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| | LEVEL OF DESCRIPTION: | Fonds | | No.: | PR0160 | | TITLE: | W. Everard Edmonds fonds | | CREATOR: | W. Everard Edmonds | | DATE RANGE: | 1897-1965, predominant 1899-1955 | | EXTENT: | 0.04 m of textual records. -- 16 photographs | | ADMINISTRATIVE | | HISTORY/BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: | Walter Everard Edmonds was born October 30, 1875 in Norwich, Ontario to William Burrel and Alice Maud (nee Stitt) Edmonds. W. Everard Edmonds moved west to Alberta to teach in 1896. He then studied theology at St. John's College at the University of Manitoba. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1902 and a Master of Arts degree in 1907. He then studied at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and obtained another Bachelor of Arts degree in 1910. In 1955, he received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from St. John's College at the University of Alberta, as well as an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Alberta.
After he graduated from St. John's College in 1902, Edmonds became the first resident Anglican Minister in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and the founder of St. John's Church (later St. John's Cathedral). On December 1, 1903, in Saskatoon, he married Leila Maude De Larue, daughter of Dr. Prosper De Larue of Plymouth, England. They had a son, De Larue Everard and a daughter, Lavinia Joy.
Edmonds served as the rector of a church in Gladstone, Manitoba from 1905 until 1907. In 1907, he became the principal of a high school in Stonewall, Manitoba and remained in this position until 1910. In 1911, Edmonds became the western representative for a British newspaper, Canada, and travelled extensively throughout the Prairies writing reports on the rapid development of the western towns and cities. He remained with the newspaper until 1913, when he moved to Edmonton, Alberta to serve as Special Lecturer in History at the University of Alberta. At the beginning of the First World War, Edmonds was asked to work as a teacher for a few months to help make up for the shortage of teachers due to enlistments. He began teaching history at the Strathcona High School in Edmonton, Alberta in 1915 and stayed there until his retirement in 1942. During this time he also held the office of rector of St. John's Anglican Church in Edmonton, Alberta from 1914 until 1931.
Edmonds also served as president of the Edmonton Branch of the Canadian Authors Association, The Edmonton Archives and Landmarks Society, and the Alberta Historical Society. For some time he was the editor of the Alberta Historical Review and he contributed many articles to British, American and Canadian magazines. Edmonds was also an author and wrote many books including Broad Horizons, In a College Library, The Canadian Flag Day Book, and Edmonton, Past and Present.
W. Everard Edmonds died at the age of 91 in Edmonton on June 23, 1966.
| | SCOPE AND CONTENT: | Fonds consists of material pertaining to Edmonds' religious, educational and historical work or interests including manuscripts, articles and photographs. | | ARRANGEMENT NOTE: | Records have been maintained in the order in which they were received. | | GENERAL NOTE: | Information for the Administrative history/Biographical sketch has been obtained from The Canadian Who’s Who: Vol. V, 1949-1951 and from a biography written by Bruce Peel, Librarian at the University of Alberta. | | RELATED ITEMS: | A1794 (Anglican Clerical Conference)
A1795 (Rupert's Land Provincial Synod)
A1796 (Edmonton Diocesan Women's Auxillary)
A1797 (Photograph of W. Aberhart and R. B. Bennett)
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