Eyes on the West

At the turn of the 20th century, cities were blossoming in Canada's western provinces. In Alberta, main industries--agriculture, forestry, and the beginnings of the province's oil industry--were driving steady population growth. Technical education was growing as well: The University of Alberta's Engineering Department was founded in the 1910s, signalling government investment in training necessary for supporting and growing the province's technical needs. In 1921, Alberta was the first province to found its own Research Council, the The Alberta Research Council, now the provincial company Alberta Innovates.

A screenshot of a page of the Calgary City Directory from 1930, showing the occupants of 102 11th Avenue SW, Calgary.

To meet growing demand, Canadian companies like medical supplier Ingram & Bell and electrical equipment manufacturer Northern Electric established branch offices in Calgary and Edmonton to supply industry, homes and universities with Canadian and imported equipment. 

In Calgary, Northern Electric, the company that would eventually become Canadian powerhouse Nortel, opened a large warehouse in Calgary in 1913 located at 102 11th Avenue SW in Calgary. A page of Henderson's Calgary City Directory from 1930 shows Northern Electric alongside other technical companies in the building--Canadian National Carbon Co. Ltd., and record player maker, His Master's Voice Ltd. Just down the road, the Weights and Measures Office of Alberta would have regulated the precision measurement standards for the province, important to ensure fair sales and trade.

At the same time, companies like the Alberta Optical Co. Ltd. supplied Albertans with spectacles--precision lenses for better vision. This 1923 advert (below), highlighting the company's eleven years in Calgary, invited readers of the United Alberta Farmers bulletin to have their eyes checked while in the city.

An advertisement for the Alberta Optical Co. Ltd. from the bulletin of the United Alberta Farmers, 1923.