourhood along the west side, between 137 and 153 Avenues, Griesbach,...
, and the area was redeveloped according to a plant to create a "civic centre" in the area by constructing the new art gallery and library and accompany the new city hall which had been built in 1957.
Churchill Square has undergone several face-lifts, the most recent, expensive, and most controversial, being completed in 2004, in time for Edmonton's Centennial Celebrations. These renovations saw the removal of a large amount of green space, as well as the building of several new structures in the square including an amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
, a waterfall, as well as several structures for retail space (currently occupied by the Three Bananas Cafe and Tix on the Square).
Transportation
Churchill Square is well served by the Edmonton Transit SystemEdmonton Transit System
The Edmonton Transit System, also called ETS, is the public transit service owned and operated by the city of Edmonton, Alberta. It operates Edmonton's bus and light rail systems.-Service:...
, being located above Churchill LRT Station
Churchill (ETS)
Churchill Station was one of the five original stations along the LRT line in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is located between Central Station and Stadium Station. It opened April 22, 1978....
as well as being at the confluence of several major (1 WEM
West Edmonton Mall
West Edmonton Mall , located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is the largest shopping mall in North America and the fifth largest in the world. The mall was founded by the Ghermezian brothers, who emigrated from Iran in 1959. It was the world's largest mall until 2004.West Edmonton Mall covers a gross...
-Capilano, 2 Lessard
Callingwood, Edmonton
Callingwood is an area in west Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The city formally divides Callingwood into two neighbourhoods, Callingwood North and Callingwood South. Both neighbourhoods are discussed together in this article....
-Clareview
Clareview (ETS)
Clareview Station is an LRT station operated by the Edmonton Transit System in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is located near 42 Street and 139 Avenue, and is named for the northeast Edmonton District of Clareview...
, 3 Jasper Place-Cromdale
Cromdale, Edmonton
Cromdale is an older inner city residential neighbourhood in north east Edmonton, Alberta, Canada overlooking the North Saskatchewan River valley...
, 7 University
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
-Jasper Place, 8 Mill Woods
Mill Woods
Mill Woods is a residential district in the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Located in southeast Edmonton, Mill Woods is bounded by Whitemud Drive to the north, 91 Street to the west, 34 Street to the east, and Anthony Henday Drive to the south...
-Abbotsfield
Abbottsfield, Edmonton
Abbottsfield is a neighbourhood in east Edmonton, Alberta, Canada overlooking the North Saskatchewan River valley. The neighbourhood is named for Abraham Abbott, a resident of the Town of Beverly and long time school custodian in the Beverly School District...
, 16 Castle Downs-Government Centre,) and minor bus routes. St. Albert Transit
St. Albert Transit
St. Albert Transit is the public transportation system in the City of St. Albert, Alberta, Canada, which is located only about northwest of downtown Edmonton. Scheduled bus service consists of local circuits within the community and express commuter routes to Edmonton...
and Strathcona County Transit
Strathcona County Transit
Strathcona County Transit provides local, commuter and school bus services to the community of Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada, which is situated just east of Edmonton in Strathcona County....
also run three bus routes each (StAT routes 201, 202 & 211 & SCT routes 401, 402, & 413) past Churchill Square.
Surrounding buildings
Although Churchill Square is not the name of any street in Edmonton, and all the streets in the area are named, the square is used as the address for buildings facing it, they are numbered clockwise starting in the north.| Full address | Building |
|---|---|
| 1 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, T5J 2R7 | City Hall |
| 1a Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, T5J 0R2 | Law Courts |
| 2 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, T5J 2C1 | Art Gallery of Alberta |
| 3 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, T5J 2C3 | Chancery Hall |
| 4 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, T5J 4B2 | Francis Winspear Centre for Music |
| 7 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, T5J 2V4 | Stanley A. Milner Library |
| 9 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, T5J 5B5 | National Bank |
| 15 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, T5J 2E5 | Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton (SAGE) |