Grant MacEwan Community College Oral History

The purpose of the Grant MacEwan Community College oral history project is to document the history of the institution through the careers and lives of alumni, faculty, and staff who were involved in or directly affected by the activities and events during this time (1971-1999). The interviewees’ testimonies can help to fill gaps in the historical record, and when used with other archival records, they can provide a more complete picture of the history of MacEwan University.

The foundation of Grant MacEwan Community College was initiated through the efforts of the Alberta Colleges Commission established under the Colleges Act of 1969. The College, named after His Honour J.W. Grant MacEwan Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta, began operations on 7th September 1971 with an enrollment of 410 students housed on two campus locations in the City of Edmonton. 

The first of these two locations was the “Old Scona” school at 10523-84 Avenue on the south side and was named the Old Scona Campus. This building houses classrooms for the Academic Division and the Applied Sciences Division. The second campus was established in a former Dominion Store at 8020-118 Avenue on the north side of the city. This building, the Cromdale Campus, presently houses the Applied Arts Division and the Business Division. Accommodation for the Continuing Education Division evening classes is available on both campuses. 

The Student Affairs Department, which includes Student Counselling and the Admissions Office, is located in downtown Edmonton in the former Workmens’ Compensation Board Building at 10046-101A Avenue. Along the avenue from these offices is the main Administration Office on the fourth floor of the Canada Trust Building. 

The official opening ceremonies for the College were conducted by His Honour J.W. Grant MacEwan the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta on the 14th February 1972 at the Cromdale Campus – Grant MacEwan Community College, 1972-1973 Calendar