Highlands | |
|---|---|
Neighbourhood | |
  Highlands Location of Highlands inEdmonton | |
| Coordinates:53°34′01″N113°25′52″W / 53.567°N 113.431°W /53.567; -113.431 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| City | Edmonton |
| Quadrant[1] | NW |
| Ward[1] | Métis |
| Sector[2] | Mature area |
| Government | |
| • Administrative body | Edmonton City Council |
| • Councillor | Ashley Salvador |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.15 km2 (0.44 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 662 m (2,172 ft) |
| Population (2012)[5] | |
• Total | 2,631 |
| • Density | 2,287.8/km2 (5,925/sq mi) |
| • Change (2009–12) |  4.4% |
| • Dwellings | 1,346 |
Highlands is a residential neighbourhood in east-centralEdmonton,Alberta,Canada overlooking theNorth Saskatchewan River valley. Development began in 1910 as an exclusive neighbourhood developed by the Magrath, Holgate & Company.[6] The area was annexed by Edmonton in1912, and "was named in a contest offering a 50-dollar prize."[7] In 2012, Highlands was ranked one of Canada's top ten neighbourhoods of old homes by the magazineThis Old House.[8]
The neighbourhood is bounded on the north byMontrose andNewton at118 (Alberta) Avenue, on the east byBeverly Heights at50 Street, on the west byBellevue at 67 Street, and on the south by the North Saskatchewan River valley. Interchanges between Wayne Gretzky Drive and both 118 Avenue and 112 Avenue give residents access to destinations south of the river includingWhyte Avenue and theUniversity of Alberta.
Residents also have access toNorthlands, the (former)Coliseum,Commonwealth Stadium andConcordia University of Edmonton. All four facilities are located a short distance west of the neighbourhood.
The community is represented by the HighlandsCommunity League, established in 1921, which maintains acommunity hall, outdoor rink, and a lawn bowling club located at 61 Street and 113 Avenue.[9][10]
In the City of Edmonton's 2012 municipal census, Highlands had a population of2,631 living in1,346 dwellings,[5] a 4.4% change from its 2009 population of2,520.[11] With a land area of 1.15 km2 (0.44 sq mi), it had a population density of2,287.8 people/km2 in 2012.[4][5]
Highlands is an older Edmonton neighbourhood. According to the 2001 federal census, approximately one residence in three (31.3%) were built by the end ofWorld War II in1945. Half the residences (47.2%) were built between1946 and1960. Another one in eight residences were built between1961 and1980. By1990, residential development was substantially complete.[12]
The most common type of residence in the neighbourhood, according to the 2012 municipal census, is thesingle-family dwelling. Single family dwellings account for nine out of every ten (90%) of all the residences in the neighbourhood. One out of every fourteen residences is arentedapartment in a low-rise building with fewer than five stories. Rounding out the residences are a small number (2%) ofduplexes.[13] Four out of every five residences (81%) are owner-occupied with only one residence in five (19%) being rented.[14]
There are two schools in the neighbourhood operated by theEdmonton Public School System; Highlands School (K to 9), and Mount Royal School, which is permanently closed. The Highlands Preschool is located within the Highlands United Church.
William J. Magrath, a major stakeholder in Magrath, Holgate & Company lived in the Highlands from 1913 until his death in 1920. His home,Magrath Mansion, still stands.Marshall McLuhan, recipient of numerous awards and appointments and a pioneer ofmedia theory[15] was born in Edmonton and spent his formative years living with his family in the Highlands neighbourhood. He would recall memories of the first home in which he lived and the expanse of the adjacent river valley, and his early explorations of visual perspective as a fundamental artistic and communicational principle.[16] Computer scientist (and earlyGoogle investor)David Cheriton grew up in the area and attended public schools.[17]There is a children's garden and memorial stone, dedicated to Trooper Michael Yuki Hayakaza, a Highlands community member who was killed during a military tour of duty in Afghanistan. The memorial stone is located at the foot of the children's play park.[18]
Places adjacent to Highlands, Edmonton | |
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