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Robert James Cartmell was born on September 2, 1900 in Kirkham, Lancashire, England to Alban Cartmell and Dorthy Cartmell (née Danson). Robert had four siblings Mary Ann Cartmell, Nicholas Cartmell, Bernard Alban Cartmell, and Winifred Teresa Cartmell.
In 1923 Robert’s family moved to Canada. His father, Alban, was a painter and picked Edmonton because he liked to paint snow. In 1939, Robert married his wife Margaret MacDonald. Together Robert and Margaret had four children, Robert Cartmell, Peggy Cartmell, Jim Cartmell, and Gerry Cartmell. Robert died on September 3, 1988 at the age of 88 in Edmonton, Alberta.

Hugh Albert “Bert” Haggarty was born ca.1903. He was married to his wife Mary and together they had one son, Patrick Haggarty. Bert was the Director and Treasurer of the Edmonton Zoological Society and a member of the Edmonton Archives Auxiliary and the United Grain Growers Century Club.
Bert died on March 30, 1981 in Edmonton at the age of 78.

Bulyea, George Hedley Vicars 1859-1915
Bulyea, Annie Blanche (née Babbit) 1863-1934
Bulyea, Percy McFarlane 1885-1901

George Heldey Vicars Bulyea was born in Gagetown, New Brunswick on February 17, 1859 to James Alberta Bulyea and Jane Blizzard. George received his education in New Brunswick attending Gagetown Grammar School and the University of New Brunswick where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1878.

After receiving his degree Bulyea became a teacher and was a principal in New Brunswick before moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1883 and in the same year moved again to Qu'Appelle, District of Assiniboia, North-West Territories (now Saskatchewan).

George married Annie Blanche Babbit on January 29, 1885. Annie was born on September 17, 1863 in Gagetown, New Brunswick and was the second daughter of Robert Thorne Babbit. Annie attended public schools in Gagetown.

Until 1898 George worked as a merchant and was the first treasurer of Qu'Appelle and Annie was the president of the local union. In 1899 Annie was elected president in Regina, Saskatchewan. Annie was also superintendent of W.C.T.U. in Northwest Territories and in 1905 made honorary president of the Edmonton Union. While in Alberta, Annie was honorary president of the Alberta Provincial W.C.T.U., the Dominion W.C.T.U., and president of the Baptist Women’s Missionary Society of Western Canada.

In 1891 George ran in the Northwest Territories election as an unsuccessful candidate for a seat to the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories. He ran again in 1894 and was successful and was re-elected in 1898 and 1902. In 1897 George became a member of the first Executive Council of the Northwest Territories. From 1898 to 1905 George was Special Commissioner to the Territories and Administrator of Territorial Affairs in the Yukon. In these early years of his political career George also served as the Commissioner of Agriculture and Territorial Secretary n Haultain and the Commissioner of Public Works.

On September 1, 1905 George was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, the same day Alberta became a province. He was appointed for a second term and served until October 20, 1915. George was then appointed as the chair of Alberta’s Board of Publicity Utility Commissioners until 1923.

George and Annie had one son together in 1885, Percey McFarlane Bulyea, who passed away on February 5, 1901 at the age of fifteen from a paralytic affliction.
Following George’s retirement, Annie and George moved to Peachland, British Columbia. George died on July 22, 1929 and Annie died on August 27, 1934.

Orlando Books was an independent bookstore on Whyte Avenue from 1993 to 2002. The bookstore specialized in progressive political books, feminist books, poetry, international literature, books from independent presses, and books by queer writers. Jacqueline Dumas opened the store as part of her own coming out process, as she wanted to create an alternative space where everyone in the queer community would feel welcome and that carried books that were not available in other Edmonton bookstores at the time. Named after Virginia Woolf’s gender-bending bestseller Orlando, Orlando Books quickly became an important space for Edmonton’s queer community. They hosted hundreds of readings for writers from across the country, hosted musical events, and publicized happenings of interest to the queer community. They also sold tickets for external events such as Womonspace dances, Pride dances, Jennifer Berezan concerts, and events for lesbian entertainers like Cris Williamson and Suzanne Westenhoefer. Orlando Books participated in the annual Pride Parades and the Silly Summer Parades on Whyte Avenue. As part of their mandate to support social justice issues, they collected money for the Delwin Vriend and Ms. T. legal challenges. After an incident at a local high school, Dumas and a group of educators authored a booklet that was eventually published and distributed by the Alberta Teachers’ Association called “Safe and Caring Schools for Lesbian and Gay Youth: A Guide for Teachers.” The booklet was also distributed at Orlando Books.

Orlando Book’s first location was on Whyte Ave between 108th and 109th streets. In 1998 the store moved to Whyte Ave and 101st Street after a dispute with landlords regarding a leaky roof, as well as rising rent costs. In the new location, The Room for Change was opened above the bookstore, where readings were commonly held. The space was also made available to groups in the community such as theatre workshops, singers and songwriters, and political activists. The Rainbow Business Association also used the room as a meeting space periodically.

The more actively involved Orlando Books became in the queer community, the more it was marginalized. Media attention came to Orlando Books for queer issues only, rarely for the other literary events happening in the space. Their bestseller lists stopped being included in Edmonton’s mainstream press, and the store was subjected to homophobic graffiti. One of the major financial challenges that faced Orlando Books was an ongoing battle with Canada Customs. Certain titles were routinely stopped at the border, causing entire shipments of books to be stopped. This meant that dozens of titles, including customers’ special orders, could be held up for months because of one title.

In the end, Orlando Books experienced many of the same challenges other independent booksellers suffered from, which included major changes in the publishing industry, the growth of big-box chain bookstores, and the rise of online book retailers. In 2002, Orlando Books was closed permanently.

Following the closure of Orlando Books in 2002, Dumas began to work at Audreys Books, an independent bookstore on Jasper Avenue. There, she created Orlando Corner. In this corner of the bookstore, customers could find the same queer and feminist literature that had previously been available at Orlando Books. Orlando Corner continues to this day, despite the ongoing rise in online shopping and bigger bookstore outlets. The continued presence of Orlando Corner serves as a testament to the legacy of Orlando Books, and its importance to Edmonton’s queer community.

Edmonton Saddlery Co. Ltd was located at 271 Jasper Ave. East in 1912. At the time they were the largest retail store of its kind in Canada. They sold a wide variety of leather saddlery including cases for men and women, heaters, travel bags, belts and harnesses. In 1912 the shop placed 4th in best exhibits at the Edmonton Exhibition.

Some of the employees of the shop included Joseph Armstrong (foreman), James E. Bennet (janitor), Howard F. Greenwood (accountant), Joseph Heppler (harness maker), John Wiese (harness maker), John McAllister (clerk), and William H. Martin (manager).

In 1923 the shop was located in Fraser Block on Jasper Ave. In 1926 the business was located at 9928 Jasper Ave.

The Edmonton Ski Club was established in 1911 by a group of Norwegian immigrants. The founders were not satisfied with the natural slopes of the Edmonton River Valley and built a 30 metre ski jump ramp on Connors Hill. The ramp was completed in 1912 and went over what is now Connors Road. It was on this ramp in 1913 that one of the founding members, John Haugen, set the Canadian record with a 109 foot jump.

In 1935 the jump was rebuilt and reopened after it was deemed unsafe. The Club continued to gain new members until World War Two when membership and interest in skiing began to decline. The Connors Hill ski jump was closed in 1975 and torn down in 1978. With the closing of the jump, membership in the Club continued to decline, however, saw a resurgence due to the Winter Olympics in Calgary in the 1980s.

The Club continues to operate as a not for profit Society. The Club is located on a hill in Gallagher Park in the community of Cloverdale in Edmonton. The Club operates year round and offers both summer and winter camps, bike programs, ski and snowboarding lessons, and a terrain park. In August the hill is used as a seating area for the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. The Club was closed for one season in 2018 and reopened the following year after receiving funding from the city and province. Construction on a new facility starts in 2024.