Discovering Downtown Fort McMurray

Located where the Superstore is now.
St. John's Roman Catholic School was the first Catholic school in Fort McMurray. It opened its doors in 1936 and remained open until 1995, playing a significant role in shaping the childhoods of many of the community's residents. The school initially began as a small two-room building and later underwent expansions and numerous changes. The Real Canadian Superstore has been located at this site since 1996.

Corner of Franklin Ave & Hardin St., where the casino is currently.
The original St. John the Baptist Catholic Church opened in 1925, however, fourteen years later, in 1939, it was destroyed by fire. The rebuilt church (as seen in this photo) opened in 1951. As the congregation grew larger, the church became too small. Eventually, it was sold and moved to the corner of Franklin Avenue and Alberta Drive, where it still stands today.

Corner of Hardin St. & MacDonald Ave., facing Abasand.
The first hospital in Fort McMurray, called St. Gabriel's Hospital, opened in 1938 and was run by the Grey Nuns of Montreal. The hospital closed in 1969, and the building was used by different non-profit groups. In 1979, the building was torn down to make space for the provincial and municipal buildings, which are now landmarks of downtown Fort McMurray.

North side of Franklin Ave, at what is now Sweet Layers.
Bernard and Frances Jean moved to Fort McMurray in 1967. They opened Jean's Gifts and Stationery in 1969. The store sold office supplies, books, gifts, and a variety of toys. In 1970, they started a weekly newspaper, the McMurray Courier, which was published every Wednesday morning. The newspaper was sold in 1974 and later became the Fort McMurray TODAY. Jean's Gifts and Stationery closed in 2002 after 34 years in business.

SE Corner of Main St. & Manning Ave.
This building is one of the oldest in downtown Fort McMurray. The property was originally owned by Angus Sutherland, the first pharmacist in the area, and it was sold to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 1951. They then built a two-storey building to use as their new base. This building had 11 rooms and opened in 1953. It was used by the RCMP until 1978, and has since been home to various commercial businesses.

NW Corner of Main St. & Franklin Ave where the 7/11 is currently.
Sam Kushner operated a general store at this location for 20 years, from 1914 to 1934. His store survived a fire that destroyed half of the businesses on Franklin Ave in 1934. After the fire, Sam moved to Yellowknife and operated a store there until his passing in 1946.

kiyām Community Park.
The Franklin Hotel, the first hotel in Fort McMurray, was constructed in 1911. However, it was destroyed by a fire on July 16, 1934, along with several other businesses on Franklin Ave. It was then rebuilt as the New Franklin Hotel in the same location in 1936, offering modern amenities. As the population of Fort McMurray expanded, the hotel became a popular spot for entertainment and social gatherings. Its name was changed in the 1950s to the McMurray Hotel and again in 1964 when it was renamed the Oil Sands Hotel. After serving as a landmark and community hub for 90 years, it closed in 2012 and was demolished the following year.

kiyām Community Park.
In 1918, Angus Sutherland opened the first pharmacy in Fort McMurray. It started in the Franklin Hotel and then moved to its own building next door. In 1922, Walter Hill became a co-owner of Sutherland's Pharmacy, which was later renamed as Sutherland's Drugs.
In 1934, a fire destroyed several businesses including Sutherland's Drugs. However, the pharmacy was rebuilt and continued serving the community. After Angus passed away in 1951, Walter became the sole owner and changed the pharmacy's name to Hill Drugs in 1958.
Walter and his wife, Gladys, were very involved in the community. They ran the pharmacy for over 60 years, and a local elementary school is now named after them. After Gladys and Walter passed away in 1985 and 1986, respectively, Hill Drugs closed in 1988. In 2013, their grandson, Dave Hill, continued the family's pharmaceutical tradition by opening Dave Hill Pharmacy in Thickwood. The original 1934 building is available to visit at Heritage Village.

10014 Franklin Ave.
The building that is now Chow's Varieties was originally a pool hall and barber shop. Originally called W. Chow Confectionery until 1978, the store opened on July 15, 1963. At the time of its opening, the population of Fort McMurray was under 1,500. The building can be seen in a photo of Franklin Ave from the 1960s. It is the white building on the far side of the street, third from the right.

Near corner of Franklin Ave & Morrion St., where the Haxton Building is currently.
This house was located on the corner of Franklin Ave and Morrison Street. It was built in 1929 when Fort McMurray had about 350 residents. It was owned by John Parry, who ran a general store on the other side of Franklin Ave. From 1929 to 1935, Captain "Wop" May and his wife Violet, lived in the house. May was a Canadian flying ace during the First World War. He later started Commerical Airways, a mail service that served northern areas. After the Mays left Fort McMurray, the house was used for various purposes including a giftware shop, restaurant, plumbing store, weekly newspaper office, election campaign headquarters, and a bicycle repair and skate sharpening shop. In 1955, the Haxton family became the new owners and later donated it to Heritage Village in the 1980s.