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In the course of our daily reporting, we often uncover unusual projects, places, or connections that don't make the final cut. Instead of keeping it to ourselves, we're pleased to share our Architrivia.
In contrast with the numerous downtown towers named after their anchor tenants, Jamieson Place offers a lesson in Alberta history. The 38-storey office tower, which was completed in 2009, honours magistrate and feminist Alice Jamieson, who was one of the province's most notable champions of social justice. Alice and her husband Reuben Rupert Jamieson were both influential members of the community. He became the 19th Mayor of Calgary in 1909 but suddenly died two years later. Alice, who had already been active in promoting child welfare and women's suffrage, then went on to make history.
In 1914, Jamieson became the first woman in the British Empire to be appointed judge of a juvenile court. In 1916, she was appointed to Calgary's Women's Court, becoming the second police magistrate in Canada after Emily Murphy was appointed in Edmonton just months earlier. But her appointment was not without controversy. Just as Albertan women were securing the right to vote, a court case put Jamieson's competence and capabilities on trial, questioning her legal status as a person. The Supreme Court of Alberta eventually heard the case, upholding her right to take office, confirming that women are indeed persons under the law. What would be an unfathomable accusation in modern day was an unfortunate reality for many women seeking careers, especially high-profile positions, in both the public and private sectors.
Inside the winter garden of Jamieson Place stands the "Field of Fame” installed by the Alberta Champions Society. Composed of six stainless steel "stalks of wheat," the pieces recognize the contributions to Calgary, Alberta, and Canada by Alice Jamieson, R.B. Bennett, Senator Patrick Burns, Chief David Crowchild, Eric L. Harvie, and James F. Macleod.
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