EFCL Mandate & History

1907	Edmonton has the distinction of being the first city in Canada to adopt the idea of community-based organization, however the original concept had its roots in the City of Rochester, New York; then called the 'Social Centre Movement'.
1916	George M. Hall, a city Industrial Commissioner, and an American native imported the idea of neighbourhood organizations into Canada. At the time he was living in the Jasper Place district.
1917	Community League Hockey program starts. The first 'Queen Contest' is held in conjunction with the May Day Festival.
1917-03-03	The first Community League, Crestwood (formerly the 142 Street District Community League) is formed in Edmonton. First President: George M. Hall. First Secretary: Harold Percy Brown. The league concerned itself with district improvements, shared use of the school, social evenings, and organized sporting events. Their most important accomplishment was to get the City to designate a block of land for recreational use. This set a precedent for all neighbourhoods in the City of Edmonton.
1918	Formation of Bonnie Doon Community League, the South Side League (defunct; reformed as Scona Centre in 1926).
1919	Westmount Community League formed.
1920	Riverdale, West Edmonton (now Calder), Forest Heights, Calgary Trail (now Allendale), and Bennett School (now Cloverdale) formed. Their main objective was to secure neighbourhood improvements for their respective districts.
1921-01-24	Under the direction of Albert E. Ottewell, the nine leagues joined and formed the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, whose mandate it to with equal regard, and to promote their shared ideals on a city wide basis represent all the leagues. Mr. H.P. Brown in his role as the first Secretary-Treasurer of the Federation is credited with the spread of the community league movement. The first President was T.P. Malone. Three committees were struck consisting of recreation, civics and education.
1921	The Federation purchased a moving picture machine and started the film program.
1922	The EFCL secured the first 10-year lease with the City of Edmonton for recreational land for all its neighbourhoods.
1923	The Federation starts a senior baseball league. They played for a cup donated by Joe Simpson. The EFCL participated in the Horticulture Societies city clean up campaign and continues to this day in assisting in beautification projects.
1926	The EFCL approached the School Board for increased grants to leagues for the development of rinks. With the recommendation of A.W. Haddow, a city engineer, the grant went from $50.00 per year to $75.00 for class A rinks, and remained the same for the balance.
1931	The Recreation committee separates out football, and the swimming and diving committees as the sports grew. A horseshoe pitching competition was added.
1932	The EFCL starts holding a Winter Carnival and the Queen Contest becomes a part of the event.
1933	Despite protests the Federation approves the playing of hockey on community rinks on Sunday.
1936	The first drama contest is held with competition from the league drama clubs.
1937	A Girl's Basketball league was approved.
1939	The Federation added the publicity and handicrafts committees. The school board grants to leagues was still a problem and the city donated $2,550 in labour, light and water. The Federation hosted a summer carnival in honour of the visit of King George VI of England.
1944	The Recreation Commission of the Parks and Recreation Department was formed. Alderman Harry Ainley developed the Commission, in consultation with the EFCL and other interested parties, to act as an advisory committee. One of their early functions was to operate playgrounds and summer programs. They also scheduled the use of public recreation facilities, like sports fields, rinks and playgrounds. The EFCL help the speed skating championship at the Oliver rink. Blanche Tivotdale of the Westmount League and Ab Hardy of Jasper Place went on to win numerous titles.
1945	The leagues sponsored 46 hockey teams.
1946	The Federation created the social and carnival committees. They also obtained an increase in operating grants from the city to $75.00 per rink and $150.00 annually for improvements. The EFCL got a operating grant of $500.00. The figure skating program was introduced under the name of the Greater Edmonton Figure Skating Club. This saw the start of the annual Ice Show and the crowning of the Queen became a feature of this event. The Federation reorganized baseball and fastball and started the soccer program. September saw the inaugural run of the soap box derby, one of the Federations most successful programs.
1947	The city added grant money to cover the cost of water for rinks providing it did not cost more than $2.00 per thousand square feet and included the amount for the lighting.
1948	The city began contributing a percentage of the construction costs for new community halls. The amount was set at 20% of the cost to a maximum of $5,000.00. The first such grant was awarded to Highlands Community League. The Federation offered films and projectors to leagues on a cost basis.
1949	The City of Edmonton flooded 101 Street and McDougall Drive for the opening ceremonies of the carnival. A procession of skaters was cheered by on-lookers. The birth of the Boysdale Camp on the banks of the Sturgeon River was designed to give disadvantages boys a camping experience and keep them out of trouble.
1950's	The Federation started the Civil Defense program under Brig. J.C. Jefferson. This was the start of the nuclear age and so organizing and training began. As the sense of urgency receded, interest dropped quickly.
1951	Barbara Ann Scott appeared at the Federation Ice Show.
1952	The EFCL consists of 42 leagues, each of which is encouraged to form a drama club under the direction of Harold Glazerman. The Queen Contest is opened citywide and become known as the 'Miss Edmonton Contest'. The Talent Show was started largely through the efforts of Ben Hager from the Riverdale district. It provided an opportunity for community children to perform and be adjudicated. Mark Jablonski, one of Canada's top pianists, first received acclaim at the Talent Show.
1953	A proposed ban on bingo and lotteries saw all 40 member leagues support the Federation in protest against this withdrawal of their most critical fund raising method.
1954	The safety, youth and welfare, community planning, and skating committees were added to the Federation. The Federation distributes the first baby sitter's safety code. They also form the Pedal Pushers Club for young cyclists, an idea borrowed from the Winnipeg Kiwanis Club. The Soap Box Derby is run on Conners Hill and is filmed by a group from France for inclusion in a movie.
1955	The EFCL began sponsorship of the Federation Amateur Boxing and Wrestling Club, the successor to the Recreation Amateur Boxing Club. Out of this Billy McGrandle went on to become a Canadian champion in his weight class. The Federation initiated the idea of what was to become the School Safety Patrol program. The concept of a Community League week is introduced and an advertising campaign for membership was initiated.
1956	The establishment of the Central Sports Council saw sports divided into districts, different levels of play established and facilitated the growth in participation of many sports in Edmonton. A program called 'Expressive Arts' is started through the Recreation Commission. This program included drama, art, crafts, dance, tot lots and day-camps.
1957	The Recreation Commission becomes the Recreation Board and the Board obtained permission to use the name 'Department'. Playgrounds, tot lots and day camps became a priority to serve the baby boomers youngsters. The Federation organized a rifle target shooting clinic for girls.
1958	Charles Simmonds, President introduced a recommendation, which was to become the forerunner of the concept of Area Councils. The city was to be divided into five zones with a Vice-president for each zone. The purpose was to enhance communications. The newly formed Alberta Figure Skating Association adopts the Federations' testing methods.
1959	The inaugural issue of the Federations quarterly magazine, called 'Community Life' was published in the winter. This high cost publication did not survive long.
1960's	The EFCL has separate committees for talent, boxing and wrestling, hockey and the Boysdale camp.
1961	Under A.V. Pettigrew, the Community Recreation Directors were established to serve various areas of the city. Among their duties was the recruitment, placement and control of the volunteers, previously the sole domain of the leagues.
1962	The formation of the City of Edmonton Department of Parks and Recreation.
1963	The school board grant for rinks was increase to a maximum of $150.00.
1964	Following a report by the City entitled 'How To Improve the Relationship Between the City of Edmonton Parks and Recreation Department and the Individual Community Leagues' led to the adoption of the concept of area recreation councils. The report was a product of a committee struck by Mayor Hawrelak. The grant structure changed based on the percentage of residents who were members. Those leagues that had over 50% membership received a $500.00 grant, those who had over 30% membership got a $375.00 grant and the balance did not get any grant. Construction grants were changed to 40% to a maximum of $6,000.00 if the league built separately from the school and 40% to a maximum of $8,000.00 if built in conjunction with the school. The hockey program has grown so huge the Edmonton Metropolitan Hockey Association was formed by the Federation Sports Council.
1965	The Queen Contest is again reverted to being a part of the annual Ice Show; 1981the Queen Contest started to announce the winner at the Annual Membership banquet. The membership in the Federation is 88 leagues.
1967	The Federation secured a grant of $7,500.00 to establish and maintain a full time office. The volunteers soon became dependent on the office and the costs started increasing.
1970	The Federation, with a profit of $269.49 ran their first lottery.
1972	There are 103 member community leagues in the EFCL.
1973	The EFCL hires the first executive secretary, after years of trying to interest the city and the province in supporting the position of executive director. Operating grants to the leagues change. Building and construction grants were increased to 50% to a maximum of $15,000.00. A new grant called the building renovation grant was established to pay 50% of renovations to a maximum of $8,000.00.
1975	The appropriate washrooms are built and girls are now allowed at the Boysdale Camp.
1979	The Boysdale Camp Foundation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the EFCL, is incorporated and granted charitable status.
1985	Provincial grants became available to leagues.
1997	Edmonton Parks and Recreation merges with Community and Family Services to become Community Services.
1998	Membership in the Federation grows to 142 Community Leagues. EFCL strikes the Revitalization Task Force to review organizational concerns and challenges and make recommendations.
1999	The Revitalization Implementation Team acting on these recommendations started to revise structure.
2001	On January 24, 2001 the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues celebrates its 80th anniversary with the theme 'Back to Our Roots'.
2002	Membership increases to 144 Community Leagues with the induction of Twin Brooks and Cumberland/Oxford.
2003	Membership increases to 145 Community Leagues with the induction of Downtown Edmonton Community Association (DECA).
2004	Edmonton Garrison is disbanded decreasing membership to 144 Community Leagues.
2004	Membership increases to 146 Community Leagues with the induction of Terwillegar Community League and Greater Windermere.
2005	Membership increases to 148 Community Leagues with the induction of Glastonbury and Hodgson Community Leagues.
2006	Membership increases to 150 Community Leagues with the induction of Blackmud Creek and Heritage Point Community Leagues.