With all the history in the Westlock area, it is worth noting the town has only one recognized historic site within its boundaries.
St. Philip’s Anglican Church at the corner of 99 Avenue and 105 Street is that single site, and has been since the town recognized it in October 1986.
The mayor at the time, Kay Vaughan, said the town decided to award the designation to the church after the province refused to do so.
In 1986, the province embarked on a mission to identify and recognize historic and heritage buildings. Vaughan said the town approached the province to come and examine St. Philip’s to see if it would qualify.
When the provincial inspectors came, they discovered the building had undergone a substantial structural change roughly 20 years previous when the steeple had been revamped. Since historic buildings must remain structurally unaltered, the province did not recognize the church as historic.
After the rejection, Vaughan said the town decided to go it alone.
“Town council talked about it again, and said, ‘Well it’s an old building, it’s been there forever and even though there’s been structural changes, let us name it as a historic site just from the town of Westlock,’” she said.
This was done with a “short and sweet and to the point” ceremony in October 1986, she said, where the town granted the church a plaque outlining its historical position within the town.
That plaque, which adorns the wall to the right side of the church’s main doors, reads: “The town council of Westlock recognizes St. Philip’s Anglican church as a historic building in the community since March, 1913.”
Beyond St. Philip’s Anglican church, there are numerous other buildings in Westlock that have been recognized in a considerably less-formal manner.
At the Westlock Pioneer Museum there is a binder chronicling houses that were built prior to 1945, entitled Westlock’s Older Homes.
Sheila Trueblood, secretary of the Westlock and District Historical Society, said the binder was a provincially initiated project that ran about 10 years ago. One copy of the record is at the Alberta archives, and the other is housed at the museum.
“It was a fun project. It’s good to get those houses on the record,” she said, adding it gives people the chance to find their ancestors’ houses and the opportunity to learn about the house’s history.
Although 1945 may not seem to be a historic year architecturally, Trueblood said it’s important to remember “this country (Western Canada) is a lot younger than the East.”
A 100-year-old building in the West is akin to buildings from the 1800s and 1700s in the East.
This recognition of older homes is in direct contrast to a trend in many parts of the country in the past where historic buildings were viewed simply as old, and more often than not torn down.
Vivian Zittlaw, the town’s economic development and tourism coordinator, said she remembers the old railway station at the top of 100 Avenue, and how it was demolished.
“I don’t think 30 years ago that it was something to think about historical buildings,” she said, adding how it would be nice to be able to drive along Highway 18 and look up 100 Avenue and see the station still there.
