Old Edmonton Bus Depots?

[Matt C]

Does anyone happen to know when the existing downtown Edmonton Greyhound depot was originally built? And does anyone know anything about the older Union Bus Depot that preceded the current greyhound one?

[captaintrolley]

Probably not relevant, but I remember that they had pay toilets.

[Matt C]

Where was the union terminal located?

Pay toilets? Seriously?

[captaintrolley]

Pay toilets? Seriously?

Yup. The old Greyhound in the 60's. 10 cents. I used to hang out (as a kid) and sometimes crawl under and open them from the inside for a nickel. Early entrepreneurial spirit. Never did hone that.

[captaintrolley]

Corner of 102nd and 102nd, where Edmonton City Center Mall is located according to this link: http://streetviewkyle.com/thenandnow/union-bus-depot-edmonton-1940/

I think the first one was on 103rd street though, notice the hotel sign in the background, seems to be the hotel directly south of the current depot

I think you are right. Probably the Grand Hotel.

[airwolf]

I can't say for certain, when the current depot was built. But I can tell you it was early 1980's. I actually remember boarding an MC-7 and or an MC-8 from Greyhound Bus from the old previous depot from time to time as a kid.

[roeco]

a 35 year run Not bad for a depot...compared to some of the more ancient depots in the system! But that will all come to an end one year from Now...that's a guarantee! I talked to my dad who drove for Greyhound from 1979-84 and he said when he started the depot was where it is now! So that means it had to of been built late 70's...he did mention it was new back then.

[brian032352]

My family lived in Griesbach from 1956 to 1964 in a PMQ house.  My family did not own a car back then. A Grey Hound bus route ran through the base to the Union Bus Depot.  I have many memories from the late 1950s into the early 1960s of being inside the old Union Bus depot.   Many times we ate meals in the restaurant in the Union Bus Depot and also getting bags of hot buttered popcorn from the dispensing machine just outside the restaurant entrance in the main hallway.  I have vivid memories of the smell of cigarette smoke mixed with the smell of popcorn.   The restaurant had the typical countertop jukebox selection terminals with the vertical flip pages. yes, I remember it quite well.

[Mark Walton]

The later depot at "Third and Third", to use the Edmonton verbal shorthand, kitty-corner from the old one, opened circa 1981. I always thought of it as one of the better bus terminals I had seen; was through it several times en route to/from Calgary. That building should have been in much better condition than it apparently was at the time it was closed and demolished. Did Greyhound even try to find another downtown spot? Are they losing traffic to Red Arrow, who use a location on 104 Street?