HISTORY

The Club Edelweiss was founded in 1906 and represented the first German Club in Alberta. The Club received its statures from the Legislature. The members morally supported many newcomers after the First World War. The Club flourished and in 1928 a building was erected – mostly by volunteers. During the Second World War the Club had to close its doors but reopened again in 1953. For many immigrants this was the first and only “home away from home”.

The Motor Club Phoenix was founded in December 1955. In 1957 they bought property at Lake Isle and in 1958 the Club name was changed to the Phoenix Club and its focus had changed to a family club with many outdoor interest. The Phoenix Club brought the Oktoberfest to Edmonton – which is still very popular with the public.

The Friends of Berlin Club was founded in 1963 by immigrants coming from Berlin who wanted to show their solidarity with the City of their forefathers, at that time surrounded and divided by a wall and isolated from the rest of Germany. The contact with Berlin has been kept very much alive, many delegations have visited here from Berlin. Unfortunately, the clubhouse burned down in 1982. In 1983 The members of the EdelweissClub, the Friends of Berlin and the Phoenix Club decided to unite and form the new club.

In 1983 the Club was founded by three well known German clubs, the Edelweiss Club, the Phoenix Club and the Friends of Berlin Club. These clubs felt the need to unite and to give the German-Canadian population a bigger and better facility. There was also a great need to accommodate the many smaller groups and give them a place to meet. These smaller groups became part of the main organization and the cooperation between these German groups has been tremendous and is going strong. For information on different interest groups please go to Groups

As soon as the building was officially opened, a library with German books and German videos was established in the Rathskeller, located downstairs, thanks to very dedicated volunteers of the club membership. Many German Books have been generously donated by GCCA members and friends and were put into the shelves. German Videos needed to be transferred from the European PAL system to the North American NTSC system. Today the library has an excellent selection of German books and German videos. For more information click library

In September 2008 a new group of women and men started to meet on the last Tuesday of the month at 1:30 pm in the club to sing German songs together. This is not a choir. Each of the members takes turn to choose a song from a songbook and everybody joins in and sings along. Participants are members of the German Canadian Cultural Association. The Singkreis meets every month of the year.

April 28, 2002 at the first ever Open House of the German Canadian Cultural Association the Children’s German Community Libary was officially opened. AEGBEE, the Association for English German Bilingual Education of Edmonton, a very dedicated parent group, has been successful in securing funds to purchase German children’s books for all levels, from Kindergarten to High School. Through the concerted effort of AEGBEE and the GCCA this library will be now accessible to more than 700 German learning students in Edmonton and greater area. For library hours please click library.

Programm 1: Since September 2002 the Märchenstunde / Story Telling Hour has taken place at the the German Canadian Cultural Centre where the younger children listen to German stories, sitting on a “Kornblumenblau” colored soft blanket, dotted with polyester cotton clouds and small pillows in different colors. The older kids who speak German already quite well, play a German board game or card games. A small snack is provided and a craft activity rounds up the event. Children learn to listen and speak German in a friendly social setting. For more information check our news information website. The programn runs from September to May. Free Admission 
Programm 2: German Movie & Popcorn for Kids started in September 2005. On the last Saturday of each month, from September to April, a German movie, usually two 30 minutes films are shown to the children. Freshly popped popcorn and pop can be purchased. Children sit on a dark blue “Kornblumenblau” soft blanket and enjoy the movie afternoon. Free Admission 
10th Anniversary of the Joint Venture between GCCA & AEGBEE parent association celebrated March 17, 2012

Address & Contact Information

German Canadian Cultural Centre
8310 Roper Road (51 Ave), Alberta, Canada, T6E 6E3
Telephone (780) 466-4000 or e-mail: gcca@shaw.ca