our history
Subdivision created: 1974
League League Founded: 1979
Community Centre constructed: 1981
In March of 1979, 54 members of the Blue Quill community gathered to discuss many issues that had arisen in this southwest neighbourhood. Vandalism and crime in the neighbourhood, together with a lack of green space and commercial development were causing concern with many residents.
This same year, Aspen Gardens Community League opened its programs to Blue Quill community league members while the new league got underway. This enabled Blue Quill to proceed methodically with plans for its league which then included a building to house community activities.
Following a membership blitz and fund raising activities early in the 1980’s, a new building was constructed at 113th Street and 25th Avenue. The first phase of the community centre cost $400,000. Funds for this major undertaking had been raised through community activities such as bingos, casinos, and garage sales. Money had also been forthcoming from government grants.
The opening of the building was greeted enthusiastically by the community and was attended by a thousand neighbourhood residents as well as the city’s Acting Mayor Percy Wickman and Alderwoman Lois Campbell.
neighbourhood boundaries
The community of Blue Quill is in the municipal electoral district of Ward 10
The community of Blue Quill is in the municipal electoral district of Ward 10
The Blue Quill Community League is made of of four separate areas, namely:
- Blue Quill – north of 23Ave to Saddleback Rd, between 111St and 119th Sts.
- Blue Quill Estates – west of 119th St, between 23rd Ave and 34th Ave
- Sweet Grass – north of Saddleback Rd, to 34th Ave, between 111th and 119th Sts.
- Skyrattler – south of 23rd Ave and west of 111th St., bordered by the ravine
neighbourhood profiles
Blue Quill
Blue Quill is part of an area that was annexed by Edmonton in 1971. Prior to urban development, the Kaskitayo area was in agricultural use and home to eighteen farmsteads, ten of which were still operating at the time the Kaskitayo Outline plan was prepared in 1973. Blue Quill’s development began shortly after, and the bulk of housing construction took place between during the 1970s with limited construction continuing into the early 2000s.
The Blue Quill neighbourhood contains a mix of single and semi-detached homes, row housing complexes and apartments. A commercial centre is located in the northern part of the community along Saddleback Road, and school and park sites are located towards the interior of the neighbourhood. Blackmud Creek Ravine is located just south west of the neighbourhood and is one of the most significant natural features within the vicinity.
Keeping with the naming theme of honouring Aboriginal leaders within Kaskitayo, Blue Quill is named in honour of Cree Chief Blue Quill of the Saddle Lake Indian Reserve which was established in 1889. In the late 1890s, Chief Blue Quill traded in Edmonton.
Blue Quill Estates
Blue Quill Estates is the most westerly portion of the Kaskitayo Outline Plan Area. The land was annexed to the City of Edmonton in 1971, and residential development began in the early 1970s.
The neighbourhood includes a variety of housing types. Apartments and row houses, are located along the neighbourhood’s major access routes, while single-detached homes are located along the Whitemud Creek Ravine and in the interior of the neighbourhood. The focus of the neighbourhood is a centrally located multi-purpose recreational site. The Whitemud Creek Ravine to the west and the Blackmud Creek Ravine to the south of Blue Quill Estates offer opportunities for all-season outdoor recreation in a natural setting. A number of strategically placed pathways promote pedestrian and bicycle travel within the neighbourhood and ravines.
Keeping with the naming theme of honouring Aboriginal leaders within Kaskitayo, Blue Quill is named in honour of Cree Chief Blue Quill of the Saddle Lake Indian Reserve which was established in 1889. In the late 1890s, Chief Blue Quill traded in Edmonton.
Sweet Grass
Sweet Grass is located in south central Edmonton. The neighbourhood is bounded by 34th Avenue to the north, 111th Street to the east, a landscaped public utility corridor to the south and 119th Street to the west. The area which includes Sweet Grass was annexed to Edmonton in 1964, but development of the neighbourhood did not begin until the 1970s.
The dominant land use in Sweet Grass is residential and the major structure type is the singledetached house. However, multi-family row housing and apartment units substantially contribute to the overall number of dwelling units.
Recreational opportunities and parkland are located next to the elementary school located in the centre of the neighbourhood. Sweet Grass contains no commercial properties and few businesses, but a great variety of retail and service businesses are located along 111th Street, and in particular at nearby Southgate shopping centre. The planned Century Park redevelopment on the former Heritage Mall site is located just southeast of Sweet Grass and the south Light Rail Transit (LRT) extension runs along 111th Street with a station at Century Park.
The neighbourhood is named in honour of the Cree Indian Chief Sweet Grass who was one of the early west’s first conservationists and instrumental in the protection of the endangered plains bison.
Skyrattler
Skyrattler was annexed to the city in 1974 as part of the Kaskitayo plan area. With the exception of the Baptist Seminary College, the area was undeveloped at the time of annexation.
Similar in character to other Kaskitayo neighbourhoods, the housing mix of Skyrattler is dominated by row housing and low rise apartments. Much of this housing is adjacent to Blackmud Creek Ravine. Most of the row house and apartment development occurred during the late 1970s while most single-detached housing was built later during the 1980s. A small neighbourhood shopping plaza, located at Saddleback Road and 23 Avenue, is the neighbourhood’s only commercial property.
Like most residential neighbourhoods developed during the 1970s and 1980s, Skyrattler uses a curvilinear street pattern with limited access to major traffic arteries. The neighbourhood is centred on a combination school and park site. Because the lands set aside for school purposes were deemed surplus to the needs of the school board, the building envelope of the school site, was rezoned in 2008 to accommodate low density housing.
In keeping with other names used for Kaskitayo neighbourhoods, this neighbourhood was named in honour of Skyrattler, Chief of the Winterburn band when Edmonton attained city status in 1904.
crime statistics
Click here to access the City of Edmonton’s Crime Mapper. Select one of the BQCL neighbourhoods.