History

The Fairmont

The Fairmont was the visionary concept of the original owners who became its first residents. Architect John A. (Jock) MacDonald was instrumental in transforming that vision into a condominium building designed for owners, such as himself, to live in.

The Fairmont, located in the Oliver neighbourhood, was completed in 1970 utilizing cast-in-place reinforced concrete construction containing 44 condos on 18 floors. Each residence has south facing windows and balconies and 32 also have north facing windows and balconies.

There is a common area on the top floor that includes an indoor swimming pool, sun deck, saunas, washrooms and change rooms, exercise area, library, golf practice room and a large social room. The condominium complex offers visitor parking and four heated underground parking levels for residents. The parkade extends to the edge of the property, beyond the footprint of the building, and forms the exterior plaza surrounding the building.

There was a grand opening party on the plaza in front of the building.

 

Left: The Fairmont in its early years

Right: The two green roofed houses are where the Fairmont is now. The one on the right, 11910-100 th Avenue, was the home of the Neil Peirce family. The one on the left, 11924-100 th Ave, was the home of Dr. Patricia Simonds. Both families moved into the Fairmont.

The Architect: John Archibald (Jock) MacDonald 1924-2002

Jock MacDonald, an Edmonton architect with the firm of Butchart, Cawsey & MacDonald Architects, designed The Fairmont. Jock, his wife Sheila, and their children David, Elspeth and Anna, were original residents of the condominium.

In 1961 Jock designed two of the first concrete frame high rise apartment buildings constructed in Edmonton: Jasper House and Bristol Tower which are located on 121st Street and Jasper Avenue.

Jock was also quite a traveller and painter and, together with Dr. Robert Henderson, self-published the book Double the Vision, in which their paintings are interspersed with vignettes of their travels.

Jock was the nephew of prominent local architect, George Heath MacDonald. During George’s 40 year career he was responsible for many of the city’s important buildings such as the original Saint Joseph’s Hospital on Whyte Avenue, the Tegler Building, and St. Stephen’s College at the University of Alberta.