In Calder

HISTORY

Edmonton-Calder is a North West Edmonton constituency which borders the north city limits, while also encompassing the inner city area around the Edmonton City Centre Airport.

Edmonton–Calder is named after the Hamlet of Calder which was situated along the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway.  It was the construction of this railway that led to the establishment of Calder.  By July 1910, the Grand Truck Pacific railway had an 18-stall brick roundhouse, a repair shop, and shunting yards which provided employment for 200 men.  This led to the establishment of the Village of West Edmonton in July of 1910.  Residents preferred to call this hamlet, Calder, after the Calder Land Company, a real-estate firm owned by Hugh Alfred Calder and J.R. McIntosh who subdivided the land in 1910.

A large part of the development surrounding Calder can be attributed to the Hudson’s Bay Company, which had delayed the sale of the land that now extends from 107th Avenue north to 122nd Avenue and 101st Street west to 122nd Street.  With development restricted in this area, subdivisions were established further out around the Calder area.  These restrictions also allowed the Grand Truck Pacific Railway to locate their facilities north west of Edmonton.

It was this rail line that gave birth to the hamlet of Calder; however, it did not have the modern conveniences that were in the City of Edmonton including running water, electricity, and a sewage system.  As Calder grew, it became imperative to provide utilities to its residents.  This growth and the desire for modern conveniences led Calder to become part of the City of Edmonton in 1917.

CALDER TODAY

Edmonton-Calder is a working class neighborhood with 18,265 households and a total of 36,790 residents.  While its population is mainly working-class, it is a culturally diverse group that houses facilities like the African Centre, the Somali Centre, Orthodox Ukrainian Hall, and the Italian and Dutch Cultural Centers.

Senior citizens also comprise a large portion of Calder’s population and as such, this constituency is home to 10 seniors’ facilities.  Above all else, Calder is an industrial and transportation hub for the City of Edmonton.  Sixty-six percent of Edmonton's industrial land is found in this constituency.

As a result of these numerous amenities, MLA Elniski supports his constituency by spreading the word that ‘It’s ALL in Calder.'