Historic streets in Edmonton and where they got their names from

Edmonton’s streets carry the weight of its history, shaped by settlement, trade, colonization, and development over the years. Many of those names still reflect Canada’s colonial past.

The city’s own name goes back to 1795, when the Hudson’s Bay Company established Fort Edmonton along the North Saskatchewan River. It was named after Edmonton, England — the birthplace of Sir James Winter Lake, who just happened to be at the HBC governors’ meeting when the fort was founded.

As for the rest of the city, here are some well-known street names in Edmonton and the stories behind them:

Jasper Avenue

Jasper Avenue was named after Jasper Haws, a trading post manager with the North West Company. Jasper House, the trading post named after him, later became a National Historic Site. The town of Jasper and Jasper National Park were also named after Haws, all tied back to the area’s history.

Whyte Avenue

Whyte Avenue was named after Sir William Whyte, who started as a brakeman and station agent before working his way up to superintendent and then vice-president of CPR’s western division. The train’s final stop used to be in Strathcona, which is now the Whyte Avenue area.

Calgary Trail

This historic trail was the main land route between Fort Edmonton and Fort Calgary, long before highways connected the two cities. Indigenous people had also established a trail in the area well before European contact, and it later became the route linking the forts. Calgary ended up with the Edmonton Trail, while we got the Calgary Trail.

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Fort Road

Fort Road was once part of a fur trade trail system that stretched all the way to Lower Fort Garry, now Winnipeg. It later became an important route connecting Edmonton to Fort Saskatchewan, which is where it got its name. Further north, the road turns into Manning Drive, named after former Alberta premier Ernest Manning.

Groat Road

Groat Road is named after Malcolm Groat, a Hudson’s Bay Company employee who settled in the area in the 1880s. He built his homestead on what is now Westmount and stayed one of Edmonton’s leading citizens into the 20th century. Over time, he sold his land to developers, and the city annexed the area in 1904 and 1910.

Whitemud Drive

Whitemud Creek gets its name from the white-coloured mud on its banks, which was used in colonial times to whitewash Hudson’s Bay Company buildings. The name was first recorded by Dr. James Hector of the Palliser Expedition in 1858.