“It is the soothing thing about history that it does repeat itself.” Gertrude Stein

What a very fitting quote for our communities of Boyle Street and McCauley! These are some of Edmonton’s oldest neighbourhoods, deriving their names from Judge John Robert Boyle (1870-1936) and Matthew McCauley (1850-1930), Edmonton’s first mayor.

Our community has always been a diverse mix of cultures, diversity, and tolerance, with easy access to Edmonton’s downtown and our prestigious river valley. It is like a city within a city.

The beautiful Church Street, Little Italy, and Chinatown have all made our community their home. It is the ideal community where a person can be born, raised, and grow old and reside through all your life changes but still be “home.”

Upgrading and innovation will always be a priority in our area, but acceptance, tolerance, and community will be our mainstays. It is comforting to know you always have a place to call home, a feeling that is shared by the young and old that walk our streets daily.

An interesting, wonderful source that I refer to as “The Beauty of McCauley” is the great book McCauley Then and Now. With fantastic current and vintage photos, the book is a written script of our history and formation. It was written and researched by members of this community who have called this community home, as well as those who support and believe in this community. Copies of the book are available free of charge at Zocalo at 10826 95 Street (a proud McCauley business).

As we continue to see structural, innovative changes, let’s let history repeat itself and keep our community diverse, accepting, caring, and beautiful!