Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
- Textual record
- Graphic material - photograph
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on name of creator.
Level of description
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1893-1971, predominant 1945-1969 (Creation)
- Creator
- Land Department
Physical description area
Physical description
9.6 m textual records. - 1 photograph
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Land Department was created in 1921 to take care of property acquired by the City through the Tax Recovery Act, whereby the non-payment of taxes would lead to the forfeiture of one's property to the municipality (prior to 1921 this function was undertake by the Assessor's Department). Due to massive land speculation prior to the dramatic recession of 1913, there were many such lots. In 1931 the City held the titles of approximately 50,000 lots, mainly in the outer zone, however the City only owned around 300 buildings. The lots and buildings were in some cases rented out, and at the time the City had a total of 1,015 tenants.
The duties of the department included negotiating sales, attending to enquires at the service counter, renting land for cultivation purposes, billing for and collecting rents, issuing notices for transfers, all the work necessary in keeping buildings in good repair, and all the different transactions relative to a real estate business.
In 1952 the department was responsible for records of city owned property; purchase, exchange, sale or expropriation of property for the City as directed; and selection of tenants, collection of rents and maintenance of City owned rented property.
In 1957 the Land Department was dissolved to create the Land and Industrial Development Department, which lasted until 1959 when the responsibilities were divided once more. The Land Department was re-established and combined with the Market and Emergency Housing Bureau, making the department responsible for operation of City Market, weigh scales and comfort stations, and the provision of emergency housing.
There were minor changes to the departmental structure every few years in the 1960s. In 1962 an Accounting section was added to the existing sections of Replot and Negotiations, Office and Sales, and City Properties. In 1964 the City Properties section was renamed the Rental and Property Management section, and by 1968, though their functions remained largely the same, all of the sections had been renamed: Negotiations Division, Land Sales and Office Division, and Rental and Property Management Division.
Custodial history
Scope and content
This fonds consists of correspondence, reports, land sales records, caveat lists, and financial records relating to the business of the Land Department.
An order has been imposed on the material. The arrangement includes 4 series which are as follows:
- Series 1: Financial Records
- Series 2: Civic Properties
- Series 3: Land Transfers
- Series 4: Rental and Property Management
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
This material was transferred to the City of Edmonton Archives between 1965 and 1993.
Arrangement
The photograph was assigned the prefix EA-8.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
These records contain information that is protected in alignment with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Copyright may apply.
Reproduction restrictions may apply.
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
General note
The photograph (EA-8-1) is a street scene taken April 27, 1954 by Les Stephens. In the 1970s or 1980s it was removed from the textual records and described in isolation. The records from which it came (A75-136 - general correspondence) have yet to be processed, therefore the photograph is not currently part of a series.
General note
Accession numbers: A65-250, A75-68, A77-146, A80-118, A84-80, A92-101, A92-105, A93-47
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Rules for Archival Description (RAD)
Archives Society of Alberta Subject Terms