Strathearn, Edmonton
Encyclopedia
Strathearn is a roughly triangular shaped residential neighbourhood in south central Edmonton
, Alberta
, Canada
. Most of the development in Strathearn dates to the 1940s and 1950s.
The neighbourhood is bounded on the south west by Connors Road, on the east by 85 Street, and on the north west by the North Saskatchewan River
valley. To the north, it overlooks the North Saskatchewan River
valley and the river valley neighbourhood of Cloverdale
. To the east is the neighbourhood of Holyrood
, and to the south west is the neighbourhood of Bonnie Doon
. To the south east is the neighbourhood of Idylwyle
. Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre and Whyte Avenue are located a short distance to the south of the neighbourhood.
in 1907, and became part of the City of Edmonton when Strathcona amalgamated with Edmonton in 1912. The name Strahearn, which is Scottish Gaelic for "the valley of the river Earn
", or "the valley of the Irish", has been used in Edmonton since 1914 and is likely a reference to the Governor General of the day, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
. Large lots were subdivided during this period but only a few scattered houses were actually constructed. After World War II
Edmonton's city planners replotted the area and development began in earnest. Most of the structures in the neighbourhood date from 1948 to 1954. Extension of Connors Road to the Bonnie Doon Traffic Circle in the early 1960s clearly defined the neighbourhood's boundary with Bonnie Doon.
. Just over half the residences (52.5%) were constructed between the end of the war and 1960. One in seven residences (15%) were built during the 1970s and one in five (20.1%) were built during the 1980s. Residential construction in the neighbourhood was substantially complete by 1990.
The most common type of residence in Strathearn, according to the 2005 municipal census, is the single family dwelling. Single family dwellings account for just under half (44%) of all the residences in the neighbourhood. Another one in three (36%) are rented
apartment
s in low rise buildings with fewer than five stories. One in five (20%) are rented apartments in high rise buildings with five or more stories. In total, two out of three residences (66%) are rented.
, Assumption Catholic
Church and the Bonnie Doon Stake Centre of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other amenities include tree-lined streets and the scenic view of downtown Edmonton from Strathearn Drive.
closed it, citing declining enrollment. In September 2006, the Ecole Publique Gabrielle-Roy, a francophone school run by the Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord, opened in the building that had housed Strathearn School.
and services and institutions in adjacent neighbourhoods and at Bonnie Doon Mall are within walking distance. Cyclists have access to a large portion of central Edmonton plus the network of trails in the river valley system
. The neighbourhood is served by bus routes
on Connors Road, 95 Avenue, 85 Street and 92 Street.
In December 2009 Edmonton City Council
approved a southeast LRT
alignment that would run through Strathearn on Connors Road, 95 Avenue and 85 Street.
is a neighbourhood organization established in the early 1950s. The league's original impetus was to provide local recreational opportunities. In cooperation with the City of Edmonton it built a playground, skating rink and associated rink shack/league hall in Silver Heights Park at the centre of the neighbourhood, and organized child sports teams. More recently the league has become involved in social matters (it sponsored a preschool from the mid 1990s until 2005) and has been active in urban planning matters within and near its boundaries.
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...
. Most of the development in Strathearn dates to the 1940s and 1950s.
The neighbourhood is bounded on the south west by Connors Road, on the east by 85 Street, and on the north west by the North Saskatchewan River
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....
valley. To the north, it overlooks the North Saskatchewan River
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....
valley and the river valley neighbourhood of Cloverdale
Cloverdale, Edmonton
Cloverdale is a river valley neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada located on the south side of the North Saskatchewan River. It is located immediately across the river from the downtown core and the river valley neighborhood of Riverdale. Southside neighborhoods overlooking Cloverdale...
. To the east is the neighbourhood of Holyrood
Holyrood, Edmonton
Holyrood is a residential neighbourhood in the Bonnie Doon area of south east Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The name, Holyrood, is an anglicisation of the Scots haly ruid ....
, and to the south west is the neighbourhood of Bonnie Doon
Bonnie Doon, Edmonton
Bonnie Doon is a neighbourhood in south-central Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The western part of Bonnie Doon was originally part of the City of Strathcona, and became a part of Edmonton when Strathcona and Edmonton merged in 1912...
. To the south east is the neighbourhood of Idylwyle
Idylwylde, Edmonton
Idylwylde is a residential neighbourhood in south east Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.According to the 2001 federal census, just over half of the residences in the neighbourhood were built between the end of World War II and 1960. Another one in four were built between 1961 and 1980...
. Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre and Whyte Avenue are located a short distance to the south of the neighbourhood.
History
Part of the area of Strathearn was annexed by the City of StrathconaOld Strathcona
Old Strathcona is an historic district located in south-central Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Once the commercial core of the separate city of Strathcona, the area is now Edmonton's main arts and entertainment district, and in 2007 was named Alberta's second "Provincial Historic Area"...
in 1907, and became part of the City of Edmonton when Strathcona amalgamated with Edmonton in 1912. The name Strahearn, which is Scottish Gaelic for "the valley of the river Earn
EARN
EARN or Earn may refer to:EARN* European Academic Research Network, a defunct computer networking organisation* Earned Assets Resource Network, a non-profit investment organisation based in San Francisco...
", or "the valley of the Irish", has been used in Edmonton since 1914 and is likely a reference to the Governor General of the day, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
. Large lots were subdivided during this period but only a few scattered houses were actually constructed. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Edmonton's city planners replotted the area and development began in earnest. Most of the structures in the neighbourhood date from 1948 to 1954. Extension of Connors Road to the Bonnie Doon Traffic Circle in the early 1960s clearly defined the neighbourhood's boundary with Bonnie Doon.
Population
Strathearn had 2,645 residents in 2009. The neighbourhood has fewer children and more seniors than the city average. Ethnic diversity is lower than in the city as a whole, as is average household income.Housing
According to the 2001 federal census, one in ten (9.7%) of residences were constructed prior to the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Just over half the residences (52.5%) were constructed between the end of the war and 1960. One in seven residences (15%) were built during the 1970s and one in five (20.1%) were built during the 1980s. Residential construction in the neighbourhood was substantially complete by 1990.
The most common type of residence in Strathearn, according to the 2005 municipal census, is the single family dwelling. Single family dwellings account for just under half (44%) of all the residences in the neighbourhood. Another one in three (36%) are rented
Renting
Renting is an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property owned by another. A gross lease is when the tenant pays a flat rental amount and the landlord pays for all property charges regularly incurred by the ownership from landowners...
apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s in low rise buildings with fewer than five stories. One in five (20%) are rented apartments in high rise buildings with five or more stories. In total, two out of three residences (66%) are rented.
Amenities
Shops and services are found in the Strathearn Centre strip mall and at two other smaller commercial sites (a fourth commercially zoned site, formerly occupied by a gas station/convenience store, now sits vacant). There are three parks within the neighbourhood—the school grounds, Silver Heights Park and Strathearn Park—and three churches: Strathearn United ChurchUnited Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
, Assumption Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Church and the Bonnie Doon Stake Centre of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other amenities include tree-lined streets and the scenic view of downtown Edmonton from Strathearn Drive.
Schools
Most elementary-aged students living in Strathearn attend the nearby Holyrood or Rutherford schools. Strathearn Elementary/Junior School was a fixture in the neighbourhood from the early 1950s until 2005, when the Edmonton Public School BoardEdmonton Public Schools
Edmonton Public Schools is the largest public school district in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The district offers a variety of alternative and special needs programs, and many are offered in multiple locations to improve accessibility for students...
closed it, citing declining enrollment. In September 2006, the Ecole Publique Gabrielle-Roy, a francophone school run by the Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord, opened in the building that had housed Strathearn School.
Transportation
Strathearn residents have a variety of transportation options in addition to the car. DowntownDowntown 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...
and services and institutions in adjacent neighbourhoods and at Bonnie Doon Mall are within walking distance. Cyclists have access to a large portion of central Edmonton plus the network of trails in the river valley system
North Saskatchewan River valley parks system
The North Saskatchewan River valley parks system is a continuous collection of urban parks in the North Saskatchewan River valley of Edmonton, Alberta....
. The neighbourhood is served by bus routes
Edmonton 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:...
on Connors Road, 95 Avenue, 85 Street and 92 Street.
In December 2009 Edmonton City Council
Edmonton City Council
The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors. Until 2010, Edmonton was divided in six wards with two councillors representing citizens in each ward...
approved a southeast LRT
Edmonton Light Rail Transit
Edmonton Light Rail Transit, more commonly referred to as the LRT, is a light rail system in Edmonton, Alberta. Part of the Edmonton Transit System , the 20.5-kilometre route starts in Edmonton's northeast suburbs and ends at Century Park in Edmonton's south end.The ETS designates the LRT as Route...
alignment that would run through Strathearn on Connors Road, 95 Avenue and 85 Street.
Community League
The Strathearn Community LeagueCommunity league
A community league is an organization of community residents who represent their community at large in communication with a municipal government...
is a neighbourhood organization established in the early 1950s. The league's original impetus was to provide local recreational opportunities. In cooperation with the City of Edmonton it built a playground, skating rink and associated rink shack/league hall in Silver Heights Park at the centre of the neighbourhood, and organized child sports teams. More recently the league has become involved in social matters (it sponsored a preschool from the mid 1990s until 2005) and has been active in urban planning matters within and near its boundaries.