A nurse's tribute to Edmonton: 1952-1972, by Isabel Pangrass
Date: 1952 - 1967
In 1952, Edmonton became my home while I accepted a doctor's offer of a nursing position in nearby Fort Saskatchewan.
My nursing career had taken me to the Sherritt Gordon Mines Hospital in Sherridon, Manitoba. What the mine closed, many residents moved to Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan. Several were employed at the Sherritt Gordon Nickel Plant at the Fort.
The only Sherridon doctor opened an office at Fort Saskatchewan, and he offered me the nursing job. I found accommodation in a basement suite in Edmonton near the Granite curling rink. I shared it with two other nurses and a pharmacist. The doctor arranged for me to commute from Edmonton to Fort Saskatchewan with some school teachers.
The route we travelled was past the well-known Rex Hotel, which sported a flashing, diagonal neon sign. At that time the Rex was on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by a bush. According to information from the Edmonton Public Library, this hotel's first listing in the Edmonton telephone directory was in 1956, and its last entry in 1988.
By 1957 bungalows were mushrooming around the Rex in Fulton Place, Gold Bar and Ottewell. In 1967 we purchased a home in Fulton Place. Since then we have seen the Rex disappear, replaced by a strip mall and businesses. Capilano Mall was built in 1966 and at that time was bustling with young families. It functions at a slower pace today as young parents of those early days are now seniors.
The MacDonald Hotel, which opened in 1915, was one of the most prominent fixtures on the skyline in 1952. During the sixties we frequently took our children for a drive to see the majestic castle. Today, although the Mac is still an elegant hotel, it is dwarfed by surrounding high rises.
I was born in the small town of The Pas, Manitoba, population about four thousand, where the traffic was minimal. There were no highways out of town until I was in junior high school. During World War II the Americans established an army air base seventeen miles from town. The military traffic added some excitement to our quiet town.
In 1945 I started my three-year training at a nursing school in Winnipeg where the traffic was overwhelming to a small town girl, but when I moved to Sherridon, Manitoba I was quite comfortable with the limited traffic. The only way of travel there was by plane, a train three times a week, or by snowmobile in the winter. There were, of course, taxis, business and private vehicles.
Traffic in Edmonton in 1952 terrified me, but it was in Edmonton that my future husband attempted to teach me to drive. I was petrified when I met the 109th Street rat hole. As I exited the hole, there was a red light at the top of the hill. I forgot to clutch, slammed on the brakes and stalled the motor. I can't remember the make of the car, but not only were the clutch, the brake and the gas pedal on the floor, but also the starter button. Since I didn't have four feet, I stalled, rolled back and hit the car behind me three times. The patient driver in that car just shook his head. Bumpers on cars were stronger in those days. My teacher finally got the car moving by using either his hand or his foot. After that episode, I was not sure whether my future husband would remain my future husband.
One of our favourite places to take visitors was Vista 33 in the A.G.T. Tower. The direct elevator to the 33rd floor took us to a glassed viewing area from where the city could be seen from all four directions. Over the years we saw many progressive changes in the picturesque scene. The telephone museum had an information hands-on display of communication systems which dated from the telegraph to modern telephones.
My husband's aunt was visiting from California and we took her to the tower. She informed me that since she had a heart pacer, she did not like going down in elevators. She reached the top without a problem, enjoyed the view and museum, but was worried about the descent. We told her we would talk to her and she wouldn't realize how fast we were going. We were so busy conversing about the sight we had just seen, we missed getting off the elevator on the ground floor. Suddenly we were on our bay back up to the 33rd floor. We all laughed so hard she didn't mind the second trip down.
Edmonton has grown and changed since I arrived. I feel I have grown with it and with the traffic. I love the skyline, the green belts, the variety of trees and the spectacular Alberta blue sky.
I love Edmonton, my home forever!