Hazeldean is located in an area identified as the land holding of I. Irvine, W. Ogilvie, and C. Anderson by the first river lot and township surveys of the Edmonton Settlement. In 1902, the Edmonton, Yukon, and Pacific Railroad line crossed from the Calgary and Edmonton Railroad line to Mill Creek Ravine, where it snaked its way to Edmonton via the Low Level Bridge. The tracks have been removed, but the railroad right-of-way remains as a green belt across the neighbourhood.
Hazeldean was annexed to the City of Strathcona in 1907 and was joined with Edmonton by the 1912 amalgamation of Edmonton and Strathcona. At that time, most of the area, with the exception of a large estate owned by the Irvine family, had been subdivided using a grid street pattern. In spite of its early start, much of Hazeldean remained undeveloped until the 1950s, when nearly 80 percent of the neighbourhood’s current structures were built.
While most of Hazeldean’s housing consists of one- and two-unit structures located on quiet, tree-lined streets, a large row housing complex was built in the 1950s in response to the oil-driven demand for rental accommodation. With Mill Creek Ravine to the east, Hazeldean residents have ready access to the North Saskatchewan River Valley park system.
Most of Hazeldean’s commercial operations serve local residents, although some businesses located on 99th Street and 63rd Avenue serve a wider clientele. The popular Whyte Avenue commercial area is located north of the neighbourhood.
