Downtown Commercial in Calgary in Calgary Metropolitan Region, Alberta — Canada’s Prairie Region (North America)
The Great White Way
Stephen Avenue
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 1, 2022
1. The Great White Way Marker
Calgarians first enjoyed electric street lighting in 1887. The 32 candlepower incandescent lights were a distant improvement over the candles, oil lamps or gas mantles used previously. In 1889 Pete Prince, manager of the Eau Claire and Bow River Lumber Company, established the Calgary Water Power Company with a contract to supply electricity using alternating current. Initially he used steam power produced from burning sawdust, but later developed a hydro plant using water from the Bow River south of Prince’s Island. When ice jams caused water shortages in the channel, the company reverted to steam power.
The lighting system improved over time but the issue of a municipal plant remained a topic of discussion. In 1905 the first city power plant began operation using new enclosed arc lights. A few years later a brighter and more efficient arc flame lighting system was installed and 7th and 8th Avenues became known as “Our Great White Way”.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.
Location. 51° 2.749′ N, 114° 4.241′ W. Marker is in Calgary, Alberta, in Calgary Metropolitan Region. It is in Downtown Commercial. Marker is at the intersection of 8 Avenue Southwest (Stephen Avenue) and 3 Street Southwest
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The T. Eaton Co. Limited (a few steps from this marker); The Lancaster Building ~ 1911 (about 150 meters away, measured in a direct line); Arthur Ryan Smith (about 150 meters away); Maude Riley (about 150 meters away); W. O. Mitchell (about 150 meters away); Grant MacEwan (about 180 meters away); The View (about 180 meters away); Sir James Alexander Lougheed (about 180 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Calgary.
Also see . . .
1. The Early History of Electricity in Alberta.
Calgary was the first of Alberta’s urban centres to adopt electricity. In 1887, the Calgary Electric Lighting Company won the contract to install and power ten streetlights in downtown Calgary. The company soon faced a challenge from Peter Prince, an entrepreneur who owned a sawmill that was equipped with a steam-powered electric generator. Prince wanted a monopoly on electricity in Calgary, and he got his opportunity in 1892 when the Calgary Electric Lighting Company went bankrupt, leaving the city without a provider of electricity for its streetlights. Prince won that contract in 1894 and assumed a dominant position in Calgary’s(Submitted on April 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)electricity market for a decade.Glenbow Archives2. Marker detail: Peter Prince
2. Peter Anthony Prince (Find A Grave).
(Saint Mary's Pioneer Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, Canada)(Submitted on April 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Long regarded as the Lumber Baron of Calgary, Peter’s interest did not stop at his sawmill. He owned the first gas operated car in Calgary, he built a flour-mill and elevator, which later became Robin Hood Mill, he was president of the Calgary Iron Works Company (which built the first traffic bridge in Calgary), the Calgary Milling Company and the Louis Petrie Company, a wholesale grocer firm, plus he held interest in the John Irwin grocery business. By 1889, he won the rights to erect poles and string wire, making Calgary the fifth city in Canada to have street lights. By contract, Peter’s Company was the only provider of electricity to Calgary, until his death in 1925.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 1, 2022
3. The Great White Way Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on April 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 81 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2. submitted on April 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on April 28, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
