Canada 150 Edmonton Trivia Contest – Industry

This post has the answers for last week’s trivia questions on Industry. The final set of questions in our trivia contest, all about Events in Edmonton, are now available!

Welcome to the Canada 150 Edmonton Trivia Contest! Today we’re releasing the next set of 10 questions – Events in Edmonton. Sets of 10 questions will be released every Friday between now and June 23.

Questions can be answered using this online form and completed forms are entered into two draws. See full contest details, including prizes, in our March 14 blog post.

Edmonton may have started as a fur trade post and grown into an agricultural service area, but it has always had an industrial component as well, supporting the economy and helping to develop other sectors.

Although today Edmontonians focus on the oil and gas industry as the foundation of our economy, there are myriad other industries which have flourished in this western city and some which may even have started here. Edmonton’s river valley, now known as a recreational and park land hub was the industrial heartland. The river and the river valley served as both a source of materials for industry and a way to move the finished product to market. That changed when the 1915 flood washed away homes and businesses and most people left the river valley behind and rebuilt on higher ground.

EA-10-2269 Walter’s Mill 1890
EA-10-2269 Walter’s Mill 1890

1. The opening of Edmonton’s downtown airport (known as Blatchford Field) spawned a massive industry. When did Blatchford Field officially open?

A. 1907
B. 1927
C. 1947
D. 1967

2. The area around Fort Road and 66th Street, once called the Village of North Edmonton, was once the second largest stockyard in North America. What was the nickname of the community?

A. Meat City
B. Packingtown
C. Bytown
D. Slaughterhouse 5

3. Edmonton’s first oil refinery opened in Clover Bar in what year?

A. 1948
B. 1958
C. 1968
D. 1978

ET-23-2 Strathcona Refinery 1981
ET-23-2 Strathcona Refinery 1981

4. What was the name of Edmonton’s first brewery?

A. Bohemian Maid
B. Sics Brewery
C. Strathcona Brewing
D. Edmonton Brewing and Malting Company

Beer making was an important business well before the First World War. The impacts of Prohibition may have slowed it down – but it soon bounced back, especially after the soldiers returned.

5. Edmonton’s first funicular railroad opened in 1908. What was the main reason behind the project?

A: A fun way to see the river valley.
B: The alternate road, McDougall Hill, could get muddy and dangerous.
C: Stairs were hard work.
D: To make it easier for industries in Rossdale to get their products to market.
E: B and D

EA-10-1201 McDougall Hill - Looking South West 1914
EA-10-1201 McDougall Hill – Looking South West 1914

Called the Incline Railway, this hydraulic lift had two platforms which alternated moving goods in wagons up and down the riverbank near the 101 Street McDougall Methodist (now United) Church. It was only in operation from 1908 to 1913 when the High Level Bridge was open and allowed most traffic to avoid the river valley and the ferry crossing. For more information see our Virtual Exhibit.

6. Edmonton’s festivals are an industry unto themselves. In what year was the Edmonton Folk Festival established?

A. 1969
B. 1974
C. 1980
D. 1985

7. Between 1880 and 1974, how many coal mines and prospects were recorded within the city of Edmonton?

A. 25
B. 50
C. 100
D. Over 150

EA-160-482 Beverly Mine Tipple & Truck 1938
EA-160-482 Beverly Mine Tipple & Truck 1938

8. Between 1880 and 1974, how much coal is estimated to have been mined in Edmonton?

A. 100,000 tons
B. 500,000 tons
C. 1 million tons
D. 15 million tons

EA-10-1430 Coal Mining at Edmonton 1900
EA-10-1430 Coal Mining at Edmonton 1900

9. There was a flourishing brickmaking industry in Edmonton before the First World War. What was the name of one of the brickyards?

A. Pollard Brickyard
B. J.B. Little and Sons Brickyard
C. Humberstone Brick and Coal Co.
D. Clinker’s Brick Factory
E. A, B, and C

EA-10-1364 Pollard’s Brickyard 1902
EA-10-1364 Pollard’s Brickyard 1902

10. When was the Edmonton Electric Lighting and Power Company incorporated?

A. 1891
B. 1899
C. 1912
D. 1996

The power company had two major clients, the first was the Town of Edmonton who wanted to light the streets at night, and the other was the various factories and industrial complexes who wanted electricity to run their machines. This tells you how early industry in Edmonton was driving innovation and the economy.

Good luck with the final batch of questions about Events in Edmonton, you have until Thursday, June 29 at midnight to answer them and be entered in the contest!