Edmonton
Edmonton (/ˈɛdməntən/ ⓘ ED-mən-tən) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchors the northern end of what Statistics Canada defines as the "Calgary–Edmonton Corridor", a region spanning between Edmonton and the city of Calgary, Alberta’s largest city, which includes the many smaller municipalities between the two.[14]
This article is about the city in Canada. For the town in England, see Edmonton, London. For other uses, see Edmonton (disambiguation).
Edmonton
Canada
1795
January 9, 1892
October 8, 1904
February 12, 1912
Andre Corbould[5]
765.61 km2 (295.60 sq mi)
627.20 km2 (242.16 sq mi)
9,416.19 km2 (3,635.61 sq mi)
645 m (2,116 ft)
1,010,899 (5th)
1,320.4/km2 (3,420/sq mi)
1,151,635 (5th)
1,836.2/km2 (4,756/sq mi)
1,418,118 (6th)
150.6/km2 (390/sq mi)
972,223[8]
1,087,803[9]
Edmontonian
UTC−06:00 (MDT)
IACMP[2]
CA$63,601 (2022)[13]
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[15][16] and sixth-largest metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada.[17][18] Edmonton is both the northernmost city and metropolitan area in North America to have a population of over one million.[19] A resident of Edmonton is known as an Edmontonian.[20]
Edmonton was first inhabited by several First Nations peoples, namely of Algonquian, Athabaskan and Siouan origin. These peoples and their ancestors inhabited the area of the modern city to varying amounts beginning at the close of the last glacial period, perhaps as early as 12,000 BC.[21] The city was also a historic site for the Métis, who held many narrow lots along the North Saskatchewan which gave access to many resources in the area. By 1882, these lots numbered about 44, which was their peak, as they would soon be displaced and integrated by the expansion of the city of Edmonton.[22] Anthony Henday may have been the first European to enter the area of modern-day Edmonton, whilst exploring the prairies of Rupert's Land for the Hudson's Bay Company in the autumn of 1754.[23] By 1795, many trading posts had been established around the present metropolitan area, and by 1801 they had all moved to the current site of the city of Edmonton.[24] "Fort Edmonton", as it was known, became the main centre for trade in the area after the 1821 merger of the HBC and the NWC.[24] Edmonton remained sparse 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.[25] Edmonton's historic growth as a city has been facilitated through the absorption of five adjacent urban municipalities (Strathcona, North Edmonton, West Edmonton, Beverly and Jasper Place)[26] in addition to a series of annexations through 1982,[27] and the annexation of 8,260 ha (82.6 km2; 31.9 sq mi) of land from Leduc County and the City of Beaumont on January 1, 2019.[28] Known as the "Gateway to the North",[29] the city is now a staging point for large-scale oil sands projects occurring in northern Alberta and large-scale diamond mining operations in the Northwest Territories.[30]
Edmonton is a cultural, governmental and educational centre. It hosts a year-round slate of festivals, reflected in the nickname "Canada's Festival City".[1] It is home to Canada's largest mall, West Edmonton Mall (the world's largest mall from 1981 until 2004);[31][32][33] and Fort Edmonton Park, Canada's largest living history museum.[34]
Etymology[edit]
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.[35] The fort's name 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.[36] 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 the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086.[37] Fort Edmonton was also called Fort-des-Prairies by French-Canadians, trappers, and coureurs des bois.[38]
Indigenous languages refer to the Edmonton area by multiple names which reference the presence of fur trading posts.[39][40] In Cree, the area is known as ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ amiskwacîwâskahikan,[41] which translates to "Beaver Hills House" and references the location's proximity to the Beaver Hills east of Edmonton. In Blackfoot, the area is known as Omahkoyis;[42][43] in Nakota Sioux, the area is known as Titâga;[44] in Tsuutʼina, the area is known as Nââsʔágháàchú[45] (anglicised as Nasagachoo).[46] The Blackfoot name translates to 'big lodge',[47] while the Nakota Sioux and Tsuutʼina names translate to 'big house'.[39][44][46] In Denesuline, the area is known as Kuę́ Nedhé,[48] a metonymic toponym which also generally means 'city'.
Edmonton has a number of professional sports teams,[270] including the Edmonton Elks, formerly referred to as the Edmonton Eskimos and, for a brief period, the Edmonton Football Team, of the Canadian Football League, Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League and Edmonton Stingers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Edmonton is the only city home to two teams in the semi-professional National Ringette League: the Edmonton WAM! and Edmonton Black Gold Rush. The city also hosts an amateur women's football team, the Edmonton Storm of the Western Women's Canadian Football League. Junior sports clubs include the Edmonton Huskies and Edmonton Wildcats of the Canadian Junior Football League, the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League, and the Edmonton Riverhawks of the West Coast League. Venues for Edmonton's professional and junior sports teams include Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton Elks), Argyll Velodrome, Rogers Place (Oilers and Oil Kings), RE/MAX Field (Riverhawks), the Edmonton Expo Centre (Stingers), and Clarke Stadium (Huskies, Wildcats, and Storm).
Edmonton's teams have rivalries with Calgary's teams and games between Edmonton and Calgary teams are often referred to as the Battle of Alberta.
Past notable hockey teams in Edmonton include: the original junior hockey incarnation of the Edmonton Oil Kings, with multiple league and national Memorial Cup championships playing in the Western Hockey League; the Edmonton Flyers, with multiple Lester Patrick Cups and one national Allan Cup, and; the Edmonton Roadrunners of the American Hockey League. Other past notable sports teams include; the Edmonton Grads, a women's basketball team with 108 local, provincial, national, and international titles and the world champions for 17 years in a row; the Edmonton Trappers, a Triple-A level baseball team with multiple division and league titles in the Pacific Coast League, and; the Edmonton Rush, a box lacrosse team with one league championship.
Local university-level sports teams include the U of A Golden Bears, the U of A Pandas, the NAIT Ooks, and the MacEwan Griffins. Local amateur teams, among others, include the Edmonton Gold of the Rugby Canada Super League and two flat track roller derby leagues: Oil City Roller Derby[271] and E-Ville Roller Derby.[272]
The Castrol Raceway hosts regular sprint car and a national International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) events at their facility next to Edmonton International Airport.[273] The airport also hosts horse racing at the Century Mile Racetrack and Casino.[274] The Edmonton International Raceway, which hosts NASCAR Pinty's Series races, is located about 50 km (31 mi) to the south near Wetaskiwin.
From 2005 to 2012, Edmonton hosted an annual circuit on the Indy Racing League known as the Edmonton Indy. Other past sporting events hosted by Edmonton include:
Despite submitting a bid, Edmonton was not selected as a host city for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.[282]
Edmonton has five sister cities.[384][385]
In the United States, American cities and their sisters are listed with that country's Sister Cities International. In 1990, Edmonton became the first sister city of Nashville. In 2015, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean visited Edmonton, addressing the crowd at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, celebrating the 25th anniversary of becoming sister cities. That year, more than 150 Canadians visited Nashville to attend Alberta-born Brett Kissel's Grand Ole Opry debut and to meet with Sister Cities representatives.[390] In November 2015, Doug Hoyer and Jeremy Witten represented Edmonton at World of Friendship, Nashville's annual sister cities celebration.[391]
