Uncovering the past: Railway ties from historic streetcar line found under 124 Street
Contractors working on a streetscape project on 124 Street have uncovered a piece of Edmonton’s history.
While digging up the east side of 124 Street near 114 Avenue, a number of old wooden railway ties were found under the pavement.
The ties were likely part of the Edmonton Radial Railway, a streetcar service that ran from 1908 to 1951.
The Edmonton Radial Railway line is seen in red in this map of the cities of Edmonton and Strathcona. (Source: City of Edmonton Archives)
The ERR had lines running from Jasper Avenue, up 124 Street, and across the river to what was then the City of Strathcona.
Marlis Foth of the City of Edmonton says plans were already in the works to honour the railway as part of the streetscape project, and they now hope to incorporate the historic ties.
“There is going to be a theme around trolleys and the railway lines that used to go there historically, so some of those pieces you’ll see in the streetscape elements like the bike racks and the benches that will ultimately be out there.”
Construction on the streetscape is expected to be complete by the end of the 2023 construction season.
While the original line may be long gone, several of the ERR streetcars are still in operation in Edmonton.
The Edmonton Radial Railway streetcar Edmonton 1, which is still in operation at Fort Edmonton Park, is seen on Jasper Avenue in this public domain photo from 1910.
Three of the original streetcars, which were built in 1908, 1912, and 1930, have been fixtures at Fort Edmonton Park for years.
A fourth streetcar, built in 1912, carries passengers over the High Level Bridge from May to October.
The streetcars were restored by the Edmonton Radial Railway Society, which operates the High Level Bridge Streetcar.
The society has also restored historic streetcars from Toronto, Melbourne, Australia, and Osaka, Japan.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau noncommittal on expanding rebate beyond 'working Canadians'
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau does not appear willing to budge on his plan to send a $250 rebate to 'hardworking Canadians,' despite pressure from the opposition to give the money to seniors and people who are not able to work.
'Mayday!': New details emerge after Boeing plane makes emergency landing at Mirabel airport
New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.
Cucumbers sold in Ontario, other provinces recalled over possible salmonella contamination
A U.S. company is recalling cucumbers sold in Ontario and other Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella contamination.
Latest updates: Tracking RSV, influenza, COVID-19 in Canada
As the country heads into the worst time of year for respiratory infections, the Canadian respiratory virus surveillance report tracks how prevalent certain viruses are each week and how the trends are changing week to week.
Weekend weather: Parts of Canada could see up to 50 centimetres of snow, wind chills of -40
Winter is less than a month away, but parts of Canada are already projected to see winter-like weather.
W5 Investigates A 'ticking time bomb': Inside Syria's toughest prison holding accused high-ranking ISIS members
In the last of a three-part investigation, W5's Avery Haines was given rare access to a Syrian prison, where thousands of accused high-ranking ISIS members are being held.
Federal government posts $13B deficit in first half of the fiscal year
The Finance Department says the federal deficit was $13 billion between April and September.
Armed men in speedboats make off with women and children when a migrants' dinghy deflates off Libya
Armed men in two speedboats took off with women and children after a rubber dinghy carrying some 112 migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea started deflating off Libya's coast, a humanitarian aid group said Friday.
Nick Cannon says he's seeking help for narcissistic personality disorder
Nick Cannon has spoken out about his recent diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder, saying 'I need help.'