The first legislative sitting of Alberta’s legislature is captured by the assembly’s photographer of the day. Photo by Cassel Morton Tai
A cultural hub called the Thistle Roller and Ice Rink in Edmonton earned a colourful footnote in Canada’s legislative history on March 15, 1906.
On that day 25 elected officials took their places for the first time to serve a fledgling province carved from the West and called Alberta. It had joined Confederation just six and a half months earlier.
Speaker Ric McIver called the anniversary of the first meeting of the legislature “a remarkable milestone in the history of Alberta’s democracy.”
To their seats members carried “the hopes and expectations of a young province,” McIver said some thousands of daily sittings later.
The iconic dome and legislature building weren’t ready for service until 1912, and the temporary chambers in the rink were immediately replaced by those within the historic McKay Avenue School.
The three buildings “laid the foundation for the democratic traditions that continue to guide us today,” the Speaker said.
One of the buildings, of course, remains in active provincial government service.
“For more than a century elected representatives have gathered here to debate ideas, shape public policy, and give voice to the perspectives of Albertans from all walks of life and every region,” McIver told the legislature.
The Thistle was less enduring. Edmonton’s largest building of its day burned to the ground in 1913.
Although long-retired from its legislative role, McKay Avenue School still exists and was a functioning public school until 1983. Today it serves as the archives and museum for Edmonton Public Schools.
“The issues we face today may differ from those confronted in 1906, yet the commitment to thoughtful deliberation and service to the public good remains today,” McIver said.
A “continuity of purpose” has allowed the assembly to endure and evolve, he said, adding “may the next 120 years continue to reflect the resilience, progress and democratic values that have defined the assembly from its earliest days.”
The first legislative sitting of Alberta’s legislature is captured by the assembly’s photographer of the day. Photo by Cassel Morton Tai
