The North Saskatchewan River Valley and the Gold Bar Ravine encompass three sides of the neighbourhood, and 106th Avenue forms the southern boundary of Capilano. The neighbourhood was subdivided in 1910, was annexed to Edmonton in 1949, and remained in agricultural use until urban development in the 1950s.
Capilano’s residential makeup is almost entirely (99 percent) single-detached housing, and over 90 percent of these homes were constructed before 1960. Almost 40 percent of Capilano’s population is over the age of 50 years, as compared to the city average of just under 30 percent. Older neighbourhoods such as Capilano tend to have a higher percentage of their population in the upper age groups (50+) than do newer suburban neighbourhoods.
Capilano features many beautifully landscaped homes, streets lined with mature trees, and two parks. The neighbourhood also features two elementary schools and a community league. Capilano Mall, a regional shopping centre located in nearby Ottewell, provides residents with a variety of commercial services. The two major arterial roads located in the neighbourhood (50th Street and 106th Avenue) provide residents with easy access to other areas of the city. Local residents also have good access to neighbourhood parks and to Capilano Park in the river valley.
Samis Park is named after Earl Samis (1895-1970), who dedicated fifty years of service to recreation in Edmonton. Another local park recognizes Alexander Harold Thiele (1920-1981), who was an Edmonton lawyer involved with the German-Canadian community.
The neighbourhood was named after the Capilano River, Capilano River Canyon, and Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver, BC. “Capilano” is an adaptation of a Salish word that means “people of Hiap.” It was also the hereditary name of the Chief of the Squamish, central coast Salish who traditionally lived in what is now North Vancouver.