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 SocietyBarbara 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 HewittPhotographer

1992-2010  Marlena Wyman – Visual Artist

1993-2019  Michale CaskenetteCurator and operator of the Ortona Gallery

1993-2019  George NyikabeDJ Workrite

1994-2019  Tom Bernier – Filmmaker, Edmonton Film School, Edmonton Tonight

1994-2019  Dave MorganFilmmaker

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

HBC horse drawn delivery trucks
Edmonton Pure Butter!