About us

Please check the Booking page calendar for availability. If you have any questions, get in touch with us on the Contact page.

PIONEERS CABIN

Historic Charm in the Heart of Edmonton

Opened in 1959, this rustic log cabin features a huge stone fireplace, planed poplar floor, window frames made of spruce, and cedar shingles on the gable roof. It was built by a 76-year-old log craftsman named Hobart Dowler for the Northern Alberta Pioneers and Descendants Association.

Designed and constructed of spruce logs at Dowler’s property on Pigeon Lake, each log was fitted, then numbered before being dismantled and rebuilt on a fieldstone foundation in Edmonton. Dowler used notch and saddle-style connections to form a tight weatherproof fit without the need for chinking or plaster.

Historic Charm in the Heart of Edmonton

With incredible views of the river valley and Edmonton's skyline including the Walterdale and High Level Bridges, Parliament building, and Downtown. Pioneers Cabin is an incredible venue that can't be replicated.

The Old Timers Cabin was built in the 1950s using log construction to evoke idealized images of pioneers in Alberta.

The Cabin was situated in the river valley on Scona Hill, on a site which had been leveled to provide fill for the Low Level Bridge. The cabin is a relatively modern example of log construction. The style was consciously chosen for its status as a pioneer icon, reflecting the Northern Alberta Pioneers and Descendants Association’s connection with the past. The association dates back to 1894 when it was founded by Edmonton’s earliest prominent businessmen, such as James Gibbons (1894 – 1895), Donald Ross Sr. (1896), John McDougall (1897), and Harrison Young (1898).

In 2020, the name was changed from Old Timers Cabin to Pioneers Cabin, but we will always cherish the rich history of our log cabin no matter the name.

1894

CABIN FOUNDED
Edmonton Old Timers Association

The historic cabin was built by a 76-year-old log craftsman named Hobart Dowler for NAPDA for the Edmonton Old Timers Association, one of Edmonton's oldest chartered clubs. The association was established by a group of 36 pioneers and early prominent businessmen who either trekked across the prairies from the east or worked their way up the Saskatchewan River by boat.

1925

RENAMED
Northern Alberta Pioneers

The association's name changed to Northern Alberta Pioneers and Old Timers Association in 1925.

1959

A New Location
Northern Alberta Pioneers

The current log cabins construction was completed. It was host to many lavish banquets, K-days breakfasts and other important Edmonton events.

1983

Renamed
Old Timers Cabin

The association's name changed once again to Northern Alberta Pioneers & Descendants Association in 1983.

2018

MAJOR RENOVATIONS
Inside & Out

The cabin has been renovated inside and out by a government grant to maintain the historic charm and durability, as well as bring the interior up-to-date with modern facilitation for events, including a retreat room, lower level events space, and exterior restoration.

2024

REBRANDING
Pioneers Cabin

In 2003, the cabin was changed from Old Timers Cabin to Pioneers Cabin. Today we are exploring more inclusive, community based names to reflect our current mission - But we cherish the rich history of our log cabin, and the area no matter the name.

PIONEERS CABIN

With its rustic charm and picturesque scenes of the River Valley, Muttart Conservatory Pyramids, and downtown skyline, the Pioneers Cabin is a unique Edmonton events venue and one of the best locations in the city to hold one-of-a-kind wedding ceremonies and receptions, corporate events, and social celebrations.