Edmonton police watch over the scene at a north Edmonton townhouse where the bodies of two young boys were found. (CBC)

A 31-year-old father has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of his two young sons in Edmonton, according to court records.

The man is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning.

The boys — one six years old and the other almost four — were found dead in a north Edmonton townhouse early Monday morning.

Edmonton police said they were called to the townhouse to check on the welfare of people living there. Shortly after midnight, officers found the boys' bodies, along with a man with injuries that were not life threatening.

The boys are Edmonton's 26th and 27th homicides of 2010.

People placed flowers and stuffed toys at a makeshift memorial near the townhouse.

"It just sickens me the way people are," said Linda Scott, who prayed at the memorial with her own children.

Others came from other parts of the city to pay their respects.

"They're just young," Dwight Williamson said. "They didn't have a chance in life."

The children were living with their mother. Alberta's Ministry of Children and Youth Services was involved with the family, which means their identities cannot be revealed under provincial law.

"We provided supports and services for the family," Minister Yvonne Fritz said Monday. Fritz would not provide details like the type and degree of involvement her ministry had with the family.

Alberta NDP MLA Rachel Notley called on the government to be more open and provide more information about the case.

"It would be reasonable for most Albertans to want to know enough about what happened in order to be able to determine whether there's something that needs to be done to ensure that this kind of tragedy can be avoided in the future," Notley said.

Autopsies on the children were performed Tuesday. The cause of death has not been determined as the medical examiner is waiting for more test results.