Wîhkwêntôwin
Oliver (pre-2025) | |
|---|---|
Neighbourhood | |
  Wîhkwêntôwin Location of Wîhkwêntôwin in Edmonton | |
| Coordinates: 53°32′35″N 113°31′20″W / 53.54306°N 113.52222°W[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| City | Edmonton |
| Quadrant[2] | NW |
| Ward[2] | O-day’min |
| Sector[3] | Mature area |
| Area[4] | Central core |
| Government | |
| • Administrative body | Edmonton City Council |
| • Councillor | Anne Stevenson |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.72 km2 (0.66 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 666 m (2,185 ft) |
| Population (2019)[7] | |
• Total | 18,180 |
| • Density | 10,569.8/km2 (27,376/sq mi) |
| • Change (2016–19) |  0.3% |
| • Dwellings | 13,884 |
Wîhkwêntôwin (formerly Oliver) is one of the oldest residential neighbourhoods in the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Wîhkwêntôwin is immediately to the west of the downtown core, and overlooks the North Saskatchewan River valley south of the neighbourhood. Located in the river valley immediately below Wîhkwêntôwin is Edmonton's Royal Glenora Club, Victoria Golf Course, and Victoria Park. The High Level Bridge and Groat Bridge give residents access to the south side of the river valley, including the University of Alberta and Old Strathcona. The Victoria Promenade (part of Edmonton's Heritage Trail) offers attractive vistas of the river valley at the western end of Wîhkwêntôwin.
Wîhkwêntôwin is one of the densest neighbourhoods in Edmonton (10,570 inhabitants per square kilometre (27,400/sq mi)[6][8]) and West Wîhkwêntôwin is the densest area in Alberta. The population in 2009 was 18,203, the highest of every neighbourhood in Edmonton.[9]
The north edge of the neighbourhood was once a Canadian National Railway yard. This part of the neighbourhood was recently redeveloped, and includes apartment buildings, the Unity Square and Unity Square West strip shopping centres, some old warehouses converted shops, and parking for the MacEwan University downtown campus.
The community is represented on the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues by the Wîhkwêntôwin Community League, established in 1922.[10][11]
The neighbourhood was originally named after Frank Oliver, an early Edmonton resident, businessman, and politician. In January 2024, the city's committee on names selected wîhkwêntôwin (Cree for 'circle of friends') (/wiːˈkwɛntəwən/) to replace Oliver and sent this recommendation to city council.[12] On February 21, the city council officially approved the renaming of the neighborhood to wîhkwêntôwin ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ,[13][14] which came into effect on January 1, 2025.[15]
- ^ "Wîhkwêntôwin". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
- ^ a b "City of Edmonton Wards & Standard Neighbourhoods" (PDF). City of Edmonton. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 3, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
- ^ "Edmonton Developing and Planned Neighbourhoods, 2011" (PDF). City of Edmonton. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 4, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
- ^ "The Way We Grow: Municipal Development Plan Bylaw 15100" (PDF). City of Edmonton. 2010-05-26. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 2, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
- ^ "City Councillors". City of Edmonton. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
- ^ a b "Neighbourhoods (data plus kml file)". City of Edmonton. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
2019populationwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
2016populationwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Neighbourhoods by Population".
- ^ "Wîhkwêntôwin Community League". Wîhkwêntôwin Community League. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- ^ Kuban, Ron (2005). Edmonton's Urban Villages: The Community League Movement. University of Alberta Press. ISBN 9781459303249.
- ^ Snowdon, Wallis (Jan 23, 2024). "Oliver no more: Edmonton neighbourhood adopts new Cree name". CBC News. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ Fortner, Cole (2024-02-21). "Edmonton's Oliver community to be renamed". CityNews Edmonton. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "New name for Edmonton's Oliver neighbourhood approved by city council - Edmonton | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "Council approves Wîhkwêntôwin name for Oliver; change to take effect 2025". Edmonton. 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2024-02-22.