Shortly after their wedding in July 1907, Mr. and Mrs. Pasco of Edmonton posed for a picture in front of their first Canadian home. One bedroom, a living room and a tiny kitchen probably comprised their modest dwelling which was approached by a wooden sidewalk, a necessary protection against the tenacious prairie mud. During hot weather, the summer kitchen attached to the rear housed the stove to give the occupants some relief from its heat.
Mature trees in the background suggest that this house was on the outskirts of the city. Though it may have been a considerable walk to the streetcar, which took them to work and shopping, at least the Pascos had some space between their house and their neighbours', a luxury workers living in the older part of the city did not enjoy.
Most workers could afford no more than what might be described as just a roof over their heads. Although the conventional wisdom dictated that just the equivalent of two years' wages should be spent on a home, workers found themselves at the mercy of land speculators who drove prices up.
Courtesy: Provincial Archives of Alberta, E. Brown Collection (B 4727)
