McLuhan's legacy lives in historic Highlands

The recently restored childhood home of Canadian writer Marshall McLuhan in the north east Edmonton community of Highlands is now open for public tours.

The beautiful 1,500 square foot cottage located on 64 Street was built in 1912 and is a wonderful example of Arts and Crafts architecture. It's original to the old neighbourhood, located at the crest of a small hill and was the home of Marshall McLuhan.

For those unfamiliar with McLuhan, who died in 1980 at the age of 69, he was a well-known Canadian writer, teacher, philosopher and intellect who coined phrases such as "the message is the medium" and "global village". He also predicted the advent of the Internet 30 years before it came into use.

The home in Highlands was actually designed by Edmonton architects and custom-built for McLuhan's father and mother. Arthur Nesbitt and Ernest Morehouse designed other homes in Highlands for wealthy Edmontonians, such as the Holgate home and the McGrath mansion.

The elder McLuhan was in real estate and when the market went sour just three short years after moving into the cottage the family moved to Winnipeg. The home was sold in 1923 and only a few people have owned it since.

Open to the arts community

It was singled out for its architectural and historic value and four years ago was purchased by Arts Habitat Edmonton for $475,000. This non-profit association creates work and living space for Edmonton artists. It put $150,000 into renovations on the McLuhan home, bringing it up to code and returning it to its original state. The City of Edmonton assisted with funds for the down payment and with renovations in keeping with heritage properties. The Province of Alberta also contributed.

As the McLuhan home is on a residential street, Arts Habitat had to work with the city to re-zone the property. All residents on 64 Street and the neighbourhood were consulted in the process.

How it's being used

The McLuhan home is a multi-purpose mini-museum, interpretive centre and gallery. There is also office space for local non-profit arts groups such as Arts Habitat as well as the Edmonton Poetry Festival administration. There is studio space in the adjacent garage where an artist-in-residence will soon be installed.

The main floor is available to the public for events such as readings, book launches or music recitals.

Honouring McLuhan himself

The interpretive centre is a tribute to the McLuhan family as original residents, with photos provided by Michael McLuhan, the youngest of Marshall's six children. These photos capture not only the person but the Highlands neighbourhood itself and its social history.

Open to the public

The home is located at 11342 - 64 Street and is open the first Monday of the month between 2 pm and 6 pm. It's free to get in but donations are gratefully accepted. Groups interested in signing up for a tour can contact Arts Habitat directly.

About Highlands

This historic neighbourhood is 5km from downtown Edmonton. The Highlands was chosen during a contest to name the new neighbourhood and the winner was given $50. The developers convinced the City to run a streetcar line which ran along 112 Avenue until 1945. Large homes were built along Ada Boulevard with more modest homes constructed further north. There were many vacant lots until Edmonton real estate picked up in the 40's and 50's. A committee was formed in 1988 to help preserve heritage resources in the neighbourhood.

Homes on the south side of the neighbourhood enjoy fantastic views of the river valley. The neighbourhood, with its mature trees, is a mix of old and new homes with average prices for single-family homes between $400,000 and $850,000.