Two examples of early life and business in Edmonton declared historic resources |
September 16, 2025
The Massey Ferguson Building downtown and the Miller Residence on Alberta Avenue are both good examples of the growth and development of Edmonton, as well as the faith their owners had in the city’s future. City Council has declared both as Historic Resources. |
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Photo courtesy of the Provincial Archives of Alberta, WS121.2 |
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In 1946, the Canadian Massey Harris Company (later Massey Ferguson) applied for a building permit to construct a wholesale warehouse on 106 Street and 103 Avenue downtown. As the largest agricultural equipment manufacturer in the British Empire at the time, the company saw increased demand for its products as food production grew rapidly in the Prairies. The building became the main showroom and distribution centre for the region. In 1953, a one-storey addition was added to the north of the original structure. In 1970, the building was repurposed as a showroom for Healy Ford. The dealership left the building in 2011 and it is now vacant.
The Massey Ferguson Building references the 1929 Villa Savoye designed by Le Corbusier as well as the International Style of architecture. The podium-on-columns composition of the building was popular at the time because it allowed a completely open ground floor for displaying equipment and vehicles. The building is clad in red brick with Tyndall stone trims.
The designation only applies to the original 1946 two-storey building. The 1953 one-storey addition will be demolished as part of development on the overall site. The building is intended for multi-unit housing. |
The Miller Residence, a one-and-a-half storey house built in 1912, is located in the Alberta Avenue neighbourhood. In 1920, Cecil J. and Lillie Miller moved into the house with their children Velma and Albert. Cecil was a chief clerk for the Canadian National Express, and both he and Lillie were involved with a number of local organizations. They moved out of the house in 1953. Their daughter, Velma, went on to earn two degrees at the University of Alberta and a PhD from the University of Illinois, and later became a lecturer at Carleton University. |
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The Miller Residence is valued for its Arts and Crafts influences, the use of shingles and horizontal wood siding, and for its association with early residential development in the Alberta Avenue area. The Arts and Crafts influence was popular at the time, and homes using this style can still be found in Alberta Avenue.
Both the Miller Residence and the Massey Ferguson Building will receive grants from the City’s Heritage Conservation program for renovation work. The buildings are the 194th and 195th buildings dedicated as historic resources in Edmonton since the program began in the 1980s.
While continuing to work on heritage designations, the City’s heritage planning team is also working on a new city-wide Heritage Places Strategy. The strategy will replace the existing Historic Resource Management Plan, reflect a wider lens of Edmonton’s history and address important issues like climate adaptation and how to best preserve heritage in a densifying city. |
For more information:
Media contact:
Karen Burgess
Communications Advisor
Urban Planning and Environment
780-974-9648
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