Bonnie Doon

Area overview

A sense of place

At the turn of the 20th century, the cities of Edmonton and Strathcona were engaged in an intense rivalry to attract growth. This competition and a nation wide land boom led both cities on a path of rapid subdivision and expansion. The portion of Bonnie Doon that lies west of 91 Street was annexed by Strathcona in 1907 and was later absorbed by Edmonton through the amalgamation of the two cities in 1912. In 1913, Edmonton expanded once more and included eastern Bonnie Doon within its borders. At the time, Bonnie Doon seemed somewhat distant from the development concentrated around 82 Avenue and 103 Street, but the extension of a streetcar line made development of the area more attractive. Early residents of Bonnie Doon took advantage of the river valley views by constructing their residences in the northwest corner of the neighbourhood next to the Mill Creek Ravine and overlooking the North Saskatchewan River. During the inter-war years, Edmonton grew rather slowly, and by 1950 less than half of the present structures in Bonnie Doon had been constructed. After World War II and the discovery of oil at Leduc, Edmonton again underwent tremendous growth. Neighbourhoods like Bonnie Doon began to fill out. Bonnie Doon's development is still underway as structures are added each decade; much of this construction is in fact redevelopment as original structures are replaced by ones with a higher density of a different use. The neighbourhood is the site of one of Edmonton's first suburban shopping centres - Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre. Bonnie Doon has several interesting demographic features. The neighbourhood has large proportions of retired residents, individuals over 60 years of age and one and two adult households.

City-authored overview; descriptions may reflect historical development rather than present-day conditions.