BUILDING HISTORY
ORTONA ARMOURIES 1914
9722–102 STREET
Range 24 Township 52 West of the 4th Meridian
LOTS 13-14 BLOCK 2 PLAN 6417 AS
Municipal Historic Resource 31 AUGUST 2004
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
The character-defining elements as expressed in the form, massing, materials and style of the principal facades such as: the eight brick pilasters that divide the front façade into seven bays; the brick detailing such as the brick dental course above the sandstone lintels on the upper floors, the round brick arches and flat arches over window openings, the brick band cornice at the parapet level; the stone details such as the lintels and sills; the hoist penthouse covered in pressed metal siding located on the south rooftop; the recessed windows in the front façade; the stone capped parapet; the three carved sandstone cartouches above the entrance bay, the centre bay and the northern bay; the pattern of recessed alternating double and triple windows on the front façade. [Alberta Register of Historic Places, Statement of Significance]
Introduction
The Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) built its large warehouse and brick stable for its delivery horses on Ross’ Flats in 1914. Building Permit #716 was applied for by the HBC on Tuesday, 2 June 1914, for a “stable” to be constructed on Lots 13-14 Block 2 Hudson’s Bay Reserve (HBR), on 102 Street. The architect was listed as the “owners.” Value of the new building was placed at $25,000.
DOWNLOAD the entire Historical Significance Report
written by Ken Tingley (Edmonton’s History Laureate) commissioned by The Ortona Armoury Tenants Association (OATA)
Comments: A Living History
Ken Tingley’s Historical Significance Report is intended to be a living document. We welcome any added stories, comments, photos, videos, and recollections you may have to contribute. Please send comments, stories and photos to : ortonaarmoury@gmail.com about the Ortona Armoury. Comments are not immediately published, but they are moderated by the Ortona Armoury Tenants Association and will appear in a timely manner. Thanks for being part of this history.
Time-list of tenants:
1914-1924 Hudson’s Bay Company
1924-1927 Edmonton Pure Butter Company
1928-1939 National Trade School / Alberta Poultry Pool / Boys Department
1939-1941 Department of National Defence, Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR)
1941-1964 HMCS Nonsuch, Edmonton Sea Cadet, Navy League Cadet Corps
1965-1977 Loyal Edmonton Regiment 3rd Battalion, Building renamed Ortona Armouries
1977-1983 Public Works Canada
1977-1978 Commonwealth Games Federation
1977-1983 National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
1979-1988 The Bounder & Gym-Fit Club / Ortona Gymnastics Club
1980-2019 Trincan Steel Orchestra
1980-1990’s Edmonton Folk Music Festival Society / Barbara Allard, Rainbow Bridge Production
1980’s-1997 Edmonton Minor Hockey Association
1980’s-1998 David Brasco, industrial fencing company
1982-2019 Drama Lab / Film and Video Arts Society of Alberta (FAVA)
1983, April 1: City of Edmonton acquires the Ortona Armoury from the Federal Government
1983 World University Games, XII Summer Universiade
1985 Rossdale Community League
1985-1990’s North West Media Network – independent woman’s film society
1988-1994 Ken Berry & Marek Forsinsky – Pink Fax Films
1991-1994 Kardy Developments
1990’s-1994 Joe Vizmeg & Dave Cunigham – Filmmakers
1990’s-2019 Rick Gustavsen – Cinematographer / Duane Burton – Video producer; researcher and writer
1990’s Juba African Song / Lester Quitzau / Tom Golob & Cori Brewster
1990’s-2000 Derek Sharplin (Buzz) – Editor
1992-1994 Leslea Kroll – Playwright
1992-1994 Ben McCaffrey – Visual Artist
1992-1995 Nina Chebry – Painter
1992-2019 Russ Hewitt – Photographer
1992-2010 Marlena Wyman – Visual Artist
1993-2019 Michale Caskenette – Curator and operator of the Ortona Gallery
1993-2019 George Nyikabe – DJ Workrite
1994-2019 Tom Bernier – Filmmaker, Edmonton Film School, Edmonton Tonight
1994-2019 Dave Morgan – Filmmaker
1995-1998 Cynthia Wells – Filmmaker
1996 Ortona Armoury Tenants Association was formed
1998 Ortona Armoury Tenants Association was incorporated
1998-2000 Global Vision Film Festival
1998-2001 Helen Folkmann – Filmmaker & painter
1998-2019 Shawn Pinchbeck– Electroacoustic Composer
1998-2006 Wendy McNeil – Singer Songwriter
2000-2005 Ortona Gallery Free Art School, Jimmy Golden and Wendy Freeone
2005-2007 aAron Munson – Filmmaker
2006-2007 Wes Borg – Comedian and Playwright
2010-2019 Patrick Arès-Pilon– Multidisciplinary artist
2010-2015 Gordon Snyder – Painter
2011-2019 Lindsay McIntyre– Filmmaker
2013-2019 Parker Thiessen– Filmmaker, sound artist/musician and designer
2015-2019 Will Truchon– Visual Artist and Ceramicist
2018-2019 Tim Rechner– Painter, musician and curator
If any dates are incorrect or tenants missing from the list, please feel free to contact us at ortonaarmoury@gmail.com and we would be glad to update the information accordingly, Thank you.
Links of interest:
The Prairie Line by Marlena Wyman – Sketching History: The Artists Part IV
Radio Canada – Rénovations majeures au Ortona Armoury
Rossdale Historical Land Use Study
Canada’s Historic Places – Hudson’s Bay Company Stables / Ortona Armoury
Alberta Government – Ortona Armoury Arts Building Rehabilitation
City of Edmonton – Ortona Armoury Arts Building Rehabilitation Project
City of Edmonton – Ortona Armoury Re-Zoning – Charter Bylaw 19115
City of Edmonton – River Crossing Heritage Interpretive Plan
City of Edmonton – West Rossdale: Urban Design Plan
MBAC – Ortona Armoury Rehabilitation
Edmonton Maps Heritage – Hudson’s Bay Company Stables
Arts Habitat Edmonton – Ortona Armoury Rehabilitation Project