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Valleyview Manor
Edmonton
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
Valleyview Manor is an eight storey apartment building of approximately 65,000 square feet on 0.45 of an acre constructed in 1960-61 containing 45 units. The building is located on the south side of Jasper Avenue overlooking the North Saskatchewan River Valley in Edmonton’s Oliver neighbourhood. The municipal designation applies to the exterior of the building and the interior arrangement of the apartments: the interior common space and the interior of individual apartments are considered non-contributing elements.
Heritage Value
Valleyview Manor is significant for its association with high density redevelopment in the community of Oliver and its International style.
As one of the city’s first high rise apartment buildings, Valleyview Manor is significant for its association with the high density redevelopment of Oliver. Valleyview Manor was completed in 1961 at a time when apartment living was gaining public acceptance, and represents the beginning of a cultural shift from traditional single family home ownership to marketing a high quality rental building designed for the professional white collar market. The scale and height of the building, as well as its prominent location overlooking the North Saskatchewan River Valley, were important in the developing skyline of Edmonton and providing the building with an aura of progressive sophistication. The luxury building included underground parking for its residents and high quality marble finishes at the front entrance, which added to its prestige and contributed to the perception of apartment living as a desirable urban lifestyle. Valleyview Manor was one of the first high-rise apartment building in Edmonton and is valued as an early example of the shift towards higher-density urban living.
Valleyview Manor is valued as a good example of International style in Edmonton. The International style in Edmonton began in the 1940s and was commonly used until the 1970s, although it is more typically found in commercial as opposed to residential structures. Valleyview Manor exemplified the International style through its flat roofs, asymmetrical rectangular forms and hard angular edges. Typical to the International style, Valleyview Manor derives its aesthetic qualities from the high quality of material, such as the mosaic tile and marble, rather than architectural ornamentation. The building was designed by Gordon Wynn, of Rule Wynn Rule Architects, an Edmonton firm responsible for many of the more notable modern buildings in Alberta. Valleyview Manor is significant because it is an uncommon and early example of an International style high-rise apartment building in Edmonton.
Source: City of Edmonton Planning and Development Department POSSE File 96390796.
Character-Defining Elements
Valleyview Manor’s association with the high density redevelopment of Oliver is expressed in such character-defining elements as:
- form, scale, and massing;
- prominent location facing Jasper Avenue and overlooking the North Saskatchewan River Valley;
- concrete framed construction;
- angular metal railings and partitions between projecting balconies;
- tri-partite front entrance configuration with fixed pane window between two single-acting doors;
- stylized metal sign which reads “Valleyview Manor”;
- pattern of fenestration with aluminum sliding windows;
- four bay garage entrance with rolling overhead doors on north elevation, three bay garage entrance with rolling overhead doors on east elevation and six bay garage entrance with rolling overhead doors on west elevation; and
- interior arrangement of apartments, including the footprint of Suite 701.
Valleyview Manor’s International style is expressed in such character-defining elements as:
- yellow brick cladding;
- ceramic mosaic tile and marble cladding to lower floor;
- entrance canopy with domed skylights.
Location
| Street Address: |
12207 Jasper Avenue NW |
| Community: |
Edmonton |
| Boundaries: |
Units 1 to 45, Condominium Plan 0726886 |
| Contributing Resources: |
Building: 1
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ATS Legal Description:
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Mer |
Rge |
Twp |
Sec |
LSD |
4
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24
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53
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2
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PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):
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Plan |
Block |
Lot |
Parcel |
0726886 (Condo. Plan)
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1-45
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N/A
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Latitude/Longitude:
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Latitude |
Longitude |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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53.540899 |
-113.532983 |
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NAD 83 |
UTM Reference:
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Northing |
Easting |
Zone |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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Recognition
| Recognition Authority: |
Local Governments (AB) |
| Designation Status: |
Municipal Historic Resource |
| Date of Designation: |
2010/11/26 |
Historical Information
| Built: |
1960 to 1961 |
| Period of Significance: |
1961 to 1961 |
| Theme(s): |
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life : Architecture and Design
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| Historic Function(s): |
Residence : Multiple Dwelling
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| Current Function(s): |
Residence : Multiple Dwelling
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| Architect: |
Rule Wynn Rule
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| Builder: |
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| Context: |
Francis Winspear was a major investor in Valleyview Manor, and upon its completion moved into Suite 701, which had been designed specifically for him and his wife Bess as an enlarged 3 bedroom apartment – a feat accomplished by lopping off space from the adjacent unit. Francis Winspear is synonymous with business acumen, philanthropy and the arts in Edmonton. During his 60 year business career Winspear was president and CEO of 19 companies in a range of industries, including oil, steel, lumber, mining, aircraft and airlines, textiles, finance, and real estate development. He taught accounting for 20 years at the University of Alberta and served as Director of the University's School of Commerce, and Dean of the Business School. Francis Winspear was a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts and was involved in the founding of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Edmonton Opera. Francis Winspear also donated a substantial amount was the recipient of numerous awards of recognition, including being appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, and a Member of the Alberta Order of Excellence. In 1980 he married Harriet Snowball, who had served as the resident manager of Valleyview Manor since its opening. Harriet Winspear was actively involved in Edmonton’s Arts community and with her husband helped the Edmonton Opera achieve national standing, built swimming pools and camps for children, made substantial contributions to scholarships for students at the University of Alberta, and made the Edmonton United Way one of the most successful in Canada. She was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2003. Together the Winspears established the Winspear Foundation, through which millions of dollars were donated to numerous charities and non-profit organizations – a philanthropic feat unmatched in the history of Edmonton that has touched thousands of lives and has left the city of Edmonton a better place. |
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Additional Information
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