Mill Creek Ravine Park, August 4, 2018

Urban Sketchers Edmonton are joining me in one of my goals as Edmonton’s 5th Historian Laureate: sketching Edmonton’s architectural heritage (or as much as we can!)

Included in Edmonton’s built heritage are bridges, and the recently restored pedestrian bridges in Mill Creek Ravine were once the trestle bridges constructed between 1900 and 1902 as part of the Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific Railway.

Photo by Marlena Wyman

Sketch by Terry Elrod

We had a great turnout of 14 sketchers at Mill Creek Ravine Park. A few showers here and there did not bother our dauntless crew. Most of us gathered to sketch across the creek from the historic pedestrian bridge near 76th Avenue and 92nd Street, and other sketchers made their way through different parts of the ravine.

Photo by Marlena Wyman

Sketch by Irina Kruglyakova

Sketch by Irina Kruglyakova

Sketch by Angie Sotiropoulos 

Sketch by Marlena Wyman

Sketch by Marlena Wyman

Sketch by Karen Wall

Another part of Edmonton’s valued heritage is the natural history of the river valley, ravines, trees and green spaces. As noted on the City of Edmonton’s website, we are very fortunate to have the largest urban park in Canada, with more than 160 kilometres of maintained pathways and 20 major parks throughout the River Valley.

Sketch by Terry Elrod (I happened across this sketch of Terry’s on the Waskahegan Trail Association website when I was researching the ravine)

Sketch by Angie Sotiropoulos 

Sketch by Karen Wall

According to the City of Edmonton’s Mill Creek Daylighting Plan, the City is considering a new initiative that would re-establish the natural, surface flow of the downstream reach of Mill Creek (94 Avenue to North Saskatchewan River) through a process known as “daylighting.” In the 1960s and 1970s, this portion of Mill Creek was diverted to a tunnel and concrete outfall structure several meters above the North Saskatchewan River.

Human alterations to the creek have resulted in the loss of a number of environmental and recreational benefits previously provided by the creek. 

Sketch by Marlena Wyman

Edmontonians are lucky to have our beautiful trees, green spaces, ravines and river valley to enjoy. They are all Edmonton treasures.

Posted by Marlena Wyman

 

 

 

 

Advertisements

August 4, 2018 sketchout

We’ll be doing some nature-within-the-city sketching in Mill Creek Ravine Park on August 4th. We can meet at the recently restored historic 76 Avenue pedestrian bridge on Saturday August 4th at 11am or start sketching on your own. I believe there is an access point to the trail on 76 avenue just west of 89 street but I have had zero luck in finding a decent map online. If that doesn’t sound right please let me know!

Thanks to Karen Wall for this info: There is access to the bridge/trail from the north side of 76th ave sidewalk at the west end of the bridge and also at the east end. If you follow the trail from the east end down into the ravine, you’ll get an interesting drawing viewpoint of the bridge understructure over the water. Then following the trail south across 76th ave there are several more bridges to encounter depending on how far you want to go.

Here are more helpful directions from Terry Elrod, and a map:

The trail crosses 76 Ave at street level. The bridge we’re meeting at is just north (and west) of this point.
There are two ways to access. One is to park along 89 St north of 76 Ave. Walk down 89 St to 76 Ave and then west along the avenue on the sidewalk on its north side to the trail crosswalk.
A gentler approach is from the west side of the creek. Park along 77 Ave east of 96 St and walk east to the trail access point. This location is also closer to the Blue Chair restaurant.
Map scanned from “River Valley Map – Central Edmonton”. Please disregard the smudges — my printer is acting up today.

 

If it rains hopefully we can huddle under a bridge, but bring your umbrellas too just in case.

Photo David Bajer/CBC

We will meet for lunch and sketch sharing at 1pm at the Blue Chair Cafe at 9624 – 76 Ave.

St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, July 2018

Urban Sketchers Edmonton are joining me in one of my goals as Edmonton’s 5th Historian Laureate: sketching Edmonton’s architectural heritage (or as much as we can!)

Sketch by Terry Elrod

Sketch by Karen Wall

One of our sketchers had suggested Church Street (96 Street) and our July sketchout happened to be when the Edmonton Historic Festival and Doors Open event took place, including a tour of Church Street on July 7^th. Because we always need an indoor venue in case of inclement weather, I contacted the tour organizer, Historian Tim Marriott, as well as Reverend Father Peter Babej, Cathedral Rector for St. Josephat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, which was one of the indoor venues for the tour. Father Babej kindly allowed us to sketch inside the church, which was fortunate because it rained most of the time that we were there.

Sketch by Marlena Wyman

At 10825 – 97 Street, St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral is just one block off 96 Street, but is include in the official recognition of Church Street on Edmonton’s Historical Board’s plaque in recognition of the unusual heritage of the area. As the plaque indicates:

Stretching from just south of Jasper Avenue northward to 111 Avenue, and spanning some seventy years of Church architecture in Edmonton, Church Street features a remarkable collection of thirteen houses of worship built between the turn of the twentieth century and the early 1970s.

Sketch by Merts Belmes

Due to weather, for the most part we stayed inside St. Josaphat Cathedral, sketching and marvelling at the historic beauty of this church and the incredible and abundant artistry of its iconography.

Sketch by Terry Elrod

The cathedral has been designated as both a municipal and provincial historic resource. In Lawrence Herzog’s article about the cathedral on the Edmonton Heritage Council’s City as Museum website, he states:

Built partly by parishioners and volunteers during the dark days of World War II, St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral is one of the finest examples of Canadian-Ukrainian church architecture. It was the first building constructed in what came to be known as Prairie Cathedral style.

Construction began in October 1939 with excavation of the footings and the basement dug by parishioners. The war slowed progress, and the project was completed in 1947…

Professor Julian Bucmaniuk was hired in 1950 and brought from Europe to decorate the expansive interior with Byzantine iconography. He and his son Bohdan began the commission in 1951…Their work took five years. In 1967, Bucmaniuk began work on an iconostas but was only able to complete the icon of the Mother of God in the lower corner before his death. Parascevia Ivanec, a former student of Bucmaniuk’s, painted five icons on the lower portions and the small icons on the royal and deacon’s doors. Ivan L. Denysenko, an American artist, painted the icons in the upper portion and completed the iconostas.

Sketch by Joanne Wojtysiak

Sketch by Merts Belmes

Sketch by Karen Wall

Sketch by Marlena Wyman (According to the Lawrence Herzog article, “The dominant colours are blue for heaven and serenity, and yellow for brightness and tranquility.”)

Posted by Marlena Wyman

 

 

 

July 7, 2018 sketchout

For our July 7th sketchout, we can meet at 11am outside St. Josephat’s Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral 10825 – 97 Street, or you can start to sketch on your own at any of the 13 churches in the 96 and 97 Street areas. Here is a walking tour booklet of Church Street.

I am waiting to hear if we can sketch inside one of the churches, and will let you know. (I just heard from Rev. Fr. Peter Babej at St. Josephat’s Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, and he has welcomed us to sketch inside this beautiful cathedral during our July 7th sketchout.)

An Edmonton Historic Doors Open tour of Church Street is happening that same day. If you want to do some fast sketching, you can register for the tour, but that is optional and separate from our sketchout.

We can meet for lunch at 1:00 pm at Zocalo at 10826 – 95 Street.

A. Minchau Blacksmith Shop, June 2018

Urban Sketchers Edmonton are joining me in one of my goals as Edmonton’s 5th Historian Laureate: sketching Edmonton’s architectural heritage (or as much as we can!)

For our second in this series of sketchouts, the A. Minchau Blacksmith Shop at 8108 – 101 Street was a clear choice because it is at risk of demolition.

Sketches by Marlena Wyman

Two of the Historians Laureate: #4 Chris Chang-Yen Phillips and #5 Marlena Wyman (photo by Dawn Valentine)

Sketch by Chris Chang-Yen Phillips

Out-back sketchers Barry Hollingshead and Terry Elrod

Sketch by Terry Elrod

Sketch by Merts Belmes

Sketch by Merts Belmes

Sketch by Yvonne Rezek

Sketch by Angie Sotiropoulos

Sketch by Angie Sotiropoulos

Sketch by Karen Wall

Karen’s dog, Olive, is the official mascot for Urban Sketchers Edmonton. She loves history.

Another beautiful sunny day and the artists were obviously inspired – some great sketches came out of this. Hopefully more good will come of this and this historic building will be preserved and restored.

Posted by Marlena Wyman

Prince of Wales Armouries, May 2018

Urban Sketchers Edmonton are joining me in one of my goals as Edmonton’s 5th Historian Laureate: sketching Edmonton’s architectural heritage (or as much as we can!)

Our first architectural heritage sketchout was at the Prince of Wales Armouries, on Saturday May 5, 2018. In my new position, I was speaking at the Edmonton Regional Heritage Fair  that morning, and not wanting to miss a sketchout, I suggested that everyone come and sketch the historic Prince of Wales Armouries.

The Prince of Wales Armouries is also home to the very important heritage institution, The City of Edmonton Archives, where I am doing lots of research right now for some history and art projects coming up.

We had a beautiful sunny day!

Sketch by Marlena Wyman

Sketch by Marlena Wyman

Sketch by Joanna Marie

Sketch by Irina Kruglyakova

Sketch by Barry Hollingshead

 

Sketch by Merts Belmes

Sketch by Misty Totman

Sketch by John Valente

Sketch by Terry Elrod

Sketch by Shannon O’Blenes

Completed in 1915 for Department of National Defense, the Prince of Wales Armouries building (also known as the Edmonton Drill Hall) is significant for its role as Edmonton’s long-term training facility for Canada’s armed forces and for its contribution to the organization and mobilization of Canada’s military. The Drill Hall became the home of a number of prominent regiments, such as the 51st battalion and the 233rd French-Canadian Battalion during the First World War. It later served as a base for the 101st Edmonton Fusiliers, the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and the 49th Regiment. The Drill Hall was renamed the Prince of Wales Armouries in 1921 and was used as a military training site by the Department of National Defence until 1977. 

The Prince of Wales Armouries building is significant for its scale, massing and distinctive Baronial Gothic style. It also has heritage value for its association with a highly successful Edmonton architect. Two architects were involved in the building’s design and construction; E.C. Hopkins, who was hired as the local architect, and D.E Ewart, the architect for the Federal Department of Public Works. Hopkins, Alberta’s first Provincial Architect and founder of the Alberta Association of Architects, had a distinguished career and was responsible for the design of several significant Edmonton landmarks including; Great West Saddlery Company Building, Pantages Theatre, Marshall Wells Building, the Horne Pitfield Building and the Balmoral Block. 

Source: City of Edmonton (Bylaw: 13465)

Posted by Marlena Wyman

 

 

 

 

June 2, 2018 Sketchout

For our June 2nd sketchout, we will be sketching in historic Old Strathcona. We can meet at the Minchau Blacksmith Shop at 8108 – 101 Street at 11am, or start sketching on your own. It would be great if you can sketch this building, which is at risk, but there are lots of other great historic buildings in the area too (and lots of great people-sketching). We can meet for lunch at 1:00 just around the corner at Under the High Wheel restaurant in the Roots on Whyte building at 8135 – 102 Street.