On the Street...

Whenever I plan a trip to Edmonton, I inevitably slip in a good excuse to drive by the very first apartment I lived in on my own. I loved living here so much!

It's called Annamoe Mansion.

Nowhere else I've lived had the same degree of character and style. It had a wonderful dark wood staircase with a red carpet runner down the centre. My former living room window is in the lower left corner, behind the green sign. My suite had a wonderful view of the river valley, a sunroom and an old-fashioned, clawfoot bathtub.

As each older building on the street is purchased by large development firms and torn down to make way for high-rise condominiums, I wonder - each time I look at this building - whether I will ever see it again. Upon my arrival this time I saw the scaffolding along the building's front, and thought for certain that its days were numbered. I then realized, however, that the construction is happening at the building next door, and that the sidewalk is simply covered for pedestrian protection from overhead hazards. So Annamoe Mansion is safe - at least for a while.

One day, I know I'll walk down the street where I lived, and this building will sadly be gone.

On the topic of residential history, a difficult moment during my Edmonton trip was watching the house that I grew up in be listed for sale.

First we sat with my Mom and the real estate agent and went over all the details of listing the only house she and my Dad ever owned. We then drove over to the house and wandered slowly through its empty rooms, all the while reminiscing about the orange and brown 1970's kitchen curtains and the original print carpet that adorned the living room.

I left the street that day with quite a feeling of melancholy. I will post a few more photos of my childhood home sometime soon. I expect that I have already set foot in it for the last time.