A man who worked to build modern Edmonton: A profile of Heinz Rueck, construction worker and contractor

Helga Rueck describes her husband's life in Edmonton from 1954 to 1974. After emigrating from Eastern Europe, Heinz helped to construct many of the buildings that help make up Edmonton, as we know it today.

Heinz Rueck came from Eastern Europe to western Canada to find a city, which he could call home. It became Edmonton. He was twenty years old in 1954. Edmonton's population was then 165.000. His first positive impression was the beautiful design of the city with its layout of subdivisions made up of single-family homes. The Hotel McDonald was the tallest building in the city. The Bank of Commerce on Jasper Avenue was under construction, competing in height with the Hotel McDonald across the street.


Heinz was young, strong, and enthusiastic. He envisioned a future for himself and for the city of Edmonton. Quickly upon his arrival, he found himself room and board with a family where the lady of the house felt the need for extra income. In those days, social assistance for immigrants was not available. The job search for Heinz began immediately. It was a matter of survival to find work to have an income for living. Heinz had the determination to succeed.


Heinz was born in Hungary and lived on the family farm until 1948 when his family, along with many other families of German descent, was given twenty-four hours to leave Hungary. Heinz was 14 years old when he and his family were transported away to East Germany, with only the food and clothing they could carry. During his 5 years in communist Germany, he completed his schooling, which included a degree in mining engineering. He then escaped from East to West Germany where he lived in very poor conditions while he applied for immigration to Canada. Hence, he had no money at his disposal as he came to Edmonton, arriving here by train in the month of August. The weather was warm and beautiful lending a pleasant atmosphere to an intense job hunt made mostly on foot.


He found his first employment with a construction company, building basements. However, when the cold winter set in before Christmas, he and all other workers were let go. Unemployment Insurance was not available. So, he was happy when he soon found a job at Gainers, a meat packing plant, where he was assigned to pounding cowhides by hand for the tannery. He left his work place every day dirty and smelly because of the stinky hides he had to work with. Improvement came for Heinz when he found a job making windows in a factory.


English classes were attended all the while, in the evenings, which he had to pay for himself. In those years, no financial assistance was available as it is these days. In his second year in Edmonton, Heinz started apprenticing as an electrician and eventually became foreman for a large electrical company, Progress Electric, which he was for twenty years.


The winters were challenging with the average temperatures being minus 30 degrees. The sun was always brightly shining in the blue sky during the day. When the snow was crackling under foot, one knew the frosty cold weather would persist. It was challenging for Heinz to work in such cold weather, mostly outside, on construction. He would leave home at 6 o'clock in the morning wearing several layers of clothes. A lunchbox with hot coffee, some nutritious sandwiches, and home baked cake as well as some fruit would be his daily companion to sustain him during the hard work days. In the evening, he would come home to the house he built quite tired. He was fully dedicated to his work and his family.


Yet during all these challenging temperatures, buildings came into existence for education, health, and justice here in the city of Edmonton. For education it was several elementary and high schools, including Scona High and St. Mary High School. Also built were a number of university buildings among them the Biological Sciences, Education and Chemistry buildings. In the educational buildings, we have many international students studying and a number of scholars from all over the world at the University of Alberta. After completion of their Ph.D. many have gone back to their own country to have an impact there on the improvement of humanity. Another educational building was the city library now forming part of the Stanley A. Milner Library.


For health it included some hospitals and the Kinsmen Field House. In the hospitals, many people have been helped and received their health back. The Kinsmen Field House has facilitated competitions for Edmontonians as well as for athlete's worldwide. Edmonton hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1978, the World Wrestling Championships in 1982, the Universiade in 1983 and the 8th IAAF World Championships in 2001. All of these events have put Edmonton on the world map.


Heinz also had a leading role in the construction of the courthouse in Edmonton where justice is provided. It is in the broader scope that people are benefiting from these facilities not just Edmonton's citizens. Heinz committed himself to building a total of fifteen major buildings. He was there from the beginning to the end of every single construction and when the going was tough he stuck it out.


In the spring of 1964 Heinz met his future wife Helga, who was born in Dresden Germany. They were married in December of the same year and have two wonderful children, Gilbert and Sandra.


It was men like Heinz who had immigrated here who helped build Edmonton. They were Dutch, English, German, Irish and Scottish in the years 1954 to 1974. It is with a sense of satisfaction that Heinz looks back at having had a significant part in building Edmonton: a city called home.