Description of Historic Place

Balfour Manor is a Streamline Moderne, stucco-clad apartment building, three storeys in height at the front and two at the rear, with a full basement. It is located mid-block on 116 Street, a prominent north/south thoroughfare in the Oliver neighbourhood.

Heritage Value

Balfour Manor possesses heritage value for its historical associations with designer and builder, Joseph Napoleon Cote (1888-1951), and with the development of apartment blocks in Edmonton in the late 1930s and early 1940s. It is also significant for its elegant Streamline Moderne architectural style.

Originally built in 1912 as Fire Hall No.4, Balfour Manor was remodelled and modernized by Joseph Napoleon Cote (1888-1951) in 1939. A native of Quebec, Cote lived in Edmonton for thirty-five years and established himself as a significant local construction contractor. He relocated to Victoria, B.C. after the end of the Second World War, where he continued in the contracting business with his son, Henry Cote.

Balfour Manor is representative of the conversion of existing buildings to apartment use, prompted by the housing shortage at the time of the outbreak of the Second World War. During the first decade after its construction, Balfour Manor operated as a fire hall and accommodated horse drawn equipment. It was closed in 1921 as motorized fire equipment became standard. The fire hall was then sold and operated as a garage until Cote adapted the building for use as a ten-unit apartment in the late 1930s.

Balfour Manor is also significant for its Streamline Moderne styling. Throughout North America, the Streamline Moderne - with its aerodynamic shapes and allusions to industrial design - was the commercial style of choice, reflected in everything from radio cabinets to ocean liners. It replaced the more elaborate ornamentation of the Art Deco style, heralding a new machine age and reflecting the austerity of the Great Depression.

Source: City of Edmonton (Bylaw: 13979)

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of Balfour Manor include its:
- mid-block location;
- continuous use as an apartment block since its conversion in 1939;
- form, scale and massing, as expressed by its symmetrical design, rectangular plan and flat roof;
- elements of the Streamline Moderne style, such as rounded front parapets, streamlined banding, curved entry elements and horizontal speed lines on the front facade;
- fenestration, including multi-paned double-hung wooden sash windows in triple assembly on the front facade;
- original coal room and boiler, dating to its use as a fire hall;
- surviving interior features dating from the conversion to apartments, such as kitchenettes, hardwood floors, bathroom fixtures, light fixtures, original stairs and balustrades.