| | LEVEL OF DESCRIPTION: | Fonds | | No.: | PR2358 | | TITLE: | Edmonton's Capital Ex Fonds | | CREATOR: | Edmonton's Capital Ex | | DATE RANGE: | 1895 -1975 | | EXTENT: | 0.07 m of textual records. -- 11 graphic materials. -- 1 map. | | ADMINISTRATIVE | | HISTORY/BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: | The Edmonton Agricultural Society organized the first local exhibition on the original Fort Edmonton Site on October 15, 1879. It was the first exhibition held in the North West Territories and showcased livestock, grain, vegetables, and other locally produced materials. The fair would be moved from Fort Edmonton to Rossdale Flats (now Telus Field) in 1899, and the first summer fair held in 1901. In 1910 the fair was held for the first time at the current Northlands Park site, formerly known as Kirkness Lake. The Edmonton Gardens livestock building, the largest exhibition facility in Canada at the time, was added to the fair site in 1913. The exhibition would continue to be held during both the First and Second World Wars, although the Edmonton Exhibition Association made the facilities available to the armed forces, the army from 1915-1918 and the Air Force from 1940-1945. The first annual rodeo was held in conjunction with the fair in 1950, and the annual parade, started in 1903 but discontinued in the 1930s and 40s, was revived. In 1962 the exhibition would adopt a theme based on the gold rush and the fair changed its name to Klondike Days. The first legal Casino in Canada, the Klondike Days Casino, was established on the fair site in 1967. In 1995 Professional Chuckwagon racing was reintroduced to the event after a 42 year absence. Klondike Days was renamed and re-themed again in 2006 to Edmonton's Capital Ex. The current incarnation of the event still features agricultural exhibits, as well as chuckwagon racing, a midway, concerts, and other entertainment. | | CUSTODIAL HISTORY: | In 1967 an anonymous individual donated material comprising PR1967.0168 to the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
In 1968, Hugh Taylor of the Provincial Archives of Alberta donated material comprising PR1968.0112, PR1968.0113, and PR1968.0114 to the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
In 1969, D.G. Evans, Promotion Manager of the Edmonton Exhibition Association, donated the material comprising PR1969.0221 to the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
In 1991, the Northwest Territories Archives found the material comprising PR1991.0325 in its acquisition backlog. The Northwest Territories Archives then donated the material to the Provincial Archives of Alberta.
| | SCOPE AND CONTENT: | The collection consists of materials related to Klondike Days including souvenirs, programs, pamphlets, brochures, a map of the grounds, a song sheet, a history of Klondike Days, an entry form, and posters. | | GENERAL NOTE: | Information for the administrative history/biographical sketch sourced from: Edmonton's Capital Ex, http://www.capitalex.ca/guest-info/history (Accessed Dec. 18, 2009) |
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