My wonderful home.......remember going to Klondike Days Exhibition......and the parade on Jasper ave......in the late sixties and early 70s. It was my fun time as a child growing up in Edmonton, will always be home, eventhough I'm now living in BC.
"Hippies in the park behind the Legislative buildings"---- hahaha, I was probably one of them. Smoking up on my way to see Led Zeppelin and Vanilla Fudge at the Kinsmen Fieldhouse, July 1969. Tickets were $5! Attendance was only about 3000 hippies. We stood on the dirt floor in front of the small stage. There were no seats! Robert Plant said "Hello everyone, it's nice to see you standing where the cows walk around in the daytime". Led Zeppelin opened the show as a new act on their first North American tour. Fantastic concert, great memories.
we were too poor and too remote to be going to watch them in person, so our folks took us to the cinema instead to twice watch a filmed concert of theirs
I was there - my first rock concert - must have been 2999 hippies and me since I had short hair for work. It was the second time through Edmonton for Led Zeppelin that year believe it or not. And you're right - $5 - that's about $45 in 2024 dollars - about 1/5 the cost of the least expensive ticket to see Pink at Commonwealth this summer.
Wow, thank you so much for posting this gem. I moved to BC in the mid-seventies and this amazing film shows the Edmonton of those glorious days exactly the way I remember it. I really, REALLY miss those days.
This is very interesting and I have to praise the photographer for having a sharp eye. The rough end of town around 96 and 97 Streets doesn't usually find its way to film! You've captured people, ordinary people, and that is remarkable too. Great work that brings back a ton of memories. Thank you.
Had me looking for my Dad. Didn't see him, but man, the memories. Tucked into the compartment behind the back seat (in the Seventies, seat belts were for kids whose screaming to be let loose still wasn't as bad as what they'd do if let loose) in Mom's Volkswagen Beetle as she negotiates two-way traffic on the High Level Bridge.
Edmonton was at its best in the early 1960s to mid-60s. I was a typical businessman wearing nice dark suits, well-shined shoes, and narrow ties back then. In 1976, I switched gears and became a social worker for children at the Youth Development Centre (YDC) in northeast Edmonton. Times had changed for the worst. More divorce, more juvenile delinquency. At the YDC, I dealt with many unruly kids. One boy, who was only 12 years-old, kicked me in the privates really hard when I tried to restrain him, injuring me to the point where I couldn’t walk for two days. The pain of getting kicked in the testicles by an emotionally unstable child was awful. From a well-suited shiny-shoed businessman in the early 1960s to dealing with misfit children in the 1970s and 80s in Edmonton. What a change.
I was at U of A, then worked for a year in Edmonton at that time, so that's 1963 to late 1965; then at the bank on 118 Ave and 90 Street from 1969-1970. It seemed Jasper Avenue had lots of character, then 97 Street really came to life in the evening, especially on the weekend. I had the impression that the LRT was put underground to preserve the character of Jasper Avenue. You are probably the type that would enjoy my latest video. It is a narrated account of my early life, including lots of photos at that time. It does cover the psychological impact of mild childhood abuse with supportive images. It is called Abuse and its Consequences. I'm sure you will find it reflects reality, and is much more enlightening than depressing.
@@nicechoice4u Thank you for sharing. My name is Ray. It’s interesting that you and I grew up in Edmonton at around the same time. In 1963, you were at U of A. In 1960-1962, I worked at a fine men’s clothing store on Jasper Avenue. From 1963 to 1966, I operated a men’s shoe store downtown too. Like I mentioned, I was a typical businessman at the time. My everyday attire was a nice dark suit, well-shined black leather dress shoes, and a narrow necktie. I watched that video you uploaded on your channel. Yes, I believe many emotional and psychological problems that kids have are the result of physical and mental abuse. When I was employed at the Youth Development Centre (YDC) in northeast Edmonton (on 13120-34 Street), many kids that I oversaw were either physically/sexually or mentally abused, oftentimes both. That boy who kicked me in the groin was just 12 years-old. His name was Kenny. I don’t know if you watched the news in the early 80s, but Kenny died at the age of 19 from a confrontation with the Edmonton police. When I learned of his death, I wasn’t surprised. As a child, Kenny was temperamental, unruly, destructive. His lashing out was a way of venting his experiences of being physically and sexually abused as a young child. At the YDC, I was restraining the boy and taking him to detention with the help of a co-worker. As I grabbed the boy’s wrists to prevent him from punching me, he nailed me in the crotch instead with a super hard kick. My testicles ached for days. The initial pain was awful. Seriously, I thought that was the end of me. The pain was paralyzing and crippling. Took a full week before I fully recovered. Kenny was a small boy, but he was very strong for a little 12 year-old. The child had serious issues. Times had changed in Edmonton. Children were rarely like Kenny in the early 1960s. In my opinion, freedoms gave children more rights in the 70s, but at the expense of social order. Your thoughts?
@PerAllwin1963 your talking about my best bud shanks..it was over me and Kenny we were the impetus to end 'thinking rooms'...did you know me..Darrell S..?
@@darkenrahl5213. Hi Darrell. I think I remember you. You knew Ken (Kenny) Shank? He was just a young kid back then, at the Youth Development Centre in Edmonton, near Rundle Park. Kenny died in August of 1981 when he was shot by an Edmonton police officer, during a dispute. Kenny was the boy who kicked me in the testicles when I was working at the YDC in the mid to late 1970s. Looking back, many of the policies at the Youth Development Centre were strict and authoritarian in the 1970s and 80s. My colleagues and I physically disciplined many children when I worked there. Kenny was one of the very few children who rebelled against the system. I was really surprised when he did that (kicked me), as I never thought a child would ever react like that. I was mostly a businessman in a suit and tie who worked in a men’s dress shoe store in downtown in the early to mid 1960s. When I got into social work in the 1970s, I was shocked at how many kids were sent to the YDC, including Ken (Kenny) Shank. So you knew Kenny?
I grew up in Northeast Edmonton in a home where I barely ate and was beaten with a razor strop three or four times a week. My grade 1 teacher at Northmount elementary took me to the bathroom to clean me up one day because I was filthy. She saw the welts and reported it. So I ended up in the system. I was sent to an office at 135 ave and 96 street to be interviewed and examined. To see the welts they had me stand in front of three social workers at a table, drop my pants and underwear and bend over so they could examine me. I guess they thought I would give better answers if I was vulnerable and humiliated. Consequently one of your colleagues arranged to have me sent to Boysdale Camp when I was 6. They had kangaroo court at the end of the camp. They brought me up on stage and said I was looking at girls, and my punishment was 10 lashes with a broom. So they spanked me front of everyone in the dining hall. I guess they thought it was supposed to be fun. I didn’t think so. I’m 55 now and haven’t trusted a soul in this world ever since. Thanks. ps. You probably deserved the kick in the junk.
I remember when the High Level was two way traffic! 5:00 As a teenager, I use to scare the girls by pretending we were running out of gas half way over the bridge, they'd freak out at the thought of it! Thanks for posting, it brought back a lot of memories of my home town!
I was confused if it was high level because of the 2 way traffic! It's crowded enough these days with one way traffic, can't even imagine how dangerous 2 way must've been!
What a wonderful find on UA-cam. I was four years old at the time. I really love that you got the grit of 97 Street, the old Coffee house of lore (which I remember from visiting the WW Arcade as a kid), Dreamland theatre. Thanks for posting!
I regret that I didn't take more film of 97 Street. I recall us driving through on a warm summer evening and seeing the sidewalks full of men wondering from bar to bar. No doubt, they had lots of friends there that they wanted to talk to. They worked and saved all week so they could go out for a beer on Saturday night. It wasn't the greatest lifestyle, but it needs to be remembered. Someday we might discover that the lifestyle we have chosen isn't as good as what the men had on 97 Street during the 1960's.
Lol!!! The coffee cup Inn! ( About 5:48)I was 3 when this was filmed but both my oarents worked in the area and I'd cruise around! As bad as the area was the only place my parents stressed not to go in or even walk by was the coffee cup Inn😆😆😆. ( Lower right corner ...has weird black bubble windows) I was just thinking about these old streets and the people and how different it was in Edmonton back then. I sometimes think people don't believe .e ,so this video is awesome proof!!!
Thank you. I was around then... first high school year. Looks a bit run down but we did not notice; it was just normal at the time. they used to put sifted pit run on the roads in winter. Always lots of dirt and sand on the streets.
You asked about the shot of the movie theatre in your other comment. No it wasn't the Avenue Theatre at 118 Ave. and 91 Street. (I used to work in the bank that was there, on 90th street at the time this film was made.) I'm not sure of the exact location, but my vague memory says the theatre in the film was near Jasper Avenue and 97 Street.
Awesome content! I love the restoration and how well kept it was! It’s a little funny to see the old cars, but also incredible to see daily life as it was. Truly transports me back to a time I wasn’t even alive in!
This is memory lane for my life in DT, going to the Dreamland on Saturdays, YMCA for swim and fitness. I think your filming is perfect as if the movement is a slice in time. A friend was caught staring in the Coffee Cup Cafe and ended up with a fork in his hand. There is a kid wearing my old winter coat or one like it in a scene. I had to double take that shot as I thought it was me. Much appreciated!
At 6:42 I recognize the Coffee Cup In . It was a ' coffee shop ' that attracted all kinds of characters . If you wanted to find trouble, or anything else, that was the place to go .. It definitely was not a place to bring your family to .
I grew up d:t 60-70s 104st 98 ave I can remember all this very clearly!! Smoking in th d/t stores not a cell phone in sight, and dressing up for k days!!!! Great memory’s!!!!
I can't believe it . That footage from 5:31 to about 5:40 is 96th Street. Family meat was my dad's business with his partner Joe. The short chubby guy in the white shirt is Paul he ran that little convenience store that he's standing in front of. Sadly he was a victim of homicide as were a lot of people in that area where the hell did all that time go anyway thanks for putting this up
I remember Two way traffic on the High level bridge of course I wasn’t driving yet. Driving on it now I don’t think I would like to meet traffic on it. Seems pretty narrow.
I am fairly sure it is a theatre within a few blocks of 97th street and 101st Avenue. I can only vaguely recall the location. It might have been across the street from the restaurant shown at 5:48, on Jasper Avenue. Maybe an old phone book would give you the name.
@@bradv.1793 This theatre looks more like something you would find on 97th Street. In fact both theaters are radically different from each other, especially when you look at this film clip. Check out the theatre at 5 minutes 7 seconds, it is the old Garneau theatre. ua-cam.com/video/vsaIUv0Fi5A/v-deo.html
Pretty sure it's the Dreamland on 97 St. Only the dumpiest old cartoony movies were there in 1969. Mum always liked to take us to the WW Arcade for the cheaper funky stuff.
It was a Canon with a 5 to 1 zoom, and using some sort of daylight filter. Purchased 1968 or 1969. [my vague memory says Cannon 518.] At the Calgary movie club, at that time, most had older cameras which gave darker, less clear images. We had contests, and a few times I was given the impression that my filter and camera were an unfair advantage.
The Dreamland Theatre and Coffee Cup Inn. I think there was also an Asian store and restaurant next to the Coffee Cup Inn, the Oriental Trading Company and Mei Lai Restaurant?
It’s funny how many things have stayed the same and are easily recognizable despite the growth. The cars were so much more distinct and way cooler then!
No. I was in Edmonton for only a year so that is the total of all I captured before moving south. I do have some of the 1974 Edson Air show that I hope to post in early 2022.
@@nicechoice4u Thanks for posting this. I was just thinking about many of these buildings east of downtown where I used to cruise the streets as a little kid ,as my parents worked in the area. I never thought I'd see them again ,and always try to explain how different Edmonton was before the suburbs were built and the city became Mall sprawl. It was gritty,rough but interesting ! I was only 3 when you shot this ,but the areas and buildings remained the same in to the 1970's Again can't thank you enough for posting this Brian!!! 😁
@@gp7910 I was in Edmonton a few times between 1960 and 1965. We drove down 97 Street on a Saturday evening and the sidewalks were packed with men. It looked like they were all bar hopping, wondering down the street to the next bar where they would go in and talk to a friend and have another beer. Many lived to get drunk on Saturday night. So that is what I wish I could have caught on film. An interesting and unique lifestyle.
@@nicechoice4u My Dad ran hotels with bars down in the downtown area you mention. I was a kid but I remember it being really rough 🙂. And the crowds of busy drinking lasted till the early eighties . It's all gone now though
I would have 15 when this was filmed . I use to climb up the girders of the high level bridge to catch pigeons nesting. Sometimes I had to hold onto Gider with 1 hand as I swung into position. I would grab 2 pigeons and put them inside my coat and zip it up. By I climbed back down tp the ground the birds would have crapped all over me. After 3 or 4 more climbs we would ride our bikes home with the pigeons in box fastened to our bikes. I would then sell them tp the neighbor kids for 2.00 a bird. The kids would let the pigeons out of their cage and they would head back to the bridge as their homing pigeons. I would than get to sell more birds to the ids, Boutch my 1st brand new Yamaha 100 cash that year. Only problem I have today is I get nightmares of me hanging on the yop of the high level bridge with 1 hand
"Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end. We'd sing and dance forever and a day. We lived the life we choose, we thought we'd never lose. Those were the days, oh yes those were the days...
I have an extremely vague impression of the location. Maybe 98 Street and 102 Avenue, roughly in that area of Edmonton. If I lived in Edmonton and drove down there, I really don't think I could find it.
The Red Baron Flea Market was in the William Liefke Block at 10333 96 Street. It was torn down in the early 1980s and replaced with a "temporary" parking lot. Over 40 years later and it's still a parking lot. The Red Baron Flea Market didn't open until 1971 so parts of this video were filmed after 1969.
@@dougmcqueen1861 My memory is vague, so I have to rely on knowledge of where I lived. I worked in Edmonton from late 1968 to early 1970, for just over a year at a bank. Then I was transferred to southern Alberta, a 5 hour drive from Edmonton. I worked there for 1 year 9 months, then moved to Calgary in December of 1971. I don't recall returning north to Edmonton for a visit until maybe a decade later. The painting on the building looks new. But the sidewalk is clear, so I don't think the film was taken in the first months of 1970, it looks more like the fall of 1969.
@@nicechoice4u Interesting mystery. Your other clips featuring 96 Street are definitely late Summer or early Autumn which corroborates your 1969 timeline. However, it wasn't until 1972 that the Red Baron Flea Market showed up in any Edmonton telephone book. I grew up in Boyle Street and knew the neighbourhood fairly well -- I had a paper route on that street and was familiar with many of the businesses. The William Liefke Block had been home to a couple of automotive businesses in the 1960s and by 1970 Apache auto wreckers was there. Apache also had other shops elsewhere in the city at the time. Could it be that Red Baron flea market was a business venture of Apache Auto and still operated as an automotive business while wearing "Red Baron Face" for at least a year? The bottom line is that you captured the William Liefke Block's incarnation as the Red Baron on film, and you deserve much credit for preserving that bit of history.
Not sure which scenes you are referring to. McNally is in the west. I vaguely recall the school shots being taken north of the downtown area; and the skating rink might be north-east.
@@nicechoice4u McNally is not in the west. Southeast of downtown. The segment is as marked. That looks like it would have been taken at present day McNally High School
@@UncoolNegated Sorry, my brain wasn't working this morning. McNally is where you say. - That panning shot was taken on Saskatchewan Drive somewhere around 101 or 103 Street. The pan goes from NW to NE. - McNally High School has a much different angle on all the buildings.
@@nicechoice4u It must be St. Joseph school on 109 St. I was wondering if the rink was at 127 St. Westglen school. I went to Westmount school and grew up on 132 St. Only 1 old house remains on 128 St. beside this rink that's still there. Could be any neighborhood too. 97 St. is still largely the same grunge, what wasn't torn down. I started HS in 1968. I remember the Jag XKE too. LOL.
@@GordoGambler My memories don't exist for some of it. For the school and rink locations they are vague, although my sense is they roughly fit the locations you describe. I would have guessed the 101 St. and near 105 Ave. for the walk by the fence. So that is close to 109 St. The rink was probably N.E. of there. So you may be correct with the locations.
Yes, part of Edmonton summer life during the 1960's was to go to the beach. So I included 2 well known beaches, although I missed Alberta beach. There were a number of beaches, roughly an hours drive from the city. By 1969 when I took the film, the quality of the lakes were deteriorating. At the time I also lived in another Alberta city, Calgary. The focus they had was mainly to drive to the mountains. Those were just the impressions I had at the time.
Parents would throw kids out of the house that were unruly and bad. I met lots of kids on the streets of Edmonton in the early 80s. I was a teenager in the 80s and it was pretty crazy back then nothing even close to what it's like today. Cops and judges were allowed to do their job back then.
I've lived in Calgary for over a decade so can't comment on today. But I lived in Edmonton about 5 years before this film was made. At that time I was impressed with the warm and friendly nature of the type of people who went to 97 Street to get drunk. In the summer on a Saturday night the street was crowded with drunks who were going from bar to bar, visiting with friends.
@@nicechoice4u Edmonton was at its best in the early 1960s to mid-60s. I was a typical businessman wearing nice dark suits, well-shined shoes, and narrow ties back then. In 1976, I switched gears and became a social worker for children at the Youth Development Centre (YDC) in northeast Edmonton. Times had changed for the worst. More divorce, more juvenile delinquency. At the YDC, I dealt with many unruly kids. One boy, who was only 12 years-old, kicked me in the privates really hard when I tried to restrain him, injuring me to the point where I couldn’t walk for two days. The pain of getting kicked in the testicles by an emotionally unstable child was awful. From a well-suited shiny-shoed businessman in the early 1960s to dealing with misfit children in the 1970s and 80s in Edmonton. What a change.
The name Canada came from an indigenous word, back in 1535. Eventually there was an Upper Canada and a Lower Canada. Then in 1867 we had confederation in which many provinces joined together under one name: Canada.
The name Canada came from an indigenous word, back in 1535. Eventually there was an Upper Canada and a Lower Canada. Then in 1867 we had confederation in which many provinces joined together under one name: Canada.
@@nicechoice4u ..........Also Brain, it was the last spike of the Canadain National rail.......of the beginning (birth) of the new railroad system across all of 🇨🇦 🍁 Canada.
When I panned the city at the start, I was using the zoom lens, so that exaggerates the shaking. Yes, I was disappointed with that, especially since the content of the pan was an important beginning shot.
Certainly an interesting observation. But it is better to draw conclusions from stats. My shot selection would vary depending on the nature of the scene. On cold days, the obese would be inside watching TV.
When I was making the video, I was looking for things of interest, not the beautiful parts. I have almost nothing of the river valley, a park system that stretches from one end of Edmonton to the other.
But I wasn't looking for beauty. For the most part, I was selecting things of interest that I ran across. I knew that 97th Street was run down and soon to be rejuvenated, so wanted to get interesting shots of the old buildings before they were gone.
@@rileygally2967 I've been all over the world - and Edmonton may not be Paris but even Paris has it's "sad and bleak" parts. Edmonton stacks up pretty well against most cities in the world.
Funny thing about 1960s downtowns. Damn near everything was built in the late 1920s. Wasn't till the 70s when the highrise building boom got going. Jobs were dime a dozen for $4 an hour. The beautiful brick 2 storey schools were all built before 1915. Only lately are they getting closed.
In the early days two main rail lines were built across Canada. On one they put Edmonton and made it the Capital with the only provinces University. On the other line we have Calgary, which is also centrally located. Calgary became central to the Oil Industry and Agriculture.
@@cassidypresley7154 Good questions. I had to look them up. Both Calgary and Edmonton area are well over 1 million people. Next comes Lethbridge: 133,000; Red Deer: 108,000; Fort McMurray 68,000; Medicine Hat: 57,000; and Grande Prairie 47,000.
I rode my bike thru Red Deer at the start of my tour to Portland and back in 2018. And a few times driving. There is very little to like there, even compared to the other small cities. BORING suburbia feel, much like Regina. Not even a ride thru their park impressed me. Also if you watch the weather, Red Deer is very often colder than most of the province. The cold just flows down the river from the mountains. Most of the time, everybody just stops in Gasoline alley for lunch and keeps going. LOL. I went to a nice motel in Ponoka both ways on the tour. Then rode most of the streets there. LOL. One old house was so weird. I often do 100 mile rides to Wetaskiwin and back to Edmonton.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
50 years passed but watching this makes it seem like a century ago
My wonderful home.......remember going to Klondike Days Exhibition......and the parade on Jasper ave......in the late sixties and early 70s. It was my fun time as a child growing up in Edmonton, will always be home, eventhough I'm now living in BC.
Thank you for having the foresight to film this. The trivial things are probably the most important now
"Hippies in the park behind the Legislative buildings"---- hahaha, I was probably one of them. Smoking up on my way to see Led Zeppelin and Vanilla Fudge at the Kinsmen Fieldhouse, July 1969. Tickets were $5! Attendance was only about 3000 hippies. We stood on the dirt floor in front of the small stage. There were no seats! Robert Plant said "Hello everyone, it's nice to see you standing where the cows walk around in the daytime". Led Zeppelin opened the show as a new act on their first North American tour. Fantastic concert, great memories.
Thanks for this little story, sounds fun 😎
we were too poor and too remote to be going to watch them in person, so our folks took us to the cinema instead to twice watch a filmed concert of theirs
I was there too. I remember Plant saying, "Nice to be in America." Polite boos. I do recall bleacher seats at the far wall.
I was there - my first rock concert - must have been 2999 hippies and me since I had short hair for work. It was the second time through Edmonton for Led Zeppelin that year believe it or not. And you're right - $5 - that's about $45 in 2024 dollars - about 1/5 the cost of the least expensive ticket to see Pink at Commonwealth this summer.
I would love to see video of Zeppelin in Edmonton!
Wow, thank you so much for posting this gem. I moved to BC in the mid-seventies and this amazing film shows the Edmonton of those glorious days exactly the way I remember it. I really, REALLY miss those days.
This is very interesting and I have to praise the photographer for having a sharp eye. The rough end of town around 96 and 97 Streets doesn't usually find its way to film! You've captured people, ordinary people, and that is remarkable too. Great work that brings back a ton of memories. Thank you.
Thank you for posting this. I sure wish I could go back and experience Edmonton in that time.
Well shot and edited scenes of people and cars in motion, wow 👍😀
Had me looking for my Dad. Didn't see him, but man, the memories. Tucked into the compartment behind the back seat (in the Seventies, seat belts were for kids whose screaming to be let loose still wasn't as bad as what they'd do if let loose) in Mom's Volkswagen Beetle as she negotiates two-way traffic on the High Level Bridge.
Edmonton was at its best in the early 1960s to mid-60s. I was a typical businessman wearing nice dark suits, well-shined shoes, and narrow ties back then. In 1976, I switched gears and became a social worker for children at the Youth Development Centre (YDC) in northeast Edmonton. Times had changed for the worst. More divorce, more juvenile delinquency. At the YDC, I dealt with many unruly kids. One boy, who was only 12 years-old, kicked me in the privates really hard when I tried to restrain him, injuring me to the point where I couldn’t walk for two days. The pain of getting kicked in the testicles by an emotionally unstable child was awful. From a well-suited shiny-shoed businessman in the early 1960s to dealing with misfit children in the 1970s and 80s in Edmonton. What a change.
I was at U of A, then worked for a year in Edmonton at that time, so that's 1963 to late 1965; then at the bank on 118 Ave and 90 Street from 1969-1970. It seemed Jasper Avenue had lots of character, then 97 Street really came to life in the evening, especially on the weekend. I had the impression that the LRT was put underground to preserve the character of Jasper Avenue.
You are probably the type that would enjoy my latest video. It is a narrated account of my early life,
including lots of photos at that time. It does cover the psychological impact of mild childhood abuse
with supportive images. It is called Abuse and its Consequences. I'm sure you will find it reflects
reality, and is much more enlightening than depressing.
@@nicechoice4u Thank you for sharing. My name is Ray. It’s interesting that you and I grew up in Edmonton at around the same time. In 1963, you were at U of A. In 1960-1962, I worked at a fine men’s clothing store on Jasper Avenue. From 1963 to 1966, I operated a men’s shoe store downtown too. Like I mentioned, I was a typical businessman at the time. My everyday attire was a nice dark suit, well-shined black leather dress shoes, and a narrow necktie. I watched that video you uploaded on your channel. Yes, I believe many emotional and psychological problems that kids have are the result of physical and mental abuse. When I was employed at the Youth Development Centre (YDC) in northeast Edmonton (on 13120-34 Street), many kids that I oversaw were either physically/sexually or mentally abused, oftentimes both. That boy who kicked me in the groin was just 12 years-old. His name was Kenny. I don’t know if you watched the news in the early 80s, but Kenny died at the age of 19 from a confrontation with the Edmonton police. When I learned of his death, I wasn’t surprised. As a child, Kenny was temperamental, unruly, destructive. His lashing out was a way of venting his experiences of being physically and sexually abused as a young child. At the YDC, I was restraining the boy and taking him to detention with the help of a co-worker. As I grabbed the boy’s wrists to prevent him from punching me, he nailed me in the crotch instead with a super hard kick. My testicles ached for days. The initial pain was awful. Seriously, I thought that was the end of me. The pain was paralyzing and crippling. Took a full week before I fully recovered. Kenny was a small boy, but he was very strong for a little 12 year-old. The child had serious issues. Times had changed in Edmonton. Children were rarely like Kenny in the early 1960s. In my opinion, freedoms gave children more rights in the 70s, but at the expense of social order. Your thoughts?
@PerAllwin1963 your talking about my best bud shanks..it was over me and Kenny we were the impetus to end 'thinking rooms'...did you know me..Darrell S..?
@@darkenrahl5213. Hi Darrell. I think I remember you. You knew Ken (Kenny) Shank? He was just a young kid back then, at the Youth Development Centre in Edmonton, near Rundle Park. Kenny died in August of 1981 when he was shot by an Edmonton police officer, during a dispute. Kenny was the boy who kicked me in the testicles when I was working at the YDC in the mid to late 1970s. Looking back, many of the policies at the Youth Development Centre were strict and authoritarian in the 1970s and 80s. My colleagues and I physically disciplined many children when I worked there. Kenny was one of the very few children who rebelled against the system. I was really surprised when he did that (kicked me), as I never thought a child would ever react like that. I was mostly a businessman in a suit and tie who worked in a men’s dress shoe store in downtown in the early to mid 1960s. When I got into social work in the 1970s, I was shocked at how many kids were sent to the YDC, including Ken (Kenny) Shank. So you knew Kenny?
I grew up in Northeast Edmonton in a home where I barely ate and was beaten with a razor strop three or four times a week. My grade 1 teacher at Northmount elementary took me to the bathroom to clean me up one day because I was filthy. She saw the welts and reported it. So I ended up in the system. I was sent to an office at 135 ave and 96 street to be interviewed and examined. To see the welts they had me stand in front of three social workers at a table, drop my pants and underwear and bend over so they could examine me. I guess they thought I would give better answers if I was vulnerable and humiliated. Consequently one of your colleagues arranged to have me sent to Boysdale Camp when I was 6. They had kangaroo court at the end of the camp. They brought me up on stage and said I was looking at girls, and my punishment was 10 lashes with a broom. So they spanked me front of everyone in the dining hall. I guess they thought it was supposed to be fun. I didn’t think so. I’m 55 now and haven’t trusted a soul in this world ever since. Thanks.
ps. You probably deserved the kick in the junk.
Had a good laugh at the shot of the old Coffee Cup restaurant down on 97th street. That place was legendary back then.
That place was legendary scary! Lol. My parents worked around there and warned me not to go in there or even near it.
I had no clue about it ever.
Haha I agree, that's where ALL the hookers and prostitutes used as a base station!
Love this, especially the cars, street scenes, and the people.Thanks for posting.
Like stepping back in time. Thank you so very much for this.
that was so enjoyable - thank you. Sparked some memories, I miss the old Edmonton so very much.
I remember when the High Level was two way traffic! 5:00 As a teenager, I use to scare the girls by pretending we were running out of gas half way over the bridge, they'd freak out at the thought of it! Thanks for posting, it brought back a lot of memories of my home town!
I was confused if it was high level because of the 2 way traffic! It's crowded enough these days with one way traffic, can't even imagine how dangerous 2 way must've been!
What a wonderful find on UA-cam. I was four years old at the time. I really love that you got the grit of 97 Street, the old Coffee house of lore (which I remember from visiting the WW Arcade as a kid), Dreamland theatre. Thanks for posting!
I regret that I didn't take more film of 97 Street. I recall us driving through on a warm summer evening and seeing the sidewalks full of men wondering from bar to bar. No doubt, they had lots of friends there that they wanted to talk to. They worked and saved all week so they could go out for a beer on Saturday night.
It wasn't the greatest lifestyle, but it needs to be remembered. Someday we might discover that the lifestyle we have chosen isn't as good as what the men had on 97 Street during the 1960's.
Lol!!! The coffee cup Inn! ( About 5:48)I was 3 when this was filmed but both my oarents worked in the area and I'd cruise around! As bad as the area was the only place my parents stressed not to go in or even walk by was the coffee cup Inn😆😆😆. ( Lower right corner
...has weird black bubble windows) I was just thinking about these old streets and the people and how different it was in Edmonton back then. I sometimes think people don't believe .e ,so this video is awesome proof!!!
Thank you. I was around then... first high school year. Looks a bit run down but we did not notice; it was just normal at the time. they used to put sifted pit run on the roads in winter. Always lots of dirt and sand on the streets.
Same with me. Went to Ross Sheppard.
Wish you had given us a narration on this video. The shot that was done was it on 118th Ave. I used to live in that neighborhood. Thanks for sharing.
You asked about the shot of the movie theatre in your other comment. No it wasn't the Avenue Theatre at 118 Ave. and 91 Street. (I used to work in the bank that was there, on 90th street at the time this film was made.)
I'm not sure of the exact location, but my vague memory says the theatre in the film was near Jasper Avenue and 97 Street.
It was the Dreamland Theater
Awesome content! I love the restoration and how well kept it was! It’s a little funny to see the old cars, but also incredible to see daily life as it was. Truly transports me back to a time I wasn’t even alive in!
This is memory lane for my life in DT, going to the Dreamland on Saturdays, YMCA for swim and fitness. I think your filming is perfect as if the movement is a slice in time. A friend was caught staring in the Coffee Cup Cafe and ended up with a fork in his hand. There is a kid wearing my old winter coat or one like it in a scene. I had to double take that shot as I thought it was me. Much appreciated!
Thanks Brian, for the memories. Our fair little city has changes a lot.
At 6:42 I recognize the Coffee Cup In .
It was a ' coffee shop ' that attracted all kinds of characters .
If you wanted to find trouble, or anything else, that was the place to go
.. It definitely was not a place to bring your family to .
Thanks. I walked by a number of times but never went in.
I grew up d:t 60-70s 104st 98 ave I can remember all this very clearly!! Smoking in th d/t stores not a cell phone in sight, and dressing up for k days!!!! Great memory’s!!!!
These people most of them passed away some of them life in old age
I can't believe it . That footage from 5:31 to about 5:40 is 96th Street. Family meat was my dad's business with his partner Joe. The short chubby guy in the white shirt is Paul he ran that little convenience store that he's standing in front of. Sadly he was a victim of homicide as were a lot of people in that area where the hell did all that time go anyway thanks for putting this up
Great footage!!
Cool ass cars, I love old video of my city. It makes me homesick for a place that doesn't exist
Nice to have a glimpse back into our past.
Beautiful to see this. Nice work, sir.
5:43. I'm so glad you got Ok Steambath Hotel in there.That's amazing!! thanks for the upload.
Neat!
Thanks for sharing.
Cool! Thanks for uploading.
Edmonton is completely unrecognizable. I mean it makes sense. 50 years is a literal lifetime
Thats cool seeing Chateau Lacombe. I had to Google when it was built because I would've bet it was way newer than 1966!
I had lunch up top a few times. Was a big attraction till 1980 I guess.
Loved seeing the older cars, I drove a 1969 VWBug in 1983!!
I drove a VW bug from 1969 when it was new, till 1977. I was having some mechanical problems, so then bought a Mitsubishi (Dodge) arrow.
it certainly captures the era
I remember Two way traffic on the High level bridge of course I wasn’t driving yet. Driving on it now I don’t think I would like to meet traffic on it. Seems pretty narrow.
Reminds me of my Dad teaching me skate 4:33 TY Dad c u in the next world ❤
Out of curiosity, which theatre is at 5:44 ? Is that the old Paramount (under a different name given the big sign)?
I am fairly sure it is a theatre within a few blocks of 97th street and 101st Avenue. I can only vaguely recall the location. It might have been across the street from the restaurant shown at 5:48, on Jasper Avenue. Maybe an old phone book would give you the name.
@@nicechoice4u I believe it is likely the current Garneau theatre on 109 Street, just south of the High Level bridge
@@bradv.1793 This theatre looks more like something you would find on 97th Street.
In fact both theaters are radically different from each other, especially when you look at this film clip. Check out the theatre at 5 minutes 7 seconds, it is the old Garneau theatre. ua-cam.com/video/vsaIUv0Fi5A/v-deo.html
Pretty sure it's the Dreamland on 97 St. Only the dumpiest old cartoony movies were there in 1969.
Mum always liked to take us to the WW Arcade for the cheaper funky stuff.
Or maybe the Gem?
Really cool, thanks!! I wonder how they could drive those heavy V8, RWD cars on icy roads !?!
Pretty crisp image. Any idea what camera was used.?
It was a Canon with a 5 to 1 zoom, and using some sort of daylight filter. Purchased 1968 or 1969. [my vague memory says Cannon 518.]
At the Calgary movie club, at that time, most had older cameras which gave darker, less clear images. We had contests, and a few times I was given the impression that my filter and camera were an unfair advantage.
@1:40
He's a time traveler for sure
I have never felt so old.
The Dreamland Theatre and Coffee Cup Inn. I think there was also an Asian store and restaurant next to the Coffee Cup Inn, the Oriental Trading Company and Mei Lai Restaurant?
Could be. I can't help you with that, my memory is too vague.
It’s funny how many things have stayed the same and are easily recognizable despite the growth.
The cars were so much more distinct and way cooler then!
.......and they were built better like tanks, back then and cheap by today's standards of cost.
Pretty awesome footage. Do you have any footage of other parts of Edmonton, from the era, like Old Strathcona? Cheers! ✌️🇨🇦
No. I was in Edmonton for only a year so that is the total of all I captured before moving south. I do have some of the 1974 Edson Air show that I hope to post in early 2022.
@@nicechoice4u Okay. Thanks!
@@nicechoice4u Thanks for posting this. I was just thinking about many of these buildings east of downtown where I used to cruise the streets as a little kid ,as my parents worked in the area.
I never thought I'd see them again ,and always try to explain how different Edmonton was before the suburbs were built and the city became Mall sprawl.
It was gritty,rough but interesting ! I was only 3 when you shot this ,but the areas and buildings remained the same in to the 1970's
Again can't thank you enough for posting this Brian!!! 😁
@@gp7910 I was in Edmonton a few times between 1960 and 1965. We drove down 97 Street on a Saturday evening
and the sidewalks were packed with men. It looked like they were all bar hopping, wondering down the street to
the next bar where they would go in and talk to a friend and have another beer. Many lived to get drunk on Saturday
night. So that is what I wish I could have caught on film. An interesting and unique lifestyle.
@@nicechoice4u My Dad ran hotels with bars down in the downtown area you mention. I was a kid but I remember it being really rough 🙂. And the crowds of busy drinking lasted till the early eighties . It's all gone now though
Do I have your permission to use this footage for UA-cam videos?
I was just checking into it. So you have my permission to use my video through the UA-cam services (EG. by embedding it).
Thanks for the memories
I do believe that is my old school, Mckernan at 4:16.
4:27 we all had those long hats lol
Thanks for pointing that out. I wasn't paying attention to styles, so didn't notice.
I bought my first new car at Turnbull Motors October 13 1969 a 1970 Roadrunner 383 4 speed Glorious times
I bought my yellow 1969 Plymouth Road Runner there as well. Paid $3,600 for it brand new, off the show room floor.
I would have 15 when this was filmed . I use to climb up the girders of the high level bridge to catch pigeons nesting. Sometimes I had to hold onto Gider with 1 hand as I swung into position. I would grab 2 pigeons and put them inside my coat and zip it up. By I climbed back down tp the ground the birds would have crapped all over me. After 3 or 4 more climbs we would ride our bikes home with the pigeons in box fastened to our bikes. I would then sell them tp the neighbor kids for 2.00 a bird. The kids would let the pigeons out of their cage and they would head back to the bridge as their homing pigeons. I would than get to sell more birds to the ids, Boutch my 1st brand new Yamaha 100 cash that year. Only problem I have today is I get nightmares of me hanging on the yop of the high level bridge with 1 hand
The Edmonton Colliseum had not been even planned yet? I was a kid growing up in the Southgate area before Southgate was even built...In 1969...
"Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end.
We'd sing and dance forever and a day. We lived the life we choose, we thought we'd never lose.
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days...
Hello! I had sent an email for permission to use this video in an upcoming series. Please let me know if you've received it. Thanks!
Thanks for the note. You're message went directly into my junk folder. So I am now dealing with it and you should get aa reply within a few minutes.
The Red Baron store...where would that have been? Does the building still stand?
I have an extremely vague impression of the location. Maybe 98 Street and 102 Avenue, roughly in that area of Edmonton. If I lived in Edmonton and drove down there, I really don't think I could find it.
You might find an online telephone book from about 1969 that shows the address.
The Red Baron Flea Market was in the William Liefke Block at 10333 96 Street. It was torn down in the early 1980s and replaced with a "temporary" parking lot. Over 40 years later and it's still a parking lot. The Red Baron Flea Market didn't open until 1971 so parts of this video were filmed after 1969.
@@dougmcqueen1861 My memory is vague, so I have to rely on knowledge of where I lived. I worked in Edmonton from late 1968 to early 1970, for just over a year at a bank. Then I was transferred to southern Alberta, a 5 hour drive from Edmonton. I worked there for 1 year 9 months, then moved to Calgary in December of 1971. I don't recall returning north to Edmonton for a visit until maybe a decade later. The painting on the building looks new. But the sidewalk is clear, so I don't think the film was taken in the first months of 1970, it looks more like the fall of 1969.
@@nicechoice4u Interesting mystery. Your other clips featuring 96 Street are definitely late Summer or early Autumn which corroborates your 1969 timeline. However, it wasn't until 1972 that the Red Baron Flea Market showed up in any Edmonton telephone book.
I grew up in Boyle Street and knew the neighbourhood fairly well -- I had a paper route on that street and was familiar with many of the businesses. The William Liefke Block had been home to a couple of automotive businesses in the 1960s and by 1970 Apache auto wreckers was there. Apache also had other shops elsewhere in the city at the time. Could it be that Red Baron flea market was a business venture of Apache Auto and still operated as an automotive business while wearing "Red Baron Face" for at least a year?
The bottom line is that you captured the William Liefke Block's incarnation as the Red Baron on film, and you deserve much credit for preserving that bit of history.
Seba Beach...my mom was from there...my parents lived in Edmonton...I wasn't born till 1970...
Wonderful Stuff !
My home 😎😌✌
0:15 the footage would be from the football field at McNally High School, i think.
Not sure which scenes you are referring to. McNally is in the west. I vaguely recall the school shots being taken north of the downtown area; and the skating rink might be north-east.
@@nicechoice4u McNally is not in the west. Southeast of downtown. The segment is as marked. That looks like it would have been taken at present day McNally High School
@@UncoolNegated Sorry, my brain wasn't working this morning. McNally is where you say. - That panning shot was taken on Saskatchewan Drive somewhere around 101 or 103 Street. The pan goes from NW to NE. - McNally High School has a much different angle on all the buildings.
@@nicechoice4u It must be St. Joseph school on 109 St. I was wondering if the rink was at 127 St. Westglen school. I went to Westmount school and grew up on 132 St. Only 1 old house remains on 128 St. beside this rink that's still there. Could be any neighborhood too.
97 St. is still largely the same grunge, what wasn't torn down.
I started HS in 1968. I remember the Jag XKE too. LOL.
@@GordoGambler My memories don't exist for some of it. For the school and rink locations they are vague, although my sense is they roughly fit the locations you describe.
I would have guessed the 101 St. and near 105 Ave. for the walk by the fence. So that is close to 109 St. The rink was probably N.E. of there. So you may be correct with the locations.
People were so much leaner back then…
Very true, I didn't even exist till a few years later
I was there @ U of A
Weird to think that every adult you see in these films has most likely passed on
hee hee..it happens to end at my favourite image 🍸
Sailboats in Edmonton ?!
Yes, part of Edmonton summer life during the 1960's was to go to the beach. So I included 2 well known beaches, although I missed Alberta beach. There were a number of beaches, roughly an hours drive from the city. By 1969 when I took the film, the quality of the lakes were deteriorating. At the time I also lived in another Alberta city, Calgary. The focus they had was mainly to drive to the mountains.
Those were just the impressions I had at the time.
They took this from you.
you will have to explain
No sound
It was an earlier film, so no location sound. I guess I should have found some music for it.
@@nicechoice4u no don't put music to it - it's wonderful without, and it's like watching my dad's old home movies - sound would not do it justice :)
Do many Americans visit Edmonton? Looks very similar to a lot of American cities
Quite a few. I have the impression that West Edmonton Mall is the biggest attraction.
@@nicechoice4u have you been to America?
@@tarotbyamber7233 Yes, to the east, west, and central.
@@nicechoice4u how far by car is Edmonton from the US border?
@@tarotbyamber7233 About 6 - 6 1/2 hours.
Haha I recognized the Cafe with the round windows; "The Coffe Cup Inn", on Jasper Avenue & 97 street. 👀😜🙃
1971 time go fast too
Parents would throw kids out of the house that were unruly and bad. I met lots of kids on the streets of Edmonton in the early 80s. I was a teenager in the 80s and it was pretty crazy back then nothing even close to what it's like today. Cops and judges were allowed to do their job back then.
Times have changed, and so problems have changed. Some things have gotten better and some things have gotten worse.
Too bad there wasn’t a university trip. I might have spotted my parents. 😅
This was when Edmonton was not filled with crazies and bums like it is today.
I've lived in Calgary for over a decade so can't comment on today. But I lived in Edmonton about 5 years before this film was made. At that time I was impressed with the warm and friendly nature of the type of people who went to 97 Street to get drunk. In the summer on a Saturday night the street was crowded with drunks who were going from bar to bar, visiting with friends.
@@nicechoice4u Edmonton was at its best in the early 1960s to mid-60s. I was a typical businessman wearing nice dark suits, well-shined shoes, and narrow ties back then. In 1976, I switched gears and became a social worker for children at the Youth Development Centre (YDC) in northeast Edmonton. Times had changed for the worst. More divorce, more juvenile delinquency. At the YDC, I dealt with many unruly kids. One boy, who was only 12 years-old, kicked me in the privates really hard when I tried to restrain him, injuring me to the point where I couldn’t walk for two days. The pain of getting kicked in the testicles by an emotionally unstable child was awful. From a well-suited shiny-shoed businessman in the early 1960s to dealing with misfit children in the 1970s and 80s in Edmonton. What a change.
Miss and Edmonton don’t belong in the same sentence
Wonder if that seagull is still around. 😂
Nothing like Shanktown N18😂
Thumbnail be like 🚶
Id rather die than go back to living there- what a hell-hole
But they certainly cleaned up the old buildings on 97 Street. Don't think any of them survived.
Why? It was beautiful no?
@@HelloooThere Beautiful to look at, but probably bad for the health of anyone living in them.
@@nicechoice4u hahaha
Apolo 11🌚🚩👨 🚀1969
😜😋🤗♥️♥️♥️♥️
1 year before i was born kooĺ😊
when this country was called Canada
The name Canada came from an indigenous word, back in 1535. Eventually there was an Upper Canada and a Lower Canada. Then in 1867 we had confederation in which many provinces joined together under one name: Canada.
The name Canada came from an indigenous word, back in 1535. Eventually there was an Upper Canada and a Lower Canada. Then in 1867 we had confederation in which many provinces joined together under one name: Canada.
@@nicechoice4u ..........Also Brain, it was the last spike of the Canadain National rail.......of the beginning (birth) of the new railroad system across all of 🇨🇦 🍁 Canada.
One nervous cameraman'
When I panned the city at the start, I was using the zoom lens, so that exaggerates the shaking. Yes, I was disappointed with that, especially since the content of the pan was an important beginning shot.
Notice there were no obese or overweight body's.
We sure have messed with our food and lifestyle....
Certainly an interesting observation. But it
is better to draw conclusions from stats.
My shot selection would vary depending on
the nature of the scene. On cold days, the
obese would be inside watching TV.
Yep , it sucked back then too .
Isn’t it sad that albertans think they’re hard but they actually don’t walk with god but some are true to alberta
Edmonton grow a lot, Edmonton looks like a waste land
When I was making the video, I was looking for things of interest, not the beautiful parts. I have almost nothing of the river valley, a park system that stretches from one end of Edmonton to the other.
What a sad and bleak place. If you’ve ever seen a real city I don’t understand how someone can call this place beautiful by any means
But I wasn't looking for beauty. For the most part, I was selecting things of interest that I ran across. I knew that 97th Street was run down and soon to be rejuvenated, so wanted to get interesting shots of the old buildings before they were gone.
Sorry, your video is beautiful and I especially like the footage of the old cars. I meant today it’s a sad and bleak place.
@@rileygally2967 I've been all over the world - and Edmonton may not be Paris but even Paris has it's "sad and bleak" parts. Edmonton stacks up pretty well against most cities in the world.
Night and day difference to today. A conspicuous lack of "diversity".
I remember life being more honest back then we knew right from wrong and male from female
To go back in time before wokeism diversity and multiculturalism
Nahhhhhh!
Forward motion is progress and recognizing our fellow humans as such is best. Peace and love, friend.
Funny thing about 1960s downtowns. Damn near everything was built in the late 1920s. Wasn't till the 70s when the highrise building boom got going. Jobs were dime a dozen for $4 an hour. The beautiful brick 2 storey schools were all built before 1915. Only lately are they getting closed.
why didn't alberta have a third major city ? ?
In the early days two main rail lines were built across Canada. On one they put Edmonton and made it the Capital with the only provinces University. On the other line we have Calgary, which is also centrally located. Calgary became central to the Oil Industry and Agriculture.
I believe now that Redeer is probably the 3nd largest city in Alberta. Other city......would be Medicine Hat Alberta? Maybe larger then Redeer?????
@@cassidypresley7154 Good questions. I had to look them up. Both Calgary and Edmonton area are well over 1 million people. Next comes Lethbridge: 133,000; Red Deer: 108,000; Fort McMurray 68,000; Medicine Hat: 57,000; and Grande Prairie 47,000.
I rode my bike thru Red Deer at the start of my tour to Portland and back in 2018.
And a few times driving. There is very little to like there, even compared to the other small cities. BORING suburbia feel, much like Regina. Not even a ride thru their park impressed me.
Also if you watch the weather, Red Deer is very often colder than most of the province. The cold just flows down the river from the mountains.
Most of the time, everybody just stops in Gasoline alley for lunch and keeps going. LOL. I went to a nice motel in Ponoka both ways on the tour. Then rode most of the streets there. LOL. One old house was so weird.
I often do 100 mile rides to Wetaskiwin and back to Edmonton.