Edmonton (pronounced /ˈɛdməntən/ ) is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. The city is located on the North Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies. It is the second largest city in Alberta after Calgary, and is the hub of Canada's sixth-largest census metropolitan area.
In the Canada 2006 Census, the city had a population of 730,372, and its census metropolitan area had a population of 1,034,945, making it the northernmost North American city with a metropolitan population over one million. The 2009 civic census showed a population of 782,439. At 684 km 2 (264 sq mi), the City of Edmonton covers an area larger than Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto, or Montreal. Edmonton has one of the lowest urban population densities in North America, about 9.4% that of New York City. A resident of Edmonton is known as an Edmontonian .
Edmonton serves as the northern anchor of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor (one of four regions that together comprise 50% of Canada's population) and is a staging point for large-scale oil sands projects occurring in northern Alberta and large-scale diamond mining operations in the Northwest Territories.
Edmonton is Canada's second most populous provincial capital (after Toronto) and is a cultural, governmental and educational centre. It plays host to a year-round slate of world-class festivals, earning it the title of "The Festival City." It is home to North America's largest mall, West Edmonton Mall (which was the world's largest mall for a 23 year period from 1981 until 2004.), and Fort Edmonton Park, Canada's largest living history museum. In 2004, Edmonton celebrated the centennial of its incorporation as a city.
History
Further information: History of Edmonton and Timeline of Edmonton historyThe first inhabitants settled in the area that is now Edmonton around 3,000 BC and perhaps as early as 12,000 BC, when an ice-free corridor opened up as the last ice age ended and timber, water, and wildlife became available in the region.
In 1754, Anthony Henday, an explorer working for the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), may have been the first European to enter the Edmonton area. His expeditions across the Canadian Prairies were mainly to seek contact with the aboriginal population for the purpose of establishing the fur trade, as competition was fierce between the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company. By 1795, Fort Edmonton was established on the north bank of the river, as a major trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company. The name of the new fort was suggested by John Peter Pruden after Edmonton, London, the home town of both the HBC deputy governor Sir James Winter Lake, and Pruden. In the late 19th century, the highly fertile soils surrounding Edmonton helped attract settlers, further establishing Edmonton as a major regional commercial and agricultural centre. Edmonton was also a stopping point for people hoping to cash in on the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897, although the majority of people doing so chose to take a steamship north to the Yukon from Vancouver.
Incorporated as a city in 1904 with a population of 8,350, Edmonton became the capital of Alberta as the province joined Confederation a year later, on September 1, 1905. In November 1905, the Canadian Northern Railway (CNR) arrived in Edmonton, accelerating growth.
During the early 1910s, Edmonton grew very rapidly, causing rising speculation in real estate prices. In 1912, Edmonton amalgamated with the City of Strathcona, south of the North Saskatchewan River; as a result, the city extended south of the North Saskatchewan River for the first time.
Just prior to World War I, the real estate boom ended suddenly, causing the city's population to decline sharply from over 72,500 in 1914 to under 54,000 only two years later. Recruitment to the Canadian military during the war also contributed to the drop in population. Afterwards, the city was slow to recover in population and economy during the 1920s and 1930s until World War II.
The first licensed airfield in Canada, Blatchford Field (now Edmonton City Centre (Blatchford Field) Airport), commenced operation in 1929. Pioneering aviators such as Wilfrid R. "Wop" May and Max Ward used Blatchford Field as a major base for the distribution of mail, food, and medicine to Northern Canada; hence Edmonton's role as the "Gateway to the North" was strengthened. During World War II saw Edmonton's becoming a major base for the construction of the Alaska Highway and the Northwest Staging Route.
Politics
In 1892 Edmonton was incorporated as a town. The first mayor was Matthew McCauley, he quickly established the first school board in Edmonton and Board of Trade (later Chamber of Commerce) and a municipal police service. Due to mayor McCauley's good relationship with the federal Liberals this helped Edmonton to maintain political prominence over Strathcona, a town on the south banks of the North Saskatchewan River. Edmonton was incorporated as a city in 1904 and became the capital of Alberta in 1905.
Municipal representation
Edmonton is represented by a mayor and 12 councilors - two for each of the six wards. It was first used in Edmonton in 1971 so that each part of the city has an equal representation. On July 22, 2009 City Council adopted an electoral system that divides Edmonton into 12 wards, each represented by a single City Councillor. This system will come into effect with the next municipal election in 2010.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of EdmontonAccording to the mid-2006 census, there were 730,372 residents within the city of Edmonton proper, compared to 3,290,350 for all of Alberta. The total population of the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) was 1,034,945. In 2009, a municipal census showed the city had a population of 782,439.
In the five years between 2001 and 2006, the population of the city of Edmonton proper grew by 9.6%, compared with an increase of 10.4% for the Edmonton CMA and 10.6% for Alberta as a whole. The population density of the city of Edmonton proper averaged 1,067.2 people per square kilometre (2,764/sq mi), compared with an average of 5.1 people per square kilometre (13.2/sq mi) for Alberta altogether.
In mid-2006, 11.9% of Edmonton's population were of retirement age (65 and over for males and females) compared with 13.7% in Canada. The median age was 35.3 years of age, compared to 37.6 years of age for all of Canada. Also, according to the 2006 census, 50.5% of the population within the city of Edmonton proper were female, while 49.5% were male. Children under five accounted for approximately 5.6% of the resident population of Edmonton. This compares with 6.2% in Alberta, and almost 5.3% for Canada overall.
In 2006, people of European ethnicities formed the largest cluster of ethnic groups in Edmonton, mostly of English, Scottish, German, Irish, Ukrainian, and French origin. According to the 2006 census, the city of Edmonton was 71.8% White and 5.3% Aboriginal, while visible minorities accounted for 22.9% of the population.
Geography
Edmonton is located near the geographical centre of the province, at an elevation of 668 m (2,190 ft). The terrain in and around Edmonton is generally flat to gently rolling, with ravines and deep river valleys, such as the North Saskatchewan River valley. Despite the fact that the Canadian Rockies come as close to Edmonton as roughly 220 km (140 mi) to the southwest, the city is too distant for any of its peaks to be seen from even its tallest buildings.
The North Saskatchewan River originates at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and bisects the city. It empties via the Saskatchewan River, Lake Winnipeg, and the Nelson River into Hudson Bay. It runs from the southwest to the northeast and is fed by numerous creeks throughout the city, such as Mill Creek and Whitemud Creek; this creates numerous ravines, many of which have been incorporated into urban parkland. Edmonton is situated at the boundary between prairie to the south and boreal forest to the north, in a transitional area known as aspen parkland. However, the aspen parkland in and around Edmonton has long since been heavily altered by farming and other human activities, such as oil and natural gas exploration.
Parkland and environment
See also: North Saskatchewan River valley parks systemEdmonton's river valley constitutes the longest stretch of connected urban parkland in North America, and Edmonton has the highest per capita
Edmonton Employment Agencies, Staffing Agencies & Temp Agency - About ...
About Staffing is the leading employment, temp, and staffing agency in Edmonton.
Employment Agencies in Edmonton | 2 | YellowPages.ca™
Business listings for Employment Agencies in Edmonton, brought to you by YellowPages.ca (TM) - Page 2
Sherwood Park Employment Agencies - Find BBB Accredited Employment ...
Find BBB Accredited Employment Agencies near Sherwood Park, AB - your guide to trusted Sherwood Park, AB Employment Agencies, recommended and BBB Accredited businesses.
Jobs in Alberta - Edmonton Jobs & Calgary Jobs - Harcourt Recruiting
Edmonton jobs, Calgary jobs & more jobs in Alberta, Canada. Employment opportunities and job search tools in engineering, accounting, management, technology & more. Call 1-780-425 ...
Employment Agencies Edmonton
Top Employment Agencies in Edmonton - Office Team, Placement Group, T I P S-Temporary Industrial Personnel Specialists, Pro-Visional Staffing Network, Tips-Temporary Industrial ...
Edmonton Employment & Jobs - Edmonton Job Bank, Careers, Edmonton ...
Staffing-Personnel Edmonton, Recruitment, Employment, Job, Placement, Agencies, Temp, Contract, Permanent, More...
Central And Northern Alberta Employment Agencies - Find BBB Accredited ...
Find BBB Accredited Employment Agencies in Central and Northern Alberta - your guide to trusted Central and Northern Alberta Employment Agencies, recommended and BBB Accredited ...
Employment Agencies in Edmonton | 4 | YellowPages.ca™
Business listings for Employment Agencies in Edmonton, brought to you by YellowPages.ca (TM) - Page 4
Edmonton Jobs | Free Job Posting
Edmonton Nov-04-09 Expeditor Posted By: Nedco (division of Rexel Canada Electrical Inc) ... Title: Construction labourer (NOC: 7611) Terms of Employment: Permanent, Full Time ...
Alberta employment agencies thrive as job losses grow
The number of licensed employment agencies in Alberta has skyrocketed 279 per cent in less than three