Edmonton/South

South Edmonton is a district in Edmonton, Alberta.

Understand
Edmonton's south side began with Edmonton/South Central, but the district explained right now began essentially with the suburban revolution of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. For Edmonton suburbia started in 1947.

The south district developed an array of mature 1950s style neighbourhoods like Ottewell and Holyrood. They rebelled against the traditional grid, but these neighbourhoods still have (some) mature charm.

Much growth of the area occurred in the 1970s and 1980s with many new neighbourhoods being created south of the newly built Whitemud Drive expressway. In the 1980s, Southgate Mall, still ritzy today, was built.

By the 1990s, the economy of the city slowed, but the area known as Terwillegar began to take form. With the completion of the Anthony Henday Drive on the south side, many newer suburban communities have been beginning to pop up in the area known as Windermere.

The area is home to South Campus of the University of Alberta. About two times the area of the main North Campus, it's home to experimental farms and a large sporting complex. The LRT makes stops at South Campus, Southgate and Century Park.

Mill Woods
Mill Woods had its origins in the 1970s as a brand new residential area, covering much of Southeast Edmonton. Today, the area is very multicultural, with a notable Indian subcontinent flavour. The area is single-family homes around a couple of commercial centres, with continued growth along the east side, and the car is king. The LRT (Valley Line) was completed in 2023.

Mill Woods is usually taken to mean south of Whitemud Drive, north of Anthony Henday Drive, east of 91 Street NW and west of 34 Street NW. The area is broken up into about 20 sub-neighbourhoods.

Get in
Edmonton South is usually one of the first places a traveller hits upon coming to Edmonton. The Edmonton International Airport is 14 km south of the southern edges of the city. You'd enter via Gateway Boulevard (and leave if returning - going back to the south, be it the Airport, Leduc, Red Deer, Calgary, the US, etc. using Calgary Trail) into a land of big box superstores.

From South central, to go south to the South part of this city, take 109th St, Calgary Trail, or 99th St. From Edmonton/Central just get to south central and take the same routes

From the west, you can access the south via Whitemud Drive or Anthony Henday, or by going through other districts.

From the north, you can take Wayne Gretzky Drive directly to the Southeastern parts of the city, or enter via other districts.

Get around
The automobile stands supreme in the endless sprawl. Transit options exist but may be somewhat less than crystal clear to the visitor--using an app may be the simplest.

Cycling may be possible for the bold; the six-lane Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard are best avoided. Up-to-date cycling maps showing routes are available at the city's website.

Fort Edmonton Park
Canada's largest living historic park, and one of Edmonton's premier tourist attractions. Located in the middle of Edmonton, this reconstructed fort lies five kilometres upstream from its original location, representing it as it stood in 1846. The park represents four distinct time periods, exhibiting phases in Edmonton's development from an isolated fur trade post in the vast Northwest to a booming metropolitan centre after the First World War. A new "Indigenous Peoples Experience" opened in 2021.

The park features over 75 structures, many of which are the originals. Costumed interpreters operate the site and live the way of the past. Visitors enjoy exploring each building and each room, and talking to the role-playing interpreters.

The price of admission includes free steam engine train and streetcar rides, and period rides such as wagon, stagecoach, pony and buggy are also available with a small charge.

Enjoy special events at this venue on occasion like Canada Day (July 1, Canada's independence celebrations) that compare to none across Canada.

The 2007 film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was partly filmed there.


 * 1885 Street represents the settlement era from 1871 to 1891, with historic buildings and reconstructions of that period. These buildings are from around the greater Edmonton area. The North West Mounted Police outpost building is just that, an outpost, for the main post at that time was downstream at Fort Saskatchewan. A gun shed and jail have also been reconstructed.
 * 1905 Street receives its name from the year that Alberta became a province of the Dominion of Canada. Edmonton had became a city the year prior. The buildings are from that period, and include the reconstruction of the Masonic Hall, with the open museum on the second floor.
 * 1920 Street is the newest area, both in construction and time period, including the Hotel Selkirk, Blatchford Field Air Hangar, and the 1920s Midway.

Eat

 * Transcend in Argyll is a very classy coffee shop that not only makes coffee, will sell you the beans (if you want to take home).