Imrie House became home to Land Stewardship Centre in the late 1990's. As an organization dedicated to enabling people and organizations to become better stewards, the legacy of Imrie House could not be better suited to supporting our mission. Experience the history of Imrie House and the unique natural environment in which the house is located.
An Enduring Legacy
Six Acres (now known as Imire House) was designed and built in 1957 by architects Mary Louise Imrie and Jean Wallbridge, who were partners in Canada’s first all-female architectural firm. Six Acres served both as home and office for Mary and Jean, and their firm Wallbridge & Imrie Architects, for many years. The property is uniquely located in west Edmonton on the picturesque banks of the North Saskatchewan River.
Upon her passing in 1988, Mary Imrie left a large bequest, which included Six Acres, to the Province of Alberta for conservation purposes. Her intention was that the land and the home be used and enjoyed by the people of Alberta. Renamed Imrie House, the home and property stands as a testament to their conscientious design philosophy, a strong appreciation for the natural environment and a love for the Alberta landscape, which Mary and Jean built upon throughout their architectural careers and their lives. Imrie’s and Wallbridge’s home and their legacy deserves to be recognized and enjoyed by the broader community.
A Place Worth Sharing
There are few places like Imrie House, that represents and respects the architecture of a by-gone era and which is located in a stunning natural setting which preserves the natural landscape once so common in Edmonton. As the long-time tenant and caretaker of Imrie House, Land Stewardship Centre has harnessed the uniqueness of the property and created something that directly supports Alberta’s volunteer and non-profit community by transforming the Imrie House garage into a functional meeting space.
Making this new meeting space available at no cost helps meet a significant need of non-profit organizations and groups with limited financial means. This also enables volunteer and grassroots groups, community associations and clubs to experience the history of Imrie House and the unique natural environment in which the house is located. Naturalist clubs, stewardship groups, community associations, art and culture clubs, architectural and history societies, social enterprises and support organizations – groups and organizations from across all sectors – can benefit from this new space.
- Students of all ages and teachers could utilize the meeting space to learn directly and in an interactive way about ecology and botany, and architecture.
- Naturalist activities such as bird watching, forest exploration, plant identification, etc. could be conducted in the natural setting of Six Acres.
- The meeting space is perfect for art classes such as photography, painting, drawing.
Special Thanks
We are grateful to Alberta Culture and Tourism for contributing funding to help renovate the garage into a purposeful meeting space. Through this financial contribution, the Government of Alberta has demonstrated their shared value for Imrie House and this project.
Sharing More of Wallbridge and Imrie’s Story
Jean Wallbridge and Mary Louise Imrie are two incredible Alberta women who broke many barriers in their lifetime, both in their professional and personal lives. In an effort to preserve their story, and the importance of that story to Alberta's history, the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) has gathered several of Jean and Mary's personal objects into a collection. In 2023, this collection was expanded and these additional objects help tell a more complete story of their lives.
Intrigued? Read RAM's blog and watch the video "On their own terms: The legacy of Wallbridge & Imrie".
Imrie House
Experience the history of Imrie House and the unique natural environment in which the house is located.
