Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the great city of Edmonton on the occasion of its 100th birthday.
In 1795 the Hudson's Bay Company established a trading post on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River called Fort Edmonton. The railway arrived in 1902. It was incorporated as a city in 1904 and designated the provincial capital in 1906.
Edmonton quickly became known as the gateway to the north, a phrase that has held true since the Klondike gold rush when prospectors venturing northward stopped in Edmonton to trade their goods and gather supplies.
Edmonton has long had a diversified economy, historically driven by the fur trade and agriculture.
Then, in 1947, oil was discovered just south of Edmonton at Leduc No. 1. The pipeline and petrochemical industry were established and the economy and population began to boom.
Edmonton is a city whose quality of life is second to none. We have a vibrant arts community and our citizens are renowned for their charitable leadership and community fellowship.
I ask all of my colleagues here in Parliament to wish the city of Edmonton a wonderful 100th birthday.