Expansion Period
Following the difficult period imposed by the First and Second World
Wars, the Edmonton Exhibition Association (EEA) moved into a period of
expansion that lasted from 1950 until 1999. Previous to this time,
structural development of EEA facilities had stagnated, but renewed
energies gave association members and directors a new found
impetus for growth.
In the organization’s history, buildings have guided the types of
activities it organized or hosted. Thus, what lay in the EEA’s future
during the expansion was intertwined with the demolition of old
buildings and the birth of new ones. Innovative sites ushered in
previously unsought possibilities that would further EEA diversification
and visibility in various facets of culture and commerce.
Boosted EEA investment in hockey created the Edmonton Flyers
franchise, and resulted in more local fanfare that necessitated increased
seating for perpetually sold out games. In response, the association
made an addition to the south side of the Livestock Pavilion, inserting
an additional 12,000 seats, and creating a new façade. Such dramatic changes to
the building were signaled by a new name, the Edmonton Gardens.
Eventually, the organization would become host to the Edmonton Oilers.
More expansion happened in 1950, when a new 21.5-metre structure
replaced the old grandstand for the EEA racetrack. The new structure
provided room for 8,000 spectators, and featured two tiers of fireproof
seating where horse racing could be comfortably enjoyed.
It
wasn’t only physical structures that were being altered after 1950. With
post-war changes, a strong shift had taken place in Edmonton and its
surrounding communities. Increasingly mechanized farm
practices had promoted rural movement towards urban centres, with
respective population declines and increases. This ushered in a larger
city audience that was not only growing, but also experiencing more
leisure time and disposable income.
Though the EEA no longer considered itself to be primarily an
agricultural society, its activities still reflected the importance of
the industry to Alberta’s prosperity while increasingly integrating
consumer oriented programming. Signalling this shift, the Sportex
building replaced
the historic Manufacturers Building in 1962, providing a
multi-functional, year round sports exhibition facility.
The last quarter of the 20th century demonstrated an uphill swing for
the EEA. Jack Bailey, Harry Hole, and Ted Mildon, three dedicated EEA
volunteer board members, offered up large amounts of their time to
realize 1974’s feature attraction, the Coliseum, that replaced the
memory-filled Edmonton Gardens.
Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 1979,
Edmonton Northlands had much to be proud of. Their involvement in a myriad of
North-central Alberta activities was
both valued and visible to the public. Superodeo in its various incarnations,
the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR), Farmfair International, and an annual
Klondike Days themed summer exhibition were among the activities debuted
during the expansion period. These and other areas of work maintained
the organization’s agricultural and community-oriented tradition, while
carrying impressive development to the fore.
With the completion of
the Northlands AgriCom building in 1984, the last block of the expansion
period was cemented into place. The
building’s importance could not be underestimated as business direction
was steered by its availability. With its completion came new and
long-term business in trade fairs, exhibitions, agricultural shows, and
sports events—activities that would continue to keep Northlands Park a
lively community organization.
An increased capacity to host an even wider range of activities
allowed Northlands to secure contracts for national events, bringing in
more business to the city. To honour
the importance of its contributions, the last decade of the expansion
period was capped with a new name for the pioneering association.
Reflecting the region of Alberta it continues to serve, the new name was
Northlands Park.
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