There are more than 158 businesses in Edmonton that are over 100 years old, some dating back to the 1800s, according to the City’s 2025 Business Census. Their longevity isn’t simply a testament to their ingenuity—it’s the helping hand that molded the Edmonton we live in today.
One such business is Acme Meat Market, a living legacy which started within the Eldridge Family and then passed on to Corey Meyer, who had been working with the family for a decade at the time.
Tucked into the Ritchie Market along 76 Avenue, Acme Meat Market has been serving customers for more than 100 years. More than just a retail shop, it offers the kind of connection we all crave—a local butcher who knows your name, remembers your order and provides a place you can simply walk in and ask for ‘the regular.’
Over the past 10 decades, Acme Meat Market has adapted alongside Edmonton’s food culture—from feeding working families in the early 20th century to servicing today’s customers who value local sourcing and traditional preparation.
“Since 1921, we’ve proudly served the community,” says Meyer. “We started out on Whyte Ave and then moved closer to Ritchie, but throughout the years, we’ve kept customers the focus. Some will come in with a vision and we’ll help them achieve it, and others come in and we know them and have that rapport to help them and that goes a long way.”
While customers have always been at the forefront of the organisation, Acme has also lent a hand to other similar businesses with the same amount of care and attention. “The butchering community is fairly small, and you don’t want to see anyone fall,” he says. “So it’s nice to lend moral support or send someone their way if I know they have what the customer needs.”
Such businesses are the essence of the business community in Edmonton and the census, while technical in terms of the data it collects, reveals something deeper, richer, that sits at the very core of Edmonton.
Behind every year established is a founder who took a risk. Behind every employment number is a team of people unlocking doors before sunrise, stocking shelves, drafting contracts, baking bread, welcoming guests, advocating for business and becoming an integral part of the community. All these people are the hands that mold our city, and we’ve got heaps of them:
Organizing businesses: Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
In 1889, 16 years before Alberta became a province, the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce was already advocating for local businesses. Initially founded as the Edmonton Board of Trade, it was focused on bringing a railway to the city.
“The Chamber has had a front row seat to an explosion of industry, investment, and economy in Edmonton for more than a century,” says Doug Griffiths, the President and CEO of the Chamber.
The Chamber has consistently aimed to bring together the most prominent business-oriented people in the city together, to nurture a community that can make change happen. Throughout the Chamber’s years of operation, it has remained the centre of support and champions of growing businesses across the city.
“We also bring business, government, and community leaders together to tackle the issues shaping Edmonton’s future. From the annual State of the City Address with the Mayor to the State of the Province with Alberta’s Premier and our flagship State of the Economy report, the Chamber creates opportunities for informed dialogue, collaboration, and action.”
The Chamber’s 135 years of operation is testament to its enduring success as the city’s commercial backbone. The organization is also among the longstanding enterprises that employ 20 to 99 people, according to the 2025 Business Census.
“The Chamber continues to do what it has always done best: convene leaders, advocate for business, and help build a stronger, more prosperous Edmonton for everyone,” says Griffiths.
The legal backbone of our city
As Edmonton grew from a frontier settlement to a capital city, its need for legal expertise grew alongside it. Remarkably, four law firms operating today have been serving clients here for more than 130 years.
• Duncan Craig LLP (established in 1894)
• McCuaig Desrochers LLP (1895)
• Emery Jamieson LLP (1893)
• Parlee McLaws LLP (1889)
Each began in the late 19th century, drafting agreements, settling disputes and helping structure the transactions that allowed the area to function before Edmonton was officially incorporated as a city in 1904. Today, these four firms employ dozens (and in some cases hundreds) of professionals who specialize in areas ranging from real estate and corporate law to litigation and labour relations.
The endurance of these firms tells a quiet but powerful story: institutions last when they evolve. As Edmonton’s industries shifted, from fur trade to agriculture, from oil and gas to technology and advanced manufacturing, these firms adapted with them.
The castle on the hill: Fairmont Hotel Macdonald
For 110 years, the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald has represented the historic center of Edmonton for locals and tourists alike.
Built by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, the chateau-style hotel welcomed early visitors arriving in a young city determined to define itself. From boom years to economic downturns, from world wars to modern revitalization, the Mac has endured—elegant, resilient and unmistakably Edmonton.
The hotel sitting in the heart of downtown Edmonton has maintained its effortlessly timeless look and luxurious feel for over a century. Having welcomed people from all walks of life, from royalty to celebrities to neighbours, the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is a must-see in the city.
Cultivating authentic local experiences, through its curated menu and the events they support, the Fairmont serves and celebrates Edmonton like Edmontonians. The city’s spirit of passion, innovation and resilience flows in the walls of the hotel.
The Fairmont Hotel MacDonald stands out not only for its age but also as one of the largest employers in the accommodation and food services sectors, according to the 2025 Business Census. The hotel, which was awarded Edmonton’s very first Michelin Guide Key, employs hundreds of Edmontonians in hospitality, culinary arts, event management and tourism.
More than numbers
The Business Census shows us scale. It shows us sectors. It shows us employment brackets—but what it truly reveals is resilience.
Edmonton’s economic story is written by organizations that choose—year after year—to stay, to adapt and to invest in the city.
The next time you see a statistic about businesses operating in our city, remember that behind every number is a story that stretches across generations, and some of those stories have been unfolding for more than a century.
Editor’s note: the photo at the top of the post shows the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald in 2024 (left) and in 1926. The latter image also features the Alberta Motor Boat Company. Originally published in the Edmonton Bulletin March 15, 1926. Photo courtesy of City of Edmonton Archives EA-453-1.
To learn about another longstanding local business and what has contributed to their success, visit our Why Edmonton article on Audrey’s Books, as the store reflects back on 50 years in business.