Churchill Square (Edmonton)

Last updated
Churchill Square
City square
Churchill square edmonton.jpg
Churchill Square looking towards City Hall
Featuresamphitheatre
Surfacepaving stones
Dedicated to Sir Winston Churchill
OwnerCity of Edmonton
Location Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Edmonton agglomeration-blank.svg
Red pog.svg
Churchill Square
Location of Churchill Square in Edmonton
Coordinates: 53°32′38″N113°29′23″W / 53.54389°N 113.48972°W / 53.54389; -113.48972

Churchill Square (officially "Sir Winston Churchill Square") is the main downtown square in Edmonton, Alberta, which plays host to a large number of festivals and events including: the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival, [1] Edmonton Fashion Week, The Works Art & Design Festival, Taste of Edmonton, [2] Cariwest, and Edmonton Pride.

Contents

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. [3]

Surrounding the square are several cultural and governmental buildings, including Edmonton City Hall to the north, the Law Courts and the Art Gallery of Alberta to the north-east, Chancery Hall and the Francis Winspear Centre for Music to the east, the Citadel Theatre to the south-east, the Stanley A. Milner Library (the main branch of Edmonton Public Library) to the south and Edmonton City Centre mall to the west.

The centrepiece of the square builds a life-size bronze statue of Churchill, unveiled by Lady Soames on May 24, 1989. It is a copy of a statue made by Oscar Nemon. [4]

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. [5] [6] The City Market was housed in Market Square from its beginning in 1900, originally with the market happening outdoors. Successive plans were considered to develop the square into a civic centre, beginning in 1912. A building was built far away on 107 Avenue for the market to be moved indoors in November 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 by 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. [7] The City Market was finally shifted east to 97 Street, and the area was redeveloped according to a plan to create a "civic centre" in the area by constructing the new art gallery and library to accompany the new city hall which had been built in 1957. [5]

In 1969, Lillian Shirt drew national media attention for protesting housing discrimination by erecting a tipi on the square. During the protest, which lasted 12 days, was joined by several others who set up tents and an additional tipi. [8] [9] [10]

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, a waterfall, as well as several structures for retail space (currently occupied by the Three Bananas Cafe and Tix on the Square). [11] [12]

Transportation

Churchill Square is well served by the Edmonton Transit System, being located above Churchill LRT Station, and also near a bus transfer point at CN Tower. St. Albert Transit and Strathcona County Transit also run three bus routes each (StAT routes 201, 202 & 211 & SCT routes 401, 411, & 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 addressBuilding
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 2C3Chancery Hall
4 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, T5J 4X8 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 Churchill Wire Centre
15 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton, T5J 2E5Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton (SAGE)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civic Center, San Francisco</span> Neighborhood of San Francisco, United States

The Civic Center in San Francisco, California, is an area located a few blocks north of the intersection of Market Street and Van Ness Avenue that contains many of the city's largest government and cultural institutions. It has two large plazas and a number of buildings in classical architectural style. The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, the United Nations Charter was signed in the Veterans Building's Herbst Theatre in 1945, leading to the creation of the United Nations. It is also where the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco was signed. The San Francisco Civic Center was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 10, 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Phillips Square</span> Public square in Downtown Toronto

Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and is named after Nathan Phillips, mayor of Toronto from 1955 to 1962. The square was designed by the City Hall's architect Viljo Revell and landscape architect Richard Strong. It opened in 1965. The square is the site of concerts, art displays, a weekly farmers' market, the winter festival of lights, and other public events, including demonstrations. During the winter months, the reflecting pool is converted into an ice rink for ice skating. The square attracts an estimated 1.5 million visitors yearly. With an area of 4.85 hectares, it is Canada's largest city square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Calgary</span> Neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Downtown Calgary is a dense urban district in central Calgary, Alberta. It contains the second largest concentration of head offices in Canada, despite only being the country's fourth largest city in terms of population. The downtown is divided into several residential, commercial, corporate, and mixed-use neighbourhoods, including the Financial District (CBD), Eau Claire, Chinatown, East Village, Beltline, and the West End.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver City Hall</span> City hall in Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver City Hall is home to Vancouver City Council in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Located at 453 West 12th Avenue, the building was ordered by the Vancouver Civic Building Committee, designed by architect Fred Townley and Matheson, and built by Carter, Halls, Aldinger and Company. The building has a 12-storey tower with a clock on the top.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exchange District</span> Neighbourhood in Winnipeg, Canada

The Exchange District is a National Historic Site of Canada in the downtown area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Just one block north of Portage and Main, the Exchange District comprises twenty city blocks and approximately 150 heritage buildings, and it is known for its intact early 20th century collection of warehouses, financial institutions, and early terracotta-clad skyscrapers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stadium station (Edmonton)</span> Light rail station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Stadium station is an Edmonton Light Rail Transit station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It serves the Capital Line. It is a ground-level station located at 111 Avenue and 84 Street, next to Commonwealth Stadium and Clarke Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmonton LRT</span>

Edmonton Light Rail Transit, commonly referred to as the LRT, is a light rail system in Edmonton, Alberta. Part of the Edmonton Transit Service (ETS), the system has 29 stations on three lines and 37.4 km (23.2 mi) of track. As of 2018, it was number seven on a list of the busiest light rail transit systems in North America, with over 113,000 daily weekday riders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Churchill station (Edmonton)</span> Light rail station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Churchill station is an Edmonton Light Rail Transit station in Edmonton, Alberta. It serves the Capital Line, Metro Line, and Valley Line. An underground station beneath Churchill Square serves the Capital and Metro Lines and is a part of the Edmonton Pedway system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Edmonton</span> Neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Downtown Edmonton is the central business district of Edmonton, Alberta. Located at the geographical centre of the city, the downtown area is bounded by 109 Street to the west, 105 Avenue to the north, 97 Street to the east, 97 Avenue and Rossdale Road to the south, and the North Saskatchewan River to the southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Avenue, Edmonton</span> Neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Alberta Avenue is a pre–World War II neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Transport in Edmonton is fairly typical for a Canadian city of its size, involving air, rail, road and public transit. With very few natural barriers to growth and largely flat to gently rolling terrain bisected by a deep river valley, the city of Edmonton has expanded to cover an area of nearly 768 km2 (297 sq mi), of which only two-thirds is built-up, while the metropolitan area covers around 9,430 km2 (3,640 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nutana Suburban Centre, Saskatoon</span> City of Saskatoon neighborhood in Saskatchewan, Canada

Nutana Suburban Centre is a mixed-development neighbourhood located in south-central Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is a classified as a "suburban centre" subdivision, composed of medium to high-density multiple-unit dwellings, commercial areas and civic facilities. As of 2009, the area is home to 2,962 residents. Housing in the neighbourhood consists of high-density apartment-style dwellings and row houses. The neighbourhood is considered a lower-income area, with an average family income of $34,474, an average dwelling value of $266,311 and a home ownership rate of 29.3%. The low average income but comparatively high dwelling value is due to the number of senior citizens residing in the neighbourhood. The age distribution of Nutana SC's population is skewed very highly toward residents age 65 and older.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCauley, Edmonton</span> Neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

McCauley is an ethnically diverse inner city neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, undergoing revitalization. It is named for Matthew McCauley, the first mayor of Edmonton, and is located just to the north east of the Downtown core. McCauley is known as the home of religious buildings in a small area, as well as being a large venue for the 1978 Commonwealth Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmonton Pedway</span> Skyway and pedestrian tunnel network in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

The Edmonton Pedway system is a pedestrian network connecting office buildings, shopping centres, and parkades in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It consists of approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) of year-round climate-controlled tunnels, and walkways between the second floors of buildings, approximately 15 feet (4.6 m) above ground. The main network connects more than 40 buildings and parkades, and three of the five Edmonton Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations in the downtown area.

Meadowlark Park is a residential neighbourhood in west Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Bounded by 95 Avenue to the north, 156 Street to the east, 87 Avenue to the south, and 163 Street to the west, the neighbourhood was originally part of the Town of Jasper Place. It became part of Edmonton in 1964 when Jasper Place amalgamated with the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oscar Nemon</span> Croatian sculptor

Oscar Nemon was a Croatian sculptor who was born in Osijek, Croatia, but eventually settled in England. He is best known for his series of more than a dozen public statues of Sir Winston Churchill.

The Alberta Association of Architects published their Chronicle of Significant Alberta Architecture in February 2003 and August 2005. The project's main goal was to ensure that the public, as well as those with a professional interest in the subject, could easily identify architecturally significant structures developed and still standing in Alberta. The project was undertaken in association with the Government of Alberta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley A. Milner Library</span>

The Stanley A. Milner Library is the flagship branch of the Edmonton Public Library. It is located on the southern side of Sir Winston Churchill Square in the downtown core of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The main library is near walking distance to the City Hall, the Edmonton City Centre mall, the Francis Winspear Centre for Music, and the Citadel Theatre. In January 2017, the library closed its doors for a major renovation, as all but the basic structure was removed to be rebuilt with an architectural design similar to that of the Art Gallery of Alberta located a few blocks away. Its services were relocated to a temporary space on Jasper Avenue in Enterprise Square. The new Stanley A. Milner Library, along with the new Shelley Milner Children's Library opened on September 17, 2020.

Castle Downs is a residential area in the northwest portion of the City of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. The area was originally to be called Athabasca Downs, but when the city rejected the name, the developer used their second choice: Castle Downs. The names of the communities were based on European castles, and Castle Downs became the first area in Edmonton to be named in a thematic way. According to former Names Committee secretary Nancy Diettrich “The castles were chosen to recognize the different ethnic groups in the area.” It was originally established in 1971 through Edmonton City Council's adoption of the Castle Downs Outline Plan, and then extended northward in 1983 through the adoption of the Caste Downs Extension Area Structure Plan. Combined, these two plans guide the overall development of the area.

Lillian Shirt was a Cree women's rights activist from Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 6 Territory, Alberta, Canada who was known for her political initiative against the discrimination towards Indigenous women and their inadequate access to housing, employment, and human rights.

References

  1. Edmonton Street Performers Festival. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  2. EventsEdmonton.ca - Taste of Edmonton Archived 2008-09-11 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  3. "Avenue between City Hall and Churchill Square to close". CBC News. December 14, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  4. cf. Zwischenwelt. Literatur, Widerstand, Exil. Magazine of the Theodor Kramer-Society Vienna, 34, 4, December 2017 ISSN   1606-4321 p. 74 (Letter to the editor by Aurelia Young, daughter of Nemon; with picture of the statue)
  5. 1 2 Lawrence Herzog (September 23, 2004). "Edmontons Civic Block". Real Estate Weekly. Archived from the original on May 13, 2006. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  6. Merrett 2001, p. 117.
  7. Merrett 2001, p. 7.
  8. MacDonald, Alex (1969-05-31). "Woman sets up teepee to protest housing bias". Edmonton Journal. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  9. "Cabinet decides today on future of teepee". Edmonton Journal. 1969-06-24. p. 49. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  10. "Three tents join teepee protest". Red Deer Advocate. Canadian Press. 1969-07-03. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-10-16 via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Sir Winston Churchill Square". City of Edmonton. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  12. Angela Brunschot (June 24, 2010). "Churchill Square Comes Alive". SEE Magazine. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2010.