1905 Grand Northern Railroad built
1907 Excavation began for J.Y. Griffin meatpacking plant (Swift Canadian)
1908 The Transit hotel was established; operations began at Swift Canadian; North Edmonton Dairy distribution centre established on Fort Road
1909 Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad arrived; the St. Francis Mission was established between 1909 and 1911
1910 The Village of North Edmonton was incorporated with a population of 400-500 people; St. Michael and All Angels Church was established
1911 Burns’ slaughterhouse opened; by 1913 the packing plant was fully operational
1912 Great Northern Tanneries opened; the North Edmonton Post Office was established in the Kennedale Building and the North Edmonton Emergency Hospital also on Fort Road; the McQueen Presbyterian Church was established
1913 The City of Edmonton annexed the Village of North Edmonton
1914 North Edmonton Public School opened
1925 St. Anthony's Seraphic College, the major Franciscan training college in western Canada preparing men for the priesthood until the 1970s, was established
1929 Capital Packers was established
1936 Canada Packers opened
1907 Excavation began for J.Y. Griffin meatpacking plant (Swift Canadian)
1908 The Transit hotel was established; operations began at Swift Canadian; North Edmonton Dairy distribution centre established on Fort Road
1909 Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad arrived; the St. Francis Mission was established between 1909 and 1911
1910 The Village of North Edmonton was incorporated with a population of 400-500 people; St. Michael and All Angels Church was established
1911 Burns’ slaughterhouse opened; by 1913 the packing plant was fully operational
1912 Great Northern Tanneries opened; the North Edmonton Post Office was established in the Kennedale Building and the North Edmonton Emergency Hospital also on Fort Road; the McQueen Presbyterian Church was established
1913 The City of Edmonton annexed the Village of North Edmonton
1914 North Edmonton Public School opened
1925 St. Anthony's Seraphic College, the major Franciscan training college in western Canada preparing men for the priesthood until the 1970s, was established
1929 Capital Packers was established
1936 Canada Packers opened
Postcard for Canada Packers’ opening, 1936, Private Collection.
1937 Burns threatened to go on strike if management did not recognize the Edmonton Meat Packing and Purveying Union; Swift’s sudden strike left 138 hogs and 19 cattle on the killing floor
1939 Plants produced food for Britain during World War II providing consistent demand
1942 Workers voted to disband existing unions and join the Trade and Labour Congress of Canada
1939 Plants produced food for Britain during World War II providing consistent demand
1942 Workers voted to disband existing unions and join the Trade and Labour Congress of Canada
Centrefold advertisement in Tasty Meals for Every Day, recipe book published by Canada Packers, 1933, 1938, Private Collection.
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Chatelaine, November 1943, Private Collection.
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1945 Strike at Canada Packers; plants adjusted to postwar economy and tried to maintain production levels while dealing with farm labour shortage
1948 Swift’s ended its collective bargaining agreement with United Packinghouse Workers; half of production exported; Joe’s Grocery and North Edmonton Billiards were built on Fort Road, 1948
1949 Additions to Burns in 1949 and 1951
1948 Swift’s ended its collective bargaining agreement with United Packinghouse Workers; half of production exported; Joe’s Grocery and North Edmonton Billiards were built on Fort Road, 1948
1949 Additions to Burns in 1949 and 1951
Canada Packers sales conference, 1950. Courtesy: Renette Peavey.
1951 Burns rewarded 425 employees with a turkey dinner for an accident-free year
1956 Canada Packers planned major additions and negotiated new contract with United Packinghouse Workers of America; Strike at Swift’s following Canada Packers settlement
1962 The name Fort Road became official
1964 Canada Packers operated at 60-65% capacity and had to import cattle from Montana
1966 Swift’s planned a major addition to double capacity; fire at Burns’ feed mill; Canada Packers workers prepared to strike after 6 months of unsuccessful negotiating
1967 Further facility improvement at Burns
1956 Canada Packers planned major additions and negotiated new contract with United Packinghouse Workers of America; Strike at Swift’s following Canada Packers settlement
1962 The name Fort Road became official
1964 Canada Packers operated at 60-65% capacity and had to import cattle from Montana
1966 Swift’s planned a major addition to double capacity; fire at Burns’ feed mill; Canada Packers workers prepared to strike after 6 months of unsuccessful negotiating
1967 Further facility improvement at Burns
Burns ‘wiener girls’, 1972 Debbie Wodsworth, Deanna Klychak, Joyce Andruchow, and Rory. Courtesy: Sheryl Ackerman.
1974 Burns planned a $5M expansion
1977 Burns had heavy losses
1978 Burns ended cattle processing in Edmonton
1980 Pocklington bought Swift’s and re-branded it Gainer’s; Burns meatpacking plant closed leaving 400 out of work
1984 Canada Packers meatpacking plant closed and was converted to a distribution centre
1986 Workers at Gainer’s went on strike for six months to protect the union contract
1988 Burns’ plant was demolished
1990 The Alberta government acquired Gainer’s through Pocklington defaulting on his loans
1994 The Alberta government sold Gainer’s to Burns
1995 Canada Packers was demolished
1996 Burns sold Gainer’s to Maple Leaf
1997 Maple Leaf closed the former Swift’s/Gainer’s plant
2002 The original Swift’s building was demolished
1977 Burns had heavy losses
1978 Burns ended cattle processing in Edmonton
1980 Pocklington bought Swift’s and re-branded it Gainer’s; Burns meatpacking plant closed leaving 400 out of work
1984 Canada Packers meatpacking plant closed and was converted to a distribution centre
1986 Workers at Gainer’s went on strike for six months to protect the union contract
1988 Burns’ plant was demolished
1990 The Alberta government acquired Gainer’s through Pocklington defaulting on his loans
1994 The Alberta government sold Gainer’s to Burns
1995 Canada Packers was demolished
1996 Burns sold Gainer’s to Maple Leaf
1997 Maple Leaf closed the former Swift’s/Gainer’s plant
2002 The original Swift’s building was demolished
