December 12, 2023
Mayfair Park (now William Hawrelak Park) is a favourite spot for Edmontonians of all ages. Five historic structures in the park helped make it a popular place. Now City Council has designated those buildings – the Main Pavilion, Boat House and Picnic Shelters 1, 2 and 3 – as Municipal Historic Resources.
“William Hawrelak Park has always been a major attraction in Edmonton,” said Principal Heritage Planner David Johnston. “It’s one of those places you can spend an entire day, and the five buildings that we’re designating are part of the reason. They’ve provided shelter to hundreds of thousands of people over the past 55 years, and they will continue to do so far into the future.”
The City acquired the river flat land of the speculative Mayfair and Windsor Terrace subdivisions when the Edmonton-Strathcona Land Syndicate defaulted on its municipal taxes after 1913. The City leased the northern half of the river flat to the Mayfair Golf and Country Club (now, the Royal Mayfair) in 1921. In 1942, in the middle of the Second World War, a city-wide parks plan called for a large park on the southern half. When the City operated a gravel pit on the site between 1949 and 1955, it put 15 cents from each cubic yard of gravel extracted into a park development fund. Mayfair Park opened in segments until its official opening on July 1, 1967. It was renamed after the late mayor, William Hawrelak, in 1976.
The Main Pavilion, Boat House and Picnic Shelters 1, 2 and 3 have been key fixtures of the park since their opening. They provide a range of amenity services to park patrons, and have evolved over time to suit the needs of those visiting the park.
The William Hawrelak Park Main Pavilion, Boat House and picnic shelters, designed by Bittorf and Wensley Architects, are valued as high-quality examples of the Organic Modern/International Style, with influences of West Coast post and beam construction. The main pavilion, boathouse and the first two picnic shelters opened with the park in 1968. The third picnic shelter opened in 1973. The five buildings feature a common, repeated architectural type consisting of parallel concrete column and beam systems supporting a series of timber rafter trusses. The roof systems consist of tongue and groove cedar decking topped with cedar shakes; this roofline leads up along a symmetrical curve to a central set of acrylic domed skylights or “ridgelights” as the original architects called them.
William Hawrelak Park is closed for rehabilitation. It is anticipated to reopen in winter 2025/26.
The City’s
Historic Resource Management Plan outlines the City’s mission to identify, protect and promote the preservation and use of historic resources. The Plan contains 24 policies and 88 action items that direct how Edmonton’s heritage should be preserved and celebrated. Since the plan was initiated in 1985, 184 properties have been designated, with more designations planned in the future.
