An appreciation of Edmonton's depreciated central neighbourhoods
SUMMARY OF PROJECT
Last semester, as part of my Photographic Technology program at NAIT, I had to put together my photographic thesis that focused on a theme of my choosing. I decided to showcase Edmonton’s allegedly unpleasant inner neighbourhoods and capture their “poor” qualities in a positive light. I executed this with the hope to help alleviate the stigma plaguing them, and reveal their charms and benefits shrouded by negative and ignorant perceptions. I selected three neighbourhoods to explore within a limit of twenty captured images: Boyle Street, McCauley, Alberta Avenue, and Central McDougall.
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
Since I was in my early years of junior high, my southside friends bugged me about how my neighbourhood (Virginia Park) seemed so sketchy, and I couldn’t understand what lead them to form that opinion. Fast forward about fifteen years, their opinion still hasn’t changed, I remain confused, and I know even more people who live in, what I now call, the deep south, (Ellerslie and beyond). The exodus to the suburbs has been an ongoing movement in Edmonton for many years now, and every time I drive to the airport or in other directions towards the city’s limits, it takes longer to actually reach those limits and see the farmland, due to continued growth. The newest suburbs are quite a sight when you do see them, and not for too many positive reasons when you compare them to the mature inner neighbourhoods of Edmonton.
These neighbourhoods, such as McCauley and Parkdale for instance, have had a stigma hanging above their roofs for decades, due to their history with crime and lacking safety measures. Of course, because these stories are shown in the news, the stigma becomes amplified, which drives Edmontonians away from these neighbourhoods, some without ever stepping foot in them. This leads to ignorance and exaggeration on how poor these neighbourhoods truly are, and to some extent, encourages the move to the suburbs. Hence, the inner neighbourhoods essentially become abandoned, because more attention is placed on pushing the limits of the city to accommodate the people who think they want to live there, where the housing will be supposedly more affordable and surrounded by streets that are safer for families.
RATIONALE
What these long distance Edmontonians don’t realize is that the inner neighbourhoods have every potential to meet those standards, and in fact, already exceed said standards. Their affordability, proximity to Edmonton’s downtown, and fascinating character, (which no suburb could ever compete with,) are all elements that people who are driving over an hour back-and-forth from their work/school are missing. As an aside, these same people are most likely the ones that brought out the “Deadmonton” attitude. When people move an hour away from the core, what kind of urban action do they expect to see in their cul-de-sac when their windows only look out into their neighbour’s living room and bathroom? Regarding safety measures, that is something these neighbourhoods are already improving through programs like Building Great Neighbourhoods and ongoing efforts from their respective community leagues.
What is more, the inner neighbourhoods further demonstrate incredible multiculturalism and an inspiring sense of community, which they work to foster as much as they can. Because of their dominant aging population, they need younger families to allow these elements to thrive. Through my thesis, I hope to inspire even just one Ellerslie or Allard resident to simply come back, and to encourage Edmontonians to take another look at these historic gems and realize their worth, because these neighbourhoods need people to seek improvement in how their crime is controlled, their safety enhanced, and their character preserved.
PROCESS
When I was exploring these neighbourhoods from late September to November, I found myself gravitating more to the intentional and unintentional aesthetics of the environment, rather than the denizens. I loved the story they humbly told, the charm they quietly exuded, and how they contributed to the character of the neighbourhood. My chosen focus aside, I still happened to meet several people on my walks, and they each left with me such a positive and lasting memory. Bruce Lee was one of them, who not only moved me with his kindness, but his honest, loving poetry about his family and heritage. I told him that his poems should be made into a book, and I really do hope that they will one day.
THOUGHTS & FEELINGS
Because of the extensive ground I committed to cover on foot in a small window of time, I felt so overwhelmed and worried I wouldn't be able to serve these areas justice. There is just so much to explore and observe! Plus, the freezing temperatures in November didn't help either, and made it more difficult to find residents to chat with. However, I am satisfied with the scenes I found, and although it is far from a complete project, it is a start that I am proud of and ready to further into something bigger. Keep checking back for that!