Beyond Franklin

The etymology of a street name comes from various identifications. Some come from natural surroundings: a river, common birds or indigenous trees, as found in various neighbourhoods like Eagle Ridge and Parsons Creek. The Beyond Franklin series explores Fort McMurray’s historical figures and local dignitaries, and why their mark on the community was rewarded with a street named after them.

Beyond Franklin: Father Mercredi Street

Fort Chipewyan native becomes Alberta’s second First Nations minister Father Patrick Mercredi played an influential role in the Wood Buffalo region for becoming the second First Nations minister in Alberta’s history in 1934. Mercredi was born into the Athabasca Chipewyan First...

Beyond Franklin: Moberly Crescent

A reflection on the man who named Fort McMurray – Henry John Moberly A builder, hunter, post manager, and, in his later years, a book author, Henry John Moberly is the man responsible for naming Fort McMurray....

Beyond Franklin: Manning Avenue

From farm boy to preacher in politics as Alberta’s premier The Manning name is often used for titles of streets, schools and centres across the province to honour Alberta’s longest-standing premier – Honourable Ernest C. Manning. In Fort McMurray, the name is...

Beyond Franklin: Fraser Avenue

How the family of a piper populated the Prairies Located in the heart of Fort McMurray’s downtown core, Fraser Avenue recognizes some of Alberta’s earliest settlers who populated the Edmonton area in the 1800s. Today, the Avenue is home to landmarks...

Beyond Franklin: Hospital Street

A street surrounding the health care of the region Hospital Street’s name comes from the location where the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s hospital – The Northern Lights Regional Health Centre (NLRHC) resides. The NLRHC is in Fort...

Beyond Franklin: Dickins Drive

Canadian flying ace legend lives on in Fort McMurray Canadian aviation pioneer Punch Dickins made his mark in the Wood Buffalo region for delivering the first airmail to the Northwest Territories (NWT) on January 23, 1929. Dickins was born on January 12,...

Beyond Franklin: Draper Road

Paving the focus to commercial oil sands product Draper Road is one of Fort McMurray’s most predominant ones as it connects Waterways to the community of Draper. It was also where one of the city's earliest innovators once lived. Thomas Draper...

Beyond Franklin: Railway Avenue

When Railway Comes to McMurray Railway Avenue is solely named after its location and the railways' local station when it operated out of the Waterways community in the early 1900s. In 1901, the population of Fort McMurray was twenty-eight residents. However,...

Beyond Franklin: Tolen Drive

The Home Address to Heritage Village Tolen Drive is a historically rich road in Fort McMurray as it starts at Heritage Park and leads over the Hangingstone River into Waterways. The location of Tolen Drive is close to some of the first neighbourhoods...

Beyond Franklin: Franklin Avenue

Franklin Avenue lies in the heart of Fort McMurray’s downtown core and its where the early development of businesses and residential buildings settled. According to the Fort McMurray Heritage Society, Franklin Avenue became the main street after the rebuild from...