Downtown Edmonton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Downtown
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Skyline of Downtown Edmonton
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 Downtown Edmonton
Location in Edmonton
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| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Alberta |
| City | Edmonton |
| Quadrant | NW |
| Ward | 6 |
| Sector | Mature area |
| Area | Central core |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.28 km2 (0.88 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 671 m (2,201 ft) |
| Population
(2014)
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| • Total | 13,148 |
| • Density | 5,766.7/km2 (14,936/sq mi) |
| • Change (2012–14) |  7.8% |
| • Dwellings | 9,230 |
Downtown Edmonton is the main part of Edmonton, Alberta, where many businesses are located. It's right in the middle of the city. Downtown Edmonton is bordered by 109 Street to the west and 97 Street to the east. To the north, it reaches 105 Avenue, and to the south, it goes to 97 Avenue and Rossdale Road. The North Saskatchewan River is also part of its southeastern border.
Several other neighborhoods are close by. These include Oliver to the west and Queen Mary Park to the north. You'll also find Central McDougall and McCauley north of downtown. To the east are Boyle Street and Riverdale, while Rossdale is to the south.
People living in Downtown Edmonton are part of the Downtown Edmonton Community League. This group started in 1999. They have a community hall at 100 Avenue and 103 Street. It's a great place for residents to gather.
The Edmonton Oilers's arena, Rogers Place, is right in the middle of downtown. The Oilers play all their home games there.
Contents
Exploring Downtown Edmonton
Arts District and Churchill Square
The Arts District is a lively area in the eastern part of downtown. It's home to many famous places. These include the Francis Winspear Centre for Music, where the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra plays. You can also find the Citadel Theatre here.
Edmonton City Hall is also in this area. All these buildings face onto Sir Winston Churchill Square. This square is the main downtown square in Edmonton. It's often called the heart of the Arts District.
Many festivals and events happen at Churchill Square throughout the year. A part of 102A Avenue that used to separate the square from City Hall is now closed to cars. This makes it easier for people to walk between the square and the City Hall plaza. The new Art Gallery of Alberta opened here in 2010. The Stanley A. Milner Library, which is the main branch of the Edmonton Public Library, is also located here.
Government Centre
Government Centre is a special area at the southwest corner of downtown. It's where the provincial government of Alberta works. The most famous building here is the beautiful Alberta Legislature Building. It's surrounded by lovely parks, fountains, and gardens.
An underground walkway system connects the Legislature to nearby buildings. These include the historic Bowker Building and the Frederick W. Haultain Building.
Federal government offices used to be in the Federal Building here. But they moved to Canada Place in the 1980s. The Federal Building is now being updated for provincial government offices.
You can easily get to Government Centre by public transit. There's the Government Centre Transit Centre and the Grandin LRT Station nearby.
Jasper Avenue: Edmonton's Main Street
Jasper Avenue is known as Edmonton's "main street." It starts in the east at 77 Street. Then it runs southwest along the edge of Boyle Street until it reaches downtown. From there, it goes west through downtown and the Oliver neighborhood. It ends at 125 Street.
Many of Edmonton's busiest buses travel along Jasper Avenue. The LRT also runs underground beneath Jasper Avenue.
Jasper Avenue doesn't have a street number. It's located where 101 Avenue would normally be. This street has many of Edmonton's oldest buildings. For example, the famous Hotel Macdonald is here. You'll also find some of Edmonton's tallest office towers. These include Canadian Western Bank Place and Scotia Place.
The area west of 97 Street, along with nearby streets like 100 Avenue and 104 Street, is a major hub. It's a popular spot for shopping, living, businesses, and entertainment.
Rice Howard Way
Rice Howard Way is a unique area downtown. It includes 100A Street between Jasper Avenue and 102 Avenue. It also has 101A Avenue between 100 Street and 101 Street. Part of 101A Avenue is closed to cars. This makes it a nice outdoor walking area for people. The rest of Rice Howard Way is open to traffic.
You'll find some important office towers here, like Scotia Place. There are also several restaurants to enjoy. The southern part of Rice Howard Way has an entrance to the Central LRT Station.
Warehouse District and 104 Street
The Warehouse District is located between Jasper Avenue and 104 Avenue. It's also between 102 Street and 109 Street. Early in the 1900s, the Hudson's Bay Company started selling its land here. Businesses quickly built many warehouses between 1909 and 1914.
Later in the century, many warehouses closed. Their buildings were then changed into shops and businesses. In the late 1990s, some old warehouses became cool loft apartments. Recently, this area has become very popular again. New lofts and condos are being built. Many unique designer shops have also opened here.
104 Street is the main street in the Warehouse District. It's full of shops, restaurants, and cafes. During the warmer months, from May to October, it hosts Edmonton's original farmer's market, the City Market. This area is also famous for its lofts, which are apartments in old warehouses. The street is very busy. New buildings like Icon I and II were finished in 2009 and 2010. The Fox Towers condo complex is also being built at 104 Street and 102 Avenue.
Ice District and Rogers Place
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The Ice District is a huge sports and entertainment area in Downtown Edmonton. It covers about 10 hectares (25 acres) of land. This project is costing about $2.5 billion. When it's finished, it will be Canada’s largest mixed-use entertainment district.
A new arena called Rogers Place was approved in early 2013. This is the home of the Edmonton Oilers. Construction on the arena began in March 2014. It was named Rogers Place in December 2013 after an agreement with Rogers Communications. The arena officially opened in September 2016.
The first part of the Ice District was built between 2014 and 2016. This included Rogers Place, a new office tower, and other attractions. The Edmonton Tower, Winter Garden, and Grand Villa Casino Edmonton opened in 2016. The MacEwan LRT Station also opened in September 2015.
The next part of the project is planned from 2017 to 2020. This includes the Stantec Tower and the JW Marriott Edmonton Ice District & Residences. These were expected to open in 2018. Other future plans include a public plaza, more homes, and shops. These shops will include a Rexall pharmacy, Cineplex UltraAVX & VIP Cinemas, and grocery stores. These are opening throughout the 2017–2020 period.
Station Lands
Station Lands is a big new development in downtown Edmonton. It's being built on a 9.15-acre site. This area used to be an old old Canadian National rail yard north of the CN Tower. The project is expected to be finished between 2019 and 2022.
It will have four tall towers, a large public plaza, and other spaces. There will be about 230,000 square meters (2.5 million square feet) of office, retail, hotel, and residential space. The total cost is estimated to be $240 million. In 2007, EPCOR Utilities Inc. agreed to be the main tenant of Tower A. This tower was renamed EPCOR Tower and was finished in 2011.
Downtown Population
In 2014, the City of Edmonton counted the population of Downtown. There were 13,148 people living in 9,230 homes. This was a 7.8% increase from 2012. Downtown covers an area of 2.28 square kilometers (0.88 square miles). This means there were about 5,766.7 people per square kilometer in 2014.
Learning in Downtown Edmonton
Downtown Edmonton has several places where you can go to school. The biggest is MacEwan University. Its City Centre Campus is on the northern edge of downtown. It's located between 105 Street and 112 Street, and between 104 Avenue and 105 Avenue. This area used to be part of an old Canadian National rail yard. It started to be redeveloped in the 1990s. MacEwan University also has the Alberta College Campus. This campus is near the southern edge of downtown on McDonald Drive.
The University of Alberta has also opened a new campus downtown called Enterprise Square (2008). It's located in the old Bay building on Jasper Avenue. This building houses TEC Edmonton, a research center. It also has the University's Alumni Services and other programs. This was the University's first presence north of the river since it started in 1908.
The Edmonton Public School Board runs a high school called Centre High. It's located in the renovated Boardwalk and Revolution buildings.
NorQuest College is another school downtown. It's located between 107 Street and 108 Street at 102 Avenue. It offers courses to help students upgrade their skills and get diplomas.
Old Buildings with Stories
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McKay Avenue School is a very important old building in downtown Edmonton. It was named after Dr. William Morrison MacKay, who was Alberta's first doctor. Construction began in 1904. The Governor General of Canada, Lord Minto, laid the first stone. The building was named a provincial historic site in 1976.
The school closed in 1983 because fewer students were attending. Today, the building has a new purpose. It is now home to the Edmonton Public School Board Archives and Museum. Besides being a school, this building was also used by the Alberta Legislature in 1906 and 1907. Their first two meetings were held here. The 1881 Schoolhouse, an even older wooden building, is also on the same site. It is Edmonton's oldest school.
Shopping Downtown
Edmonton City Centre is a large shopping mall downtown. It used to be two separate malls, Eaton Centre and Edmonton Centre. Now it's one big mall with over 170 stores and services. Major stores include Hudson's Bay, CBC, and Winners. It also has Landmark Cinemas.
The mall has four office towers built above it. There's also a Delta Hotel. When the two malls joined in the late 1990s, a new, larger pedestrian walkway was built. This walkway connects the two parts of the mall and has many shops. The mall also got a new look around that time. Recently, the mall has been attracting some more upscale stores.
Getting Around Downtown
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The Edmonton Transit System's light rail system (LRT) runs underground through downtown. There's a station at Churchill Square (Churchill LRT Station). Three more stations are along Jasper Avenue: Central, Bay/Enterprise Square, and Corona. There's also a station at Government Centre (Grandin).
From Grandin station, the LRT goes south over the North Saskatchewan River. It then reaches three University of Alberta stations: University, Health Sciences, and South Campus. This is part of the Capital Line. From Churchill Station, the LRT goes northeast towards Commonwealth Stadium and Northlands Coliseum.
A second LRT line opened in 2015. It connects downtown to MacEwan University, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Kingsway Mall, and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). A third line, the Valley Line, is being built. It will connect downtown to Mill Woods.
The Edmonton Pedway is a system of walkways for people. It includes bridges and tunnels that connect different buildings and LRT stations downtown.
During the summer, a heritage streetcar runs. It goes from Jasper Avenue to Old Strathcona over the High Level Bridge.
