Blakey, William George

BLAKEY, William George (1885-1975), the younger brother of Richard P. Blakey, led a career that closely parallels that of his older brother. Born in Sunderland, Engl. both William and Richard were educated at the same schools and trained under the same architect George T. Brown. William B. remained in Sunderland until 1907 then followed his brother to Canada and secured a position in the same government department in Edmonton as his brother, working under the supervision of A.M. Jeffers. However, William chose not to remain there and in 1909 obtained a new position as assistant to Roland M. Lines, a highly talented British-trained architect active in Edmonton. During WWI Blakey worked in Ottawa for the Dept. of Munitions and went overseas with the Canadian Engineers.

He returned to Edmonton in 1919 to practise independently, and capably demonstrated his own talent with an impressive Edwardian design for the Edmonton Journal Building (1920). Like his brother before him, William G. also served a term as President of the Alberta Assoc. of Architects in 1924-25. In 1925 he and his brother formed a partnership, but by late 1926 they went their separate ways and practiced independently for the next twenty years. It was during this period that William G. shared an office with Edward Underwood on Jasper Avenue, and carried out one of his most significant commissions, the striking modernist design for the Garneau Theatre (1939-40). The boom in postwar building activity in Edmonton prompted the brothers to reunite in a new partnership in 1947. Their office remained active until 1960 when it was closed. W.G. Blakey died in Edmonton on 22 June 1975 (death notice Edmonton Journal, 23 June 1975, 20; biog. J. Blue, Alberta Past & Present: Historical & Biographical, 1924, iii, 308-09).

The Provincial Archives of Alberta in Edmonton holds an extensive microfilm record of drawings prepared by William G. Blakey and by the firms of Blakey & Blakey, and Blakey, Blakey & Ascher during the period from 1910 until 1960 (PAA, Acc. 67.100). Original copies of drawings are at present held by the firm of Bouey & Bouey, Architects, Edmonton.

EDMONTON

GREAT WAR VETERAN'S ASSOC., Memorial Hall, McDougall Drive near 101st Street, 1919-20 (C.R., xxxiii, 13 Aug. 1919, 43; xxxv, 11 May 1921, 459-60, illus & descrip.; Edmonton Bulletin, 2 May 1919, 3, illlus. & descrip.; 17 April 1920, 1) EDMONTON JOURNAL BUILDING, 101st Street near 100th Avenue, 1920 (Edmonton b.p. 119, 1920; dwgs. at PAA, Blakey Coll.)
COCKSHUTT PLOW CO., 101A Avenue near 99th Street, 1920 (Edmonton b.p. 100, 1920)
ROYAL ALEXANDRA HOSPITAL, major addition of a new four storey wing, 1921 (Edmonton Bulletin, 10 Sept. 1921, 11, descrip.)
CHRIST CHURCH (Anglican), 121st Street near 102nd Avenue, 1921 (Edmonton Bulletin, 21 July 1921, 5; Edmonton b.p. 311, 1921)
CHILDREN'S AID HOME, for the Kiwanis Club, 120th Street, 1922 (Edmonton Bulletin, 25 Nov. 1922, 8, descrip.)
McFARLAND SHOE CO. LTD. BUILDING, 103rd Street at 102nd Avenue, warehouse, 1922 (Edmonton Bulletin, 25 Nov. 1922, 8, descrip.; Edmonton b.p. 563, 1922)
EDMONTON CITY DAIRY, 99th Street near 96th Avenue, 1927 (dwgs. at PAA, Blakey Coll.)
103th STREET, near 100th Avenue, residence for Dr. Conrad G. Geggie, 1929 (dwgs. at PAA, Blakey Coll.)
NORTH WEST BREWING CO., Saskatchewan Drive, 1929 (Edmonton b.p. 1170, 1929)
CANADA SAFEWAY STORE, 112th Avenue at 64th Street, 1929 (Edmonton b.p. 1020, 1929)
100th AVENUE, near 119th Street, residence for David Reidford, 1930 (Edmonton b.p. 655, 1930)
CENTRAL MASONIC TEMPLE, 100th Avenue near 103rd Street, 1930-31 (Edmonton b.p. 718, 1930; Edmonton Journal, 3 Nov. 1930, 13, illus. & descrip.)
INGLEWOOD BADMINTON CLUB, 105th Avenue near 123rd Street, 1931 (Edmonton b.p. 638, 1931)
MOTOR SUPPLY CO., 105th Street near 101st Avenue, showroom and garage, 1932 (C.R., xlvi, 27 July 1932, 43)
ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE, Grierson Hill Road near 101A Avenue, barracks, 1934 (C.R., xlviii, 25 July 1934, 32)
DANISH CHURCH, also called First Lutheran Church, 96th Street at 108th Avenue, 1938 (dwgs. at PAA, Blakey Coll.)
(with Northwood & Chivers) T. EATON CO. STORE, 101st Street at 102nd Avenue, 1938-39 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xv, Sept. 1938, 211)
GARNEAU MOVIE THEATRE, 109th Street near 87th Avenue, 1940 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xvii, May 1940, 86; Tim Morawetz, Art Deco Architecture Across Canada, 2017, 258, illus. & descrip.; dwgs. at PAA, Blakey Coll.)

ELSEWHERE

CAMROSE, ALTA., Union Church, 1926 (dwgs. at PAA, Blakey Coll.)
RED DEER, ALTA., major addition to the Municipal Hospital, 1939-40 (Red Deer Advocate, 7 Dec. 1938, 1 & 3; Edmonton Journal, 6 March 1939, 5, descrip.; R.A.I.C. Journal, xvii, May 1940, 86)