Sorry to say I have never seen it in person, but from pictures I've seen, the color looks like it could be Harison's Yellow. Growth habit, foliage and hardiness in your zone also fit. Here's a link to Harison's Yellow at helpmefind or try googling it to compare more pictures. Good luck. Donna

Here is a link that might be useful: Harison's Yellow at HMF

My only problem with the identification as Harison's Yellow is the length of the canes -- 8-10 feet. This is a mature plant. I found a thread I started in the roses forum (I'm getting old) http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg0311451422568.html.

The question of identity came up and mad_gallica made the following comment, "My guess is that it's a Prairie rose that doesn't travel well, so we won't have the ability to ID it. It's in the same general family as Harison's Yellow, but with much, much nicer bush form." I didn't have pictures of the blooms at the time.

Hi!
I would chance a guess that it is Harrison's Yellow, judging by the cane length, and the slight tip dieback. In Saskatoon there's one that reaches the eaves of a house, about 9 feet up or more. Someone told me once it's the longer daylength up here, that allows it to grow taller than it does further south. Hazeldean usually (in my experience) maxes out at about 6, maybe 7 feet, and dieback occurs usually by the whole cane (which does happen occasionally - probably insect or disease related), rather than at the tips. Where abouts are you?
Hope this helps!
Koren in Saskatoon

I'm in Edmonton, thanks for the replies. It's neat having such a historic rose. Still lovely after all those years.

The roses were here when we moved in and I am cleaning them up and getting to know them. For instance, I have moved some suckers that are surviving and now have more :). Also, I cleaned some old branched canes out of the big bush in front of the house and found they were holding up the newer canes -- now I need to trellis.

I have a long plain brown wood fence and I am going to plant the suckers along it. It will look nice and keep the kids from hopping the fence and getting at the fruit trees.

I am probably wrong..but isn't Harrison's Yellow covered with small hair like thorns? The pic of the blossom looks to me to be mostly thornless? Donna

I don't think it has small hairs; but, it has lots of thorns.

It looks like Harison's Yellow (one r in Harison) to me, and I will put a link below. Click on photos tab to see several pages of pictures, some showing the reddish-brown branches, big prickles, distinctive leaves, etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: Harison's Yellow