The People
This section of the Alberta's Real Estate Heritage website contains biographies of some of the people who have contributed to the building of Alberta and its communities. These include real estate agents, developers, builders, and architects. All have shaped the communities in which we live, study, work and play. From the earliest days of settlement in Alberta, developers and real estate agents were involved in economic development activities and the design, layout and construction of communities. Many also served as elected officials at the municipal, provincial and federal level as well as schools boards. They served on community boards and assisted in philanthropic activities. The biographies include the following categories.
- REALTORS® and Members of Organized Real Estate - The following
biographies represent professional REALTORS® who are members and contributors to organized real estate, either at
the municipal, provincial, or federal levels. The list contains REALTORS® who are agents, brokers, and owners of
their own real estate companies, many of whom have served as high-ranking members of the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton,
the Calgary Real Estate Board, or the Alberta Real Estate Association.
- Real Estate Builders, Developers and Investors - These
biographies represent famous Albertans who have distinguished themselves in the real estate industry, but who are not
REALTORS®, nor necessarily industry professionals. They are the builders and the developers who helped shape Alberta's
urban landscapes. Many were part of the real estate industry in the pre-World War II period, before real estate was a
specialized career path. They were lawyers, politicians, and entrepreneurs who became wealthy through real estate
speculation and who helped build the west.
- Architects - Architects are not members of real estate
organizations. They have their own professional organizations such as the Alberta Association of Architects.
Nevertheless, architects play a significant role in the shaping of real estate by designing its buildings and landscapes.
The following biographies are of architects, some native Albertans and some not, whose designs, whether neo-classical,
modern, or post-modern, have left a lasting impression on Alberta's built landscape. Alberta's real estate has been
enriched not only through original designs, but through the efforts of architects to restore and adapt the province's
precious stock of historic buildings.