West Edmonton Mall ( WEM ) is a large shopping mall in Edmonton , Alberta, Canada, that is owned, managed, and operated by Triple Five Group . It is the second most visited mall in Canada , after the Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto , followed by Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby , and the 14th largest in the world (along with The Dubai Mall ) by gross leasable area . It is the second largest shopping mall, by square footage, in North America behind the Mall of America in Bloomington , Minnesota . Mall of America encompasses 520,000 m (5.6 million square feet) and West Edmonton Mall encompasses 490,000 m (5.3 million square feet). By store count, West Edmonton Mall is the highest in the Western Hemisphere as it currently counts over 800 occupants, in comparison to Mall of America's 520 occupants. The mall was founded by the Ghermezian brothers , who emigrated from Iran in 1959. The mall's major anchor stores are Hudson's Bay , London Drugs , Marshalls , Simons , The Brick , Winners / HomeSense and West Edmonton Mall Toyota .
80-523: The Edmonton Bulletin was a newspaper in Edmonton , Alberta , published from 1880 until January 20, 1951. It was founded by Edmonton pioneer Frank Oliver , a future Liberal politician and cabinet minister in the Canadian Government . Oliver co-founded the paper with Alexander Taylor , the city's first telegraph operator, in 1880. It was Edmonton's undisputed foremost newspaper until
160-416: A lockdown protocol in case of major emergencies. As of 2013 drills continued to be executed every two to three months. On August 21, 2023, the mall was locked down after three men were seriously injured in a targeted shooting near the mall’s movie theatre. The mall was locked down again on December 2, 2023 when a man was spotted with a gun. No shots were fired, and no injuries were reported. In 2011,
240-481: A 12-storey office building , and a 600-unit apartment building , along with more parking. However, none of these projects has begun construction except for the completed parking lot expansion by the Rec Room. As part of Mayfield Toyota’s move to the mall, the project is yet to include the addition of a 19,000 m (200,000 sq ft) parkade with 1,000 parking stalls and valet service. In February 2015,
320-522: A Deep Sea adventure ride took visitors on a narrated tour of the lake in one of four submarines. The submarines have now been removed but guests can still visit the Sea Life Caverns at Marine Life — an underground aquarium that is home to more than 100 species of fish, sharks, sea turtles, penguins, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates—or watch the free daily sea lion shows. The mall also includes several theme areas including: The mall
400-601: A board of directors appointed by the city. In 1995, City of Edmonton ownership of its telephone service ended when Ed Tel was sold to the Telus corporation. City Bylaw 11713 created The Ed Tel Endowment Fund whereas the shares owned by Edmonton Telephones Corporation in Ed Tel Inc. were sold by the City of Edmonton to Telus on March 10, 1995, for $ 470,221,872 to be invested for the perpetual benefit of Edmontonians. Unions such as
480-744: A court battle with the Walt Disney Company , West Edmonton Mall changed the park's name to Galaxyland in July 1995 after completing major renovations. It undertook a complete redesign from the original theme, old Victorian fantasy, to a galactic space theme. It is an indoor amusement park on the north side of the mall and is the second-largest indoor amusement park in the world, behind Ferrari World , and features 24 rides and attractions. There are eight beginner rides, nine intermediate rides and seven thrill rides. The latest attraction in Galaxyland
560-427: A fairly dry climate, receiving 455.7 mm (17.94 in) of precipitation per year, of which 347.8 mm (13.69 in) is rain and 111.2 mm (4.38 in) is the melt from 123.5 cm (48.6 in) from snowfall. Over 75% of the average annual precipitation falls in the late spring, summer, and early autumn, with the wettest month being July, having a mean precipitation of 93.8 mm (3.69 in), and
640-431: A fatal accident on 14 June 1986 when one of the rear cars derailed from the track and slammed into a nearby concrete pillar. Three people died and one was injured in the accident. On 23 December 2000, a 22-year-old man drowned in a recreational lagoon. A man matching his description was seen swimming at about 2:30 am as the nearby drinking establishments had closed, though a second security check did not find anyone in
720-763: A major base for distributing mail, food, and medicine to Northern Canada ; hence Edmonton's emergence as the "Gateway to the North". World War II saw Edmonton become a major base for the construction of the Alaska Highway and the Northwest Staging Route . The airport was closed in November 2013. On July 31, 1987, an F4 tornado hit the city and killed 27 people. The storm hit the areas of Beaumont, Mill Woods , Bannerman , Fraser , and Evergreen . The day became known as "Black Friday" and earned
800-1027: A major park. The first residents moved into Blatchford in November 2020. Edmonton has four major industrial districts: the Northwest Industrial District, the Northeast Industrial District, the Southeast Industrial District, and the emerging Edmonton Energy and Technology Park, which is part of Alberta's Industrial Heartland. The northwest, northeast and southeast districts each have smaller industrial areas and neighbourhoods within them. The city has established 12 business revitalization zones : 124 Street and Area , Alberta Avenue , Beverly, Downtown, Chinatown and Little Italy , Fort Road and Area, Inglewood, Kingsway, North Edge, Northwest Industrial, Old Strathcona and Stony Plain Road. In
880-582: A major regional commercial and agricultural centre. Some people participating in the Klondike Gold Rush passed through South Edmonton/Strathcona in 1897. Strathcona was North America's northernmost railway point, but travel to the Klondike was still very difficult for the "Klondikers", and a majority of them took a steamship north to the Yukon from Vancouver , British Columbia. Incorporated as
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#1732772103352960-562: A more southerly latitude than Edmonton. Its average daily temperatures range from a low of −10.4 °C (13.3 °F) in January to a summer peak of 17.7 °C (63.9 °F) in July, with average maximum of 23.1 °C (73.6 °F) in July and minimum of −14.8 °C (5.4 °F) in January. Temperatures can exceed 30 °C (86 °F) for an average of four to five afternoons anytime from late April to mid-September and fall below −20 °C (−4 °F) for an average of 24.6 days in
1040-557: A near-majority in 1929, and a full majority from 1932 to 1934, during the Great Depression. Jan Reimer became the city's first female mayor when she was elected in 1989. In 2021, Amarjeet Sohi became the first person of colour to be elected as mayor of Edmonton. Edmonton is on the North Saskatchewan River, at an elevation of 671 m (2,201 ft). It is North America's northernmost city with
1120-914: A planned inland port logistics support facility in support of the Port Alberta initiative) in Leduc County, the Acheson Industrial Area in Parkland County , Refinery Row in Strathcona County and Alberta's Industrial Heartland within portions of Fort Saskatchewan, Strathcona County and Sturgeon County . Alberta's Industrial Heartland also extends beyond the CMA's northeastern boundary into Lamont County . The individual economic development interests and costs of service delivery in certain municipalities within
1200-425: A population of 932,546 living in 360,828 of its 387,950 total private dwellings, a change of 14.8% from its 2011 population of 812,201. With a land area of 685.25 km (264.58 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,360.9/km (3,524.7/sq mi) in 2016. West Edmonton Mall West Edmonton Mall has over 800 stores and services including nine attractions, two hotels and over 100 dining venues in
1280-486: A population of over one million. Residents are called Edmontonians . Known as the "Gateway to the North" outside of Ontario , Edmonton has become a staging point for large-scale oil sands projects occurring in northern Alberta and large-scale diamond mining operations in the Northwest Territories . It is a cultural, governmental and educational centre. It hosts festivals year-round, reflected in
1360-474: A population over one million. It is south of Alberta's geographic centre, which is near the Hamlet of Fort Assiniboine . 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. The Canadian Rockies are west of Edmonton and about 220 km (140 mi) to the southwest. The North Saskatchewan River originates at
1440-580: A series of annexations through 1982, and the annexation of 8,260 ha (82.6 km ; 31.9 sq mi) of land from Leduc County and the City of Beaumont on January 1, 2019. As of 2021 , Edmonton had a city population of 1,010,899 and a metropolitan population of 1,418,118, making it the fifth-largest city and sixth-largest metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada. It is the northernmost city and metropolitan area in North America to have
1520-507: A small glass section of the roof collapsed under the weight of the rainwater, causing water to drain onto the mall's indoor ice rink. As a result, the mall was evacuated as a precautionary measure. Twelve tornadoes had been recorded in Edmonton between 1890 and 1989, and eight since 1990. An F4 tornado that struck Edmonton on July 31, 1987, killing 27, was unusual in many respects, including severity, duration, damage, and casualties. It
1600-551: A total of 1.1 megawatts (1,500 hp), generating waves up to two metres high. In 2018–2019, the waterpark underwent a $ 2.5 million renovation. The renovations included new paint jobs to the Corkscrew slide, the handrails, and the Blue Thunder Wave Pool. Bathrooms were introduced to a more convenient location, as well as a rooftop balcony on top of the bathrooms for social gatherings. A hot dog stand, Tiki Dog,
1680-499: A town in 1892 with a population of 700 and then as a city in 1904 with a population of 8,350, Edmonton became the capital of Alberta when the province was formed a year later, on September 1, 1905. In November 1905, the Canadian Northern Railway (CNR) arrived in Edmonton, accelerating growth. During the early 1900s, Edmonton's rapid growth led to speculation in real estate. In 1912, Edmonton amalgamated with
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#17327721033521760-552: A video recording allegedly showed WEM security assaulting a woman after arresting her for trespassing. A judge agreed to release the video after charges against the woman were dismissed. The West Edmonton Mall Transit Centre is a major hub of the Edmonton Transit Service (ETS). As of August 2021, it is in a temporary location on 90 Avenue beside the West Edmonton Mall Inn. This is due to
1840-406: Is 972,223, a change of 8.1% from its 2016 municipal census population of 899,447. After factoring in dwellings that did not respond to the municipal census, Edmonton's population is further estimated to be 992,812. Per its municipal census policy, the city's next municipal census is scheduled for 2020. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Edmonton had
1920-587: Is Havoc, which opened in 2018. Management closed Drop of Doom in the early 2000s. The tower area was replaced shortly after by a more modern launch ride, the Space Shot , a S&S Double Shot Tower Ride . In late 2019, the park announced a new partnership with Hasbro , with several rides and attractions being rebranded with Hasbro toy brands. The renovation was scheduled to finish by winter 2020, and eventually had its grand opening as Galaxyland Powered by Hasbro on December 17, 2022. The Mindbender rollercoaster
2000-422: Is approximately and includes 65 service bays, a detailing centre, and a three-aisle drive-through that intersects the entire mall. Since 2018, the mall has focused on adding several high-end retailers including Gucci , Balenciaga , Saint Laurent , Moose Knuckles, Moncler and Louis Vuitton . Current West Edmonton Mall world records include; Galaxyland was originally known as "Fantasyland"; however, during
2080-446: Is commonly referred to as Black Friday due both to its aberrant characteristics and the emotional shock it generated. Then-mayor Laurence Decore cited the community's response to the tornado as evidence that Edmonton was a "city of champions," which later became an unofficial slogan of the city. Edmonton is at the centre of Canada's sixth-largest census metropolitan area (CMA), which includes Edmonton and 34 other municipalities in
2160-467: Is divided into a town centre community ( Mill Woods Town Centre ) and eight surrounding communities: Burnewood , Knottwood , Lakewood , Millbourne , Millhurst , Ridgewood , Southwood , and Woodvale . Each has between two and four neighbourhoods. Several transit-oriented developments (TOD) have begun to appear along the LRT line at Clareview, with future developments planned at Belvedere (part of
2240-535: Is featured prominently in the movies Christmas in Wonderland and Paper Marriage , and is featured briefly in FUBAR 2 . The mall setting in the animated TV series 6teen is also based on West Edmonton Mall. In 2002, the City of Edmonton approved plans for the mall to expand with an additional 30,000 square metres (320,000 sq ft) of retail space, a facility for sports, trade shows and conventions,
2320-443: Is known as Kuę́ Nedhé , a metonymic toponym which also generally means 'city'. The earliest known inhabitants arrived 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 as the last glacial period ended and timber, water, and wildlife became available in the region. The site of present-day Edmonton was home to several First Nations peoples, including
2400-548: Is used for various hockey and other sporting tournaments. In 2015, the Ice Palace was renamed Mayfield Toyota Ice Palace after the mall sold the naming rights to a local auto dealership. During special events, such as Remembrance Day , the ice rink is covered for ceremonies. In July 2017, West Edmonton Mall announced that the Mayfield Toyota Ice Palace would get a $ 3 million renovation. It closed for
2480-648: Is within the Canadian Prairies Ecozone . Aspen parkland surrounds the city and is a transitional area from the prairies to the south and boreal forest in the north. The aspen woods and forests in and around Edmonton have long since been reduced by farming and residential and commercial developments including oil and natural gas exploration. Edmonton has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfb , Trewartha climate classification Dcbc ) with typically cold, dry winters and warm, sunny summers, prone to extremes and large swings at all times of
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2560-411: Is within the city's mature area or inner city. It and the surrounding Boyle Street , Central McDougall , Cloverdale , Garneau , McCauley , Oliver , Queen Mary Park , Riverdale , Rossdale, Strathcona and University of Alberta form Edmonton's Central Core. Oliver and Garneau are the city's most populated and most densely populated neighbourhoods respectively. The mature area sector also contains
2640-658: The Edmonton Journal was founded in 1903. The Journal took an editorial stance friendly to the Conservative Party , in contrast to the Bulletin which was the Liberal Oliver's mouthpiece. The Bulletin folded on January 20, 1951. This article about a Canadian newspaper is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of
2720-417: The 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , the City of Edmonton had a population of 1,010,899 living in 396,404 of its 428,857 total private dwellings, a change of 8.3% from its 2016 population of 933,088. With a land area of 765.61 km (295.60 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,320.4/km (3,419.8/sq mi) in 2021. At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in
2800-623: The Canadian province of Alberta . It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region , which is surrounded by Alberta's central region . It anchors the northern end of what Statistics Canada defines as the " Calgary–Edmonton Corridor ", a region spanning between it and Calgary , Alberta's largest city, including many smaller municipalities between
2880-793: The Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and bisects the city. It sometimes floods Edmonton's river valley, most notably in the North Saskatchewan River flood of 1915 . 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, including Mill Creek , Whitemud Creek and Blackmud Creek ; these creeks have created ravines, some of which are used for urban parkland . Edmonton
2960-551: The Cree , Nakota Sioux , Blackfoot , Tsuut'ina , Ojibwe , and Denesuline . The valley of the North Saskatchewan River , in particular the area of Edmonton, was settled to varying degrees for thousands of years, and provided many essential resources, including fish, medicine, and materials for tool making, such as chert or quartzite , which are abundant in the area around the modern city and which can be easily knapped into tools such as axes , knives , and arrowheads . The city
3040-636: The Industrial Workers of the World struggled for progressive social change through the early years, with the first reformer, James East , elected in 1912, followed by the first official Labour alderman, James Kinney , the following year. Many thousands of workers participated in the Edmonton general strike of 1919 and a strong block of Labour representatives were on council after the next election: East, Kinney, Sam McCoppen, Rice Sheppard and Joe Clarke . Labour representation on city council became
3120-690: The North West Company . It remained sparsely populated until the Canadian acquisition of Rupert's Land in 1870, followed eventually by the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1891, its inauguration as a city in 1904, and its designation as the capital of the new province of Alberta in 1906. Its growth was facilitated through the absorption of five adjacent urban municipalities ( Strathcona , North Edmonton , West Edmonton , Beverly and Jasper Place ) in addition to
3200-465: The 2021 census, the Edmonton CMA had a population of 1,418,118 living in 548,624 of its 589,554 total private dwellings, a change of 7.3% from its 2016 population of 1,321,441 . With a land area of 9,416.19 km (3,635.61 sq mi), it had a population density of 150.6/km (390.1/sq mi) in 2021. The population of the City of Edmonton according to its 2019 municipal census
3280-497: The City Centre Airport, and even warmer in the city proper. A massive cluster of thunderstorms swept through Edmonton on July 11, 2004, with large hail and over 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain reported within an hour in many places. This "1-in-200 year event" flooded major intersections and underpasses and damaged both residential and commercial properties. The storm caused extensive damage to West Edmonton Mall;
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3360-463: The City of Strathcona south of the North Saskatchewan River ; as a result, the city held land on both banks of the North Saskatchewan River for the first time. Just before World War I , the boom ended, and the city's population declined from more than 72,000 in 1914 to less than 54,000 only two years later. Many impoverished families moved to subsistence farms outside the city, while others fled to greener pastures in other provinces. Recruitment to
3440-484: The City of Beaumont, increasing the city's area to 767.85 km (296.47 sq mi), with discussions of annexing an additional 2,830 ha (28.3 km ; 10.9 sq mi) of Edmonton International Airport land still ongoing. Edmonton is divided into 375 neighbourhoods within seven geographic sectors – a mature area sector, which includes neighbourhoods that were essentially built out before 1970, and six surrounding suburban sectors. Edmonton's Downtown
3520-505: The City of Edmonton and Leduc County came to an agreement on Edmonton's annexation proposal. The City of Edmonton was poised to annex 12,100 ha (121 km ; 47 sq mi) of land from Leduc County and Beaumont, including the Edmonton International Airport, as a result. On January 1, 2019, the City of Edmonton officially annexed 8,260 ha (82.6 km ; 31.9 sq mi) from Leduc County and
3600-596: The Crown , as part of the Numbered Treaties . The agreement includes the Plains and Woods Cree, Assiniboine , and other band governments of First Nations at Fort Carlton , Fort Pitt , and Battle River . The area covered by the treaty represents most of the central area of the current provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. The coming of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to southern Alberta in 1885 helped
3680-627: The Edmonton economy, and the 1891 building of the Calgary and Edmonton (C&E) Railway resulted in the emergence of a railway townsite (South Edmonton/Strathcona) on the river's south side, across from Edmonton. The arrival of the CPR and the C&E Railway helped bring settlers and entrepreneurs from eastern Canada, Europe, the U.S. and other parts of the world. The Edmonton area's fertile soil and cheap land attracted settlers, further establishing Edmonton as
3760-652: The Old Town Fort Road Redevelopment Project). Another TOD, Century Park, is being constructed at the site of what was once Heritage Mall, at the southern end of the LRT line. Century Park will eventually house up to 5,000 residents. The Edmonton City Centre Airport is being redeveloped into a sustainable community of 30,000 people called Blatchford , comprising a transit-oriented mixed use town centre, townhouses, low, medium and high rise apartments, neighbourhood retail and service uses, renewable energy, district heating and cooling, and
3840-635: The Prairies of Rupert's Land were mainly to seek contact with the Indigenous population for establishing the fur trade , as the competition was fierce between the HBC and the North West Company (NWC). By 1795, Fort Edmonton was established on the river's north bank as a major trading post for the HBC, near the mouth of the Sturgeon River close to present-day Fort Saskatchewan . Fort Edmonton
3920-748: The Rose Court outside Victoria's Secret and glass oil droplets around the Oilmen statue outside the Phase I Food Court. Most of the renovations were completed in 2014; however, some areas of the mall as of 2019 continued construction, such as Park Lane and Chinatown. In 2017, the mall announced that the Mayfield Toyota Ice Palace would undergo a renovation, retrofitting it with the latest technologies including modern lighting and sound. The Ice Palace closed in mid-2017 and reopened in December. Later in mid 2018,
4000-480: The army during the war also contributed to the drop in population. Afterwards, the city slowly recovered in population and economy during the 1920s and 1930s and took off again during and after World War II . The Edmonton City Centre Airport opened in 1929, becoming Canada's first licensed airfield. Originally named Blatchford Field in honour of former mayor Kenny Blatchford , pioneering aviators such as Wilfrid R. "Wop" May and Max Ward used Blatchford Field as
4080-411: The city the moniker "City of Champions". In 1892, Edmonton was incorporated as a town. The first mayor was Matthew McCauley , who established the first school board in Edmonton and Board of Trade (later Chamber of Commerce) and a municipal police service. Due to McCauley's good relationship with the federal Liberals, Edmonton maintained economic and political prominence over Strathcona, a rival town on
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#17327721033524160-472: The complex, and parking for more than 20,000 vehicles. More than 24,000 people are employed at the property. The mall receives about 32 million visitors per year; it attracts between 90,000 and 200,000 shoppers daily, depending on the day and season. Recent tenants at the mall include L.L.Bean , Babies "R" Us , Balenciaga , Rooms + Spaces Outlet , Nike Factory Store , Psycho Bunny , Moncler and Chick-fil-A . West Edmonton Mall first opened its doors to
4240-518: The construction of the LRT system's Valley Line West elevated station. The permanent transit centre is on the south side of West Edmonton Mall, outside mall entrance 48. Buses using the transit centre enter and exit from 87 Avenue . The large shelter building at the transit centre is accessible and equipped with power doors. This transit centre has vending machines and a payphone but no park and ride, public washrooms, or drop-off area. The transit centre
4320-576: The driest months being February, March, October, November and December. Significant snowfall accumulation typically begins in late October and tapers off by late March. Dry spells are not uncommon and may occur at any time of the year. Extremes do occur, such as the 114 mm (4.49 in) of rainfall that fell on July 31, 1953. Much of the precipitation that Edmonton receives in the summer comes from late-day thunderstorms, which are frequent and occasionally severe enough to produce large hail, damaging winds, funnel clouds, and tornadoes. The summer of 2006
4400-746: The early 21st century, the Province of Alberta formed the Capital Region Board (CRB) on April 15, 2008. The CRB consists of 24 member municipalities – 22 of which are within the Edmonton CMA and two of which are outside the CMA. The City of Edmonton announced in March 2013 its intent to annex 156 square kilometres of land (including the Edmonton International Airport) from Leduc County. On November 30, 2016,
4480-750: The five former urban municipalities annexed by the city over its history: Beverly, Jasper Place, North Edmonton, Strathcona and West Edmonton (Calder). Larger residential areas within Edmonton's six suburban sectors, each comprising multiple neighbourhoods, include Heritage Valley , Kaskitayo , Riverbend , Terwillegar Heights and Windermere (southwest sector); The Grange , Lewis Farms and West Jasper Place (west sector); Big Lake (northwest sector); Castle Downs , Lake District and The Palisades (north sector); Casselman-Steele Heights , Clareview , Hermitage , Londonderry and Pilot Sound (northeast sector); and Ellerslie , The Meadows , Mill Woods and Southeast Edmonton (southeast sector). Mill Woods
4560-506: The jihadist terrorist group al-Shabaab released a propaganda video calling for attacks on West Edmonton Mall and other Western shopping centres. Although the group had hitherto never launched attacks in North America, security at the mall was tightened in response. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also indicated that there was no evidence of any imminent threat. In response to growing security threats, West Edmonton Mall developed
4640-462: The lagoon area. The man's body was found around 10:30 am later that morning, fully clothed except for his shoes and jacket, which were never located. He is believed to have accidentally drowned while under the influence of drinking alcohol and cannabis . On 11 July 2004, the mall suffered millions of dollars in damage when a severe storm of hail and rain caused roofs to fail and drains to overflow. The Ice Palace and surrounding sections were
4720-638: The location's proximity to the Beaver Hills east of Edmonton. In Blackfoot , the area is known as Omahkoyis ; in Nakota Sioux , the area is known as Titâga ; in Tsuutʼina , the area is known as Nââsʔágháàchú (anglicised as Nasagachoo ). The Blackfoot name translates to 'big lodge', while the Nakota Sioux and Tsuutʼina names translate to 'big house'. In Denesuline , the area
4800-504: The longest growing seasons on the Canadian Prairies . At the summer solstice , Edmonton receives 17 hours and three minutes of daylight, with an hour and 46 minutes of civil twilight , and on average receives 2,344 hours of bright sunshine per year, making it one of Canada's sunniest cities. The city is known for having cold winters, though its weather is milder than Regina , Saskatoon or Winnipeg , all of which are on
4880-533: The mall announced that the World Waterpark would undergo renovations worth $ 2.5 million in September 2018. All upgrades have since been completed. In 2021 local car dealership Mayfield Toyota made their move to the mall and rebranded as West Edmonton Mall Toyota, which is the world’s largest full-service in-mall dealership. The dealership is in the main floor of the old Sears retail space in Phase I. It
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#17327721033524960-463: The mall today. Construction on a total renovation of the mall shopping areas through all the phases began in the spring of 2011. The 'face lift' included the renovation of all mall common areas, which started in Phase I and finished in Phase IV. The most notable upgrades included the retrofit of an existing water fountain into choreographed musical dancing fountains, hanging décor of ceramic roses in
5040-534: The most damaged, and the World Waterpark had a sewage overflow. The damage was promptly repaired. From 2005-2015, the mall added various retail chain shops that may or may not have been located in Western Canada yet. Many of these stores have closed and have been replaced by luxury shops, for example, such as Louis Vuitton in place of Banana Republic. However, some of these stores still exist at
5120-474: The name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086. Fort Edmonton was also called Fort-des-Prairies by French-Canadians , trappers , and coureurs des bois . Indigenous languages refer to the Edmonton area by multiple names which reference the presence of fur trading posts. In Cree , the area is known as ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ amiskwacîwâskahikan , which translates to "Beaver Hills House" and references
5200-460: The nickname "Canada's Festival City". It is home to Canada's largest mall, West Edmonton Mall (the world's largest mall from 1981 until 2004); and Fort Edmonton Park , Canada's largest living history museum. Established as the first permanent settlement in the area of what is now Edmonton, the Hudson's Bay Company trading post of Fort Edmonton (also known as Edmonton House) was named after Edmonton , Middlesex , England. The fort's name
5280-401: The public on 15 September 1981. The mall was developed in four phases, completed in 1981, 1983, 1985, and 1999. It was the largest indoor shopping centre in the world until 2004, and was named such in the Guinness Book of Records . The four phases of construction are used in a colour-coded system as a guideline for finding stores and attractions. The indoor roller coaster, The Mindbender had
5360-506: The region have led to intermunicipal competition, strained intermunicipal relationships and overall fragmentation of the region. Although several attempts have been made by the City of Edmonton to absorb surrounding municipalities or annex portions of its neighbours, the city has not absorbed another municipality since the Town of Jasper Place joined Edmonton on August 17, 1964, and the city has not annexed land from any of its neighbours since January 1, 1982. After years of mounting pressure in
5440-555: The south side of the North Saskatchewan River. Edmonton was incorporated as a city in 1904 and became Alberta's capital in 1905. In 1904, the City of Edmonton purchased the Edmonton District Telephone Company for $ 17,000 from Alex Taylor , a Canadian entrepreneur, inventor, and politician. Amalgamated into a city department as City of Edmonton Telephone Department, City Telephone System (CTS), 'Edmonton telephones'. In 1989, City Council voted to create Edmonton Telephones Corporation (Ed Tel) to operate as an autonomous organization under
5520-447: The summer and reopened in December 2017. Professor WEM's Adventure Golf is an 18-hole miniature golf course. The miniature golf course was originally known as Pebble Beach Mini Golf and was designed to be a mini golf version of Pebble Beach Golf Links . The course was refurbished and given the Professor WEM theme in the mid-1990s. Is near Galaxyland Powered by Hasbro , along with the Crystal Labyrinth Mirror Maze. From 1985 to 2005
5600-430: The surrounding area. Larger urban communities include Sherwood Park (an urban service area within Strathcona County ), the cities of St. Albert , Beaumont , Leduc , Spruce Grove and Fort Saskatchewan , and the towns of Stony Plain , Morinville , and Devon . Major employment areas outside Edmonton but within the CMA include the Nisku Industrial Business Park and the Edmonton International Airport (including
5680-411: The two. The area that later became the city of Edmonton was first inhabited by First Nations peoples and was also a historic site for the Métis . By 1795, many trading posts had been established around the area that later became the Edmonton census metropolitan area. "Fort Edmonton", as it was known, became the main centre for trade in the area after the 1821 merger of the Hudson's Bay Company and
5760-437: The winter. The highest temperature recorded in Edmonton was 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) on June 29, 1937 and on July 2, 2013, a record high humidex of 44 was recorded due to an unusually humid day with a temperature of 33.9 °C (93.0 °F) and a record high dew point of 23 °C (73 °F). The lowest temperature ever recorded in Edmonton was −49.4 °C (−56.9 °F) on January 19 and 21, 1886. Edmonton has
5840-492: The year. It falls into the NRC 4a Plant Hardiness Zone . Summer in Edmonton lasts from June until early September, while winter lasts from November until March and in common with all of Alberta varies greatly in length and severity. Spring and autumn are both short and highly variable. Edmonton's growing season on average lasts from May 9 to September 22; having an average 135–140 frost-free days each year, resulting in one of
5920-488: Was added. Along with Galaxyland, the World Waterpark was closed on March 16, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both reopened in July 2021. Ice Palace is a scaled-down version of a National Hockey League (NHL) regulation-sized ice rink in the centre of the mall. The Edmonton Oilers occasionally practised at the Ice Palace during the 1980s. The Oilers' contract for using the rink has since expired. The rink
6000-600: Was also a historic site for the Métis , who held many narrow lots along the North Saskatchewan which gave access to resources in the area. By 1882, these lots numbered about 44, after which they were displaced and integrated into the expanding city of Edmonton. In 1754, Anthony Henday , an explorer for the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), may have been the first European to enter the Edmonton area. His expeditions across
6080-406: Was built within "musket-shot range" of the rival NWC's Fort Augustus. Although both forts were initially successful, declines in beaver pelt hauls and firewood stocks forced both HBC and NWC to move their forts upstream. By 1813, after some changes in location, Fort Edmonton was established in the area of what is now Rossdale , beginning Edmonton's start as a permanent population centre. The fort
6160-518: Was chosen by William Tomison , who was in charge of its construction, taking the fort's namesake from the hometown of the Lake family – at least five of whom were influential members of the Hudson's Bay Company between 1696 and 1807. In turn, the name of Edmonton derives from Adelmetone, meaning 'farmstead/estate of Ēadhelm' (from Ēadhelm, an Old English personal name, and tūn ); this earlier form of
6240-473: Was decommissioned in January 2023 after 37 years of service. The World Waterpark is the world's 4th-largest indoor waterpark , built in 1985, with a size of 20,903 square metres (5.165 acres). The park has the world's largest indoor wave pool . The highest slides in the park are the Twister and Cyclone, which are each 25.3 metres (83 ft) high. The wave pool has six wave bays, each with two panels with
6320-715: Was located on the border of territory that was disputed by the Blackfoot and Cree nations. Furthermore, the fort intersected territory patrolled by the Blackfoot Confederacy to the South, and the Cree, Dene , and Nakoda nations to the north. After the NWC merged with the HBC, Fort Augustus was closed in favour of Fort Edmonton. In 1876, Treaty 6 , which includes what is now Edmonton, was signed between First Nations and
6400-551: Was particularly warm for Edmonton, as temperatures reached 29 °C (84 °F) or higher more than 20 times from mid-May to early September. Later, the summer of 2021 saw the temperature rise above 29 °C (84 °F) on 23 days between June and August, while nearly breaking the record high temperature on June 30 with a temperature of 37.0 °C (98.6 °F). The winter of 2011–12 was particularly warm: from December 22 through March 20 there were 53 occasions when Edmonton saw temperatures at or above 0.0 °C (32.0 °F) at
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