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HISTORY

Presented as a gift to the people of Alberta, the two Jubilee Auditoria were built over the course of the summer of 1955 through to the spring of 1957. In announcing the decision to provide these auditoria, Premier E.C. Manning said, "The need for such centres has long been apparent. The government believes that they will be both appropriate and practical memorials
to the fifty years of development and to those pioneers whose foresight and fortitude made that progress possible." Dedication Week Ceremonies were held in April, 1957 with performances to include the Symphony, the Opera and many other civic groups – it was truly a celebration
of Arts in Alberta. As we look back, it is of note that this building has provided a home to its resident companies, the Alberta Ballet since 1966, and the Edmonton Opera since 1963.

A few fun facts about the construction and original opening of the building:

• The original site chosen was MacDougall Hill, east of 101 Street.
• The final site, at 114 Street and 87 Avenue was chosen August 10, 1954.
• No cornerstone laying or groundbreaking ceremonies marked the beginning of construction.
• The building materials originally chosen were not tested for Alberta’s extreme climate.
  As a result, construction slowed down considerably when materials not durable enough needed to be replaced!
• Once completed, the buildings were compared with six other outstanding international concert halls.
• The testing and tuning concert included a 120-piece orchestra, a 180-voice choir and a conductor. The audience for this show was by invitation only.
• There was a playwriting contest held to find a performance piece for opening week ceremonies.
• Ronald Reagan was considered as the Master of Ceremonies for Dedication Week events.
• In May 1957, CFRN Television shot its first live feed to Alberta networks, covering the opening of Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.
• There were religious dedication ceremonies for both buildings on April 21, 1957.

There are a number of other dates of note in our history. In 1978, a new wing was added to
the building, which included the escalator and the elevator. During the 1982-1983 season, the lobbies were refurbished. The Walter H. Kaasa Theatre was added to the auditorium in 1983.
It was named after Dr. Walter Kaasa who was the Assistant Deputy Minister of Culture for several years and was very involved with the arts community in Edmonton, as well as an being active participant of the original management committee of the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. The Banquet Room and the Meeting Room were built that same year. During the 1986-1987 season, the Rehearsal Room was renovated and upgraded and won the Alberta Architects Award.

With the most recent renovations, the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium celebrates the Provincial Centennial in 2005. There are now 2,538 seats (2,416 if the Orchestra Pit is in use)
and state-of-the-art acoustics. The Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium continues to play a
vital role in the arts in Alberta.