Volume 25 Issue 1 Spring 2013
SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
TOUR THE
ADDISON SOD HOUSE
PUBLICATIONS AGREEMENT #41484517
Near Kindersley – Housing is Important for Downtown Revitalization – Regina
MHAC Recipients
Heritage Partnership Fund FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY-BASED HERITAGE INITIATIVES If you have a project that needs money to Help Heritage Happen in your community next spring or summer visit our website right away or call the office at 306-359-0933 or at 1-877-903-0933.
Here's a brief description of each of the four grants. Heritage Site Consultant Report Grant (Maximum $1,000) Success with any conservation project depends on its viability. AHSS supports conservation through providing grants for professional services like structural analysis, architectural design, legal consultation, and construction cost analysis to provide building owners the opportunity to more accurately gauge the feasibility, cost, and methodology for site conservation and re-use.
Heritage Forums Grant (Maximum $1,500) This matching grant program is intended to help community-based organizations to defray costs of hosting conferences, presentations, panel discussions, seminars, workshops, awards ceremonies, and other educational forums that encourage or empower people of the community or province to acknowledge, preserve and/or promote their built historic and cultural heritage.
Heritage Publications Grant (Maximum $1,500) This matching grant is intended to help community-based organizations to defray the cost of printing materials that promote public interest in membership, local programs and activities.
Heritage Communications Grant (Maximum $200) This matching grant is intended to help the Society's community-based organizations to defray the cost of printing brochures or programs that promote public participation in local forums like conferences, presentations, panel discussions, seminars, workshops, awards ceremonies, walking tours, and other educational forums that encourage or empower people of the community or province to acknowledge, preserve and/or promote their built historic and cultural heritage.
WORTH MAGAZINE
Visit www.ahsk.ca for further details and applications.
is committed to controlling collection, use and disclosure of personal information provided by our readers.
Architectural Heritage Society of Saskatchewan HELPING HERITAGE HAPPEN
We are booking advertising space for the Summer 2013 issue now.
WORTH SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
To reserve your space, please contact AHSS Administration 202 - 1275 Broad Street, Regina, SK S4R 1Y2; Phone: 306-359-0933 or 1-877-431-1399 Toll free Email: sahs@sasktel.net
www.WORTHmagazine.ca
2 | WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
We may contact readers periodically, conducting market research in an effort to improve the magazine. Any person, family or organization may subscribe to WORTH free of charge by calling (306) 359-0933 or 1-877-903-0933 toll free. Return undeliverable copies to: WORTH Magazine 202 – 1275 Broad St. Regina, Saskatchewan S4R 1Y2
SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
IN THIS ISSUE WORTH Magazine is published by the Architectural Heritage Society of Saskatchewan (AHSS) Inc. Submissions to WORTH are welcomed and are assumed to be factually correct. We reserve the right to edit copy for clarity and length. Copy submission deadlines: Spring edition: February 25 Summer Edition: May 15 Autumn Edition: August 15 Winter Edition: November 15 Editor: Joe Ralko Design: b-creative group © 2009 ISSN 1926-3198
VOLUME 25 ISSUE 1 Spring 2013 Addison Sod House Open for Tours by Joe Ralko .................................. 4 W.E. Phillips Company by Ross Herrington ............................................ 6 March 31 is Deadline to Apply for Prestigious Heritage Architecture Excellence Award ............. 9 A Walking Tour of Regina's “Temples” by Bob Friedrich ........... 10-11 Architecture of Saskatchewan: A Visual Journey, 1930-2011 ............. 12-13 In The News ................................................... 17
ON OUR COVER:
The Addison Sod house near Kindersley
2013 Regina MHAC Awards .............................................................................. 18-19 Housing is Important for Downtown Revitalization .................................... 20 Moose Jaw Heritage Column by Leith Knight ................................................. 21 Brick by Brick by Frank Korvemaker .................................................................. 22
Printed on FSC certified paper 50% recycled and 25% post-consumer recycled content. Acid and elemental chlorine free.
Addison Sod House
By Joe Ralko
KINDERSLEY – Cousins Lenore McTaggert and Shirley Kucher, whose roots run deep in the fabric of western Canadian history, are working to maintain a family tradition for future generations. A sod house constructed more than a century ago by their grandparents, James and Jane Addison, has become a passion. Shirley and her husband, Bill, live in Kindersley near what was considered the last inhabited sod house in Canada. “We look after the sod house when Lenore is not here,” Shirley explained in an interview with Worth magazine. “Lenore now is the owner of the property. She lives between Lloydminster during the winter and the sod house in summer. We accept tours by phone when available, which is most of the time.” Their aunt, Edith Gardiner, lived in the two-storey sod house until she
Edith Gardiner lived in the sod house until 2007.
had a stroke in 2007. Edith passed away the following year at the age of 98. She had given up a teaching career to return home and take care of brother who had become blind in the early 1950s. She lived alone after his death several decades. The Addison sod house, which measures 40 feet by 16 feet, was designated a provincial heritage property in 1993 and was approved as National Historic Site of Canada in 2005. “The two designations have helped descendents realize the historic im-
4 | WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
portance of the house to the province and the country,” Shirley explained. “We want our children and grandchildren to develop a pride in their roots as well.” The cousins have also maintained the massive flower and vegetable garden that their grandmother began shortly after moving to the property from Saskatoon in 1910. “Because our grandparents were very involved in gardening, we have continued that family tradition as well,” Shirley said. “Grandmother always was getting new seeds from England each year to see how they would grow in Saskatchewan. Edith was also very passionate about her garden growing two long rows of gladiolas each year and sometimes even planted other flowers at the end of March.” One year, she recalled, sunflowers grew wild like weeds. An abundance of vegetables were shared annually
with family and friends, which Lenore and Shirley also do to this day. “Grandfather was a carpenter and shipbuilder when he came to Canada,” Shirley said. “He had to use what was available when he came to this part of the country and that was the soil.” (See also: Sod House Was Built to Last) Tours may be arranged by phoning (306) 463-3364. There is no cost, but
The Addison sod house is a National Historic Site.
an empty syrup can on the kitchen table takes donations. “Time has helped erase the stigma of our family living in a 'Soddy',” she said. “That's one reason we are proud to share our built Canadian heritage with anyone who wants to come for a visit.” W
Sod House Was Built To Last James Addison, his wife and two children moved from Liverpool, England to Saskatoon in 1907.The following year, Edith, who became the last inhabitant of a sod house in North America, was born. He was a skilled carpenter and worked at his trade in the city while looking for his own place to call home. In 1909, he travelled alone by oxcart to his newly-acquired homestead site near Kindersley, studying farm buildings along the way. Lumber was scarce. Brick was expensive. Many of the buildings were built of sod at the time, but many also collapsed after a few months or years of service. As a result, James Addison resolved to build a sod structure that would last and began construction almost immediately upon his arrival at their homestead. Addison later returned to Saskatoon and resumed his carpentry for the winter of 1909-1910. The following spring, James, joined by his brother Charles, obtained a settler's railway car to take their belongings to the farm stead – four oxen, a cow and calf, farm implements and furniture. The entire Addison family then travelled on the newly-completed rail line to Kindersley to begin their new life. After months of frantic activity, the Addisons moved into a lean-to building because the sod house wasn't finished. The lean-to had an earthen floor and a cow hide over the door opening. In 1911, the Addison brothers worked to finish the sod house, adding the three attic bedrooms and completed
the interior. Both contributed to the establishment of Charles' farmstead near James'. A few years later, two more children, Walter and Jean completed the family. The Addisons settled down to survive the uncertainties of farm life. James Addison carefully chose the flattest site for his home. A dry slough bottom was the source of his materials making sure the cut sod would contain enough plant roots to keep the blocks intact. Addison next began the arduous task of assembling the house walls. He carefully laid each course of sods, interlocking them to a double thickness. Addison hollowed out the centre of each layer and narrowed the walls as he built upwards. This allowed the walls to slump downward rather than fall in or collapsing outward. The second storey was a traditional wooden gable design divided into three rooms. The floor was reinforced because the sod walls were to be replaced eventually with a wood frame. That part of Addison's plan was never completed and the sod remains inside the walls to this day. The exterior was covered by vines, planted by Jane Addison, acted as weather proofing, protecting the walls from wind and rain. In the 1940s, the vines were replaced by wood siding, then covered by asphalt siding in the 1960s and subsequently made way for vinyl, which, in turn, now is being replaced by engineered wood because of hail damage. Jane Addison died in 1929 followed by her husband in 1963. (Source: Building Our Future: A People's Architectural History of Saskatchewan).
WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE | 5
T H E
W.E.PHILLIPS C O M PA N Y By Ross Herrington
REGINA – The small red brick building at 1300 Eighth Avenue in Regina has intrigued me for many years. The current home to Signal Industries, the building with its deep setback from the street was obviously part of a former small industrial facility. The Henderson Directories in the late1920s identifies the original building as belonging to the W. E. Phillips Company. In fact, several carved limestone medallions placed around the façade display “Phillips Oshawa.” But what was the original purpose of the building and who was W.E. Phillips? THE W.E. PHILLIPS COMPANY LTD., REGINA A building permit was taken out for $45,000 by the W. E. Phillips Co. on October 8, 1928; Poole Construction Ltd. was the general contractor. The building was designed by well-known Hamilton architects, Hutton & Souter, who also designed Regina's former General Motors of Canada factory at Eighth and Winnipeg, and the former General Motors Building (perhaps better known as Mid-West Motors) at Rose and Twelfth. The three buildings exhibit a similar conservative architectural style with the use of red brick with decorative patterns, Tyndall stone trim and
simple stone-capped pilasters. The Phillips building is distinguished by several flat wall surfaces which extend beyond the singlestorey roofline and which incorporate carved limestone company crests. Unfortunately, the origin of the company's sailing ship crest has been lost but may have reflected the family's passion for sailing or the oncebustling Oshawa Harbour.1 It is not known if the same crest was incorporated in the design of the Phillips head office in Oshawa. In case anyone was wondering, the factory was set back from Eighth Avenue because a CPR railway spur line cut diagonally across the front of
6 | WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
the property. The one-storey storage building was erected on the south side of the spur line. The W. E. Phillips Company Ltd. was formed in Oshawa in 1922 to manufacture wood mouldings for interior decoration, picture frames and plate glass mirrors. Additional product lines included window glass, art novelties, plate glass table tops, glass shelving and plate glass for store fronts.2 The Regina building was both a distribution point for glass products shipped from the main Phillips factory in Oshawa but, more interestingly, Regina's only factory where glass products were to be produced
A $45,000 building permit was issued in 1928 for the current home of Signal Industries.
for the automobiles which would roll out of Regina's new GM factory. In addition, around 25,000 panes of glass were produced for the GM factory itself since the roof was 35% glass and the exterior walls were 80% glass.3 With the onset of difficult economic conditions in the prairies after 1929 and closure of the GM factory in 1930 (production resumed briefly in 1931 and again from 1937 to 1939), W. E. Phillips occupied their Regina building only until 1931. It then sat vacant until 1936. Subsequent occupants included: local chemical manufacturer, Saskasal Ltd., which produced medicinal salt products extracted from Manitou Lake; the sales division of Chrysler Corporation of Canada; and Pilkington Glass Ltd.4 Signal Industries Ltd., started by Robert Foster to produce Saskatchewan licence plates, has operated out of the building since 1971.5 W
WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE | 7
P
the first licensed manufacturer and rominent Canadian distributor in Canada of Duplate financier, industrialist and Safety Glass. This glass initially philanthropist, William was used in the windshields of Eric Phillips was born in Toronto Cadillac and LaSalle in 1893. automobiles8 but soon became He graduated from the standard equipment on the University of Toronto in windshields of other 1914 and being in Euautomobiles. rope at the outbreak of In 1940, Minister of the First World War, Munitions and Supply, enlisted in the British C.D. Howe, recruited Eric Army. He was a LieuPhillips to head Research tenant-Colonel by the age Enterprises Ltd., a crown of 23 and went on to win corporation established to both the DSO and Military make optical glass, range Cross.6 finders, binoculars and In 1920, Eric Phillips WILLIAM ERIC PHILLIPS radar components under joined the firm owned by license. his father and uncle, At the end of the war, Eric Phillips joined E. P. Phillips Toronto Ltd. (formerly the Phillips Taylor in ARGUS Corporation, becoming chairman Manufacturing Co. Ltd.) which manufactured of this investment firm. At the time, Phillips was mainly picture frames at the time. also president of Duplate Canada Ltd., as well as a In 1918, Eric Phillips had married Mary director of many other companies. Eileen McLaughlin, the eldest daughter of R. S. In 1945, William Eric Phillips was appointed McLaughlin of the McLaughlin Carriage Works Chairman of the Board of Governors of the in Oshawa. University of Toronto and served in this position When General Motors purchased the carriage for almost 20 years. He was awarded an Honorary business that year, the company was incorporated Doctor of Laws degree from that university in as General Motors of Canada and R. S. 1947.9 McLaughlin became its first president. William Eric Phillips CBE, DSO, MC, The rapid success of the Phillips B.A.Sc, LL.D died at Palm Beach, Florida company can be seen in the output for on December 26, 1964 after a life of 1927 which included “two and one-half service to Canada and Canadians in million square feet of plate glass and no both war and peace. Regina's glass less than one million square feet of factory on Eighth Avenue remains part window glass.�7 of his legacy. W In 1928, the W. E. Phillips Co. became
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Personal communication,Archivist Tara Lember, Oshawa Community Museum & Archives, 9 April 2010. The Oshawa Daily Times,August 11, 1928, p.33. Personal communication, Kenneth Ring, SAB, 15 January 1987. Regina Henderson Directories. The company was acquired in 1998 by Alberta Traffic Supply Ltd. of Edmonton. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0006267 The Oshawa Daily Times,August 11, 1928, p.34. The Oshawa Daily Times, March 2, 1929.9 http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/Assets/Governing+Council+Digital+Assets/Boards+and+Committees/ Committee+for+Honorary+Degrees/degreerecipients1850tillnow.pdf
8 | WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
2 013
March 31 is Deadline to Apply for Prestigious
Heritage Architecture Excellence Awards Don't forget to mark your calendars!
T
he deadline for submitting applications to the jury selecting the Heritage Architecture Excellence Awards is March 31, 2013. The Heritage Architecture Excellence Awards are for projects completed during the 2012 calendar year and are bestowed by the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, Patron of the Architectural Heritage Society of Saskatchewan. The Society has recognized the efforts of owners, architects and contractors to preserve the province's built heritage through an awards program that began in 1996.
The name of the program and even the name of the not-for-profit society have evolved over the years. Goals and objectives have remained the same – to help heritage happen across Saskatchewan. Last year, projects in Cannington Manor, Maple Creek, Moose Jaw and Moosomin were bestowed with the prestigious award bringing the total number recognized since inception to 130. So, don't be shy. Don't be late. Submit your projects to be adjudicated for the prestigious awards in one or more of the following eight categories:
Categories for Building Projects
Categories for Community Engagement
1. 2. 3.
4.
5. 6.
Exterior Restoration - preservation or restoration of a heritage exterior. Interior Conservation - preservation or restoration of a heritage interior. Rehabilitation - sensitive and innovative solutions to functional and code compliance problems, retaining existing heritage character. Adaptive Re-Use - sensitive upgrades and associated new construction consistent with original heritage character. Sympathetic New Construction - sensitive infill, additions, signage, detailing and replicas. Landscape, Engineering and Agricultural Works - conservation or rehabilitation of building related landscapes and/or utilitarian construction that may have architectural features.
7.
8.
Education, Signage, Monuments & Interpretation - interpretive programs, publications, trails, signs and monuments. Long-Term Stewardship of a Heritage Property - This category was created in 2009 year to recognize continuing efforts by owners to maintain their heritage property.
The adjudication committee continues to reserve the right not to bestow awards in each category every year. The project submitted does not have to have a heritage designation for it to be honoured. For more information, visit the Society website www.ahsk.ca
Architectural Heritage Society of Saskatchewan HELPING HERITAGE HAPPEN
WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE | 9
Regina's Temple
MYSTERY TOUR Around Victoria Park By Bob Friedrich
Got a half hour to learn something about downtown Regina?
W
hy travel to Rome when Regina has its own Temples looking down on Victoria Park? What secrets do they hold and why were they built? The Temple, although simple in style, offers much to be appreciated if we just take the time to look. Let's start with a functioning Temple – the Masonic Temple. It is best seen looking west from the Cenotaph. That's the big monument right in the centre of Victoria Park. This Classical Revival building is the home of Free Masonry in Regina and Wascana Lodge No. 2 is the second oldest in the province. Built in 1921 and designed by local architect Frank Portnall, it is a building steeped in intrigue, but is the least accessible to the public. But ask and maybe they will let you in to look around. Lately they have offered tours to the public. Next walk up to Victoria Avenue, past another functioning temple – First Baptist Church. This temple also is designed in the Classical Revival Style. But guess
10 | WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
what? It has a twin in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and further, its dome went for a two-block ride in the 1912 tornado; who says only in Kansas? The plans for this temple came from Alabama architect James E. Greene. Many local Reginans believe that local architect W.W. Hilton had designed it, but we now know he followed Greene's design. Along the same promenade we find a temple to our sporting gods, the Sports Hall of Fame. Constructed in the Romanesque Revival Style, it was designed by Darling and Pearson of Toronto who also did our Legislative Building. This temple is open to the public and offers tours and educational programming about Saskatchewan sports heroes. You will be surprised what they have – everything from jerseys to great stories about all our sporting heroes. Surprisingly, it was our Land Titles Office for its first 70 years.
“Temples” around Victoria Park (clockwise from top right photograph) are: Wascana Lodge No. 2, Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, the “federal” building on the corner of Victoria Avenue and Scarth Street (also on the opposite page), First Baptist Church and Hotel Saskatchewan.
Walking further east along Victoria you will see the Hotel Saskatchewan. This temple has many worshippers who come from near and far. Folklore says one of its original power plants came from a Second World War U boat, but who knows for sure? Ask someone there and they might tell. Libations are available daily. Kitty corner is the Federal Building, looking majestic and temple-like, housing agencies like the tax department (who doesn't bow to them?). The building was designed in the Art Moderne style and has undergone detailed restoration work. Of course at the corner of Scarth and Victoria you are now close to the famous courtroom that heard Louis Riel declare, “I am the leader of a whole people, can a whole people be guilty of treason”? This question is still hotly debated. If you are interested in more Temples, check out Knox Metropolitan Church. They have services every Sunday and a great bell tower with functioning bells. Maybe you might even meet Quasimodo.” W WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE | 11
New book chronicles the evolution of both the province's architectural profession and its rich legacy of built heritage. Architecture of Saskatchewan: A Visual Journey, 1930-2011 By Bernard Flaman Foreword by Lisa Rochon, Architecture Critic, The Globe and Mail
V
ision, imagination, concept, articulation. An awareness of space and place, of functionality and materials and costs. The factors that render the dream a reality. The poetics of building. In a brand new book, Architecture of Saskatchewan: A Visual Journey, 1930-2011, by Bernard Flaman, these poetics are lovingly explored. And what is evident in the book is that in the land of living skies these poetics are often uniquely expressed. Beautifully-designed and lavishlyillustrated in full-colour, Architecture of Saskatchewan picks up where previous books on Saskatchewan architecture left off. The Saskatchewan Association of Architects' Historic Architecture of Saskatchewan (1986) and Joe Ralko's Building Our Future (2004) both chronicled an earlier era; Flaman follows through, bringing us into the 21st century. The journey begins in the 1930s and 1940s, when the revival styles of the early 20th century are cast aside to make way for the rise of Art Deco, Modernism, and Streamlined Moderne. It continues through the 1950s, when the province's architectural profession itself begins to be
Beautifully-designed and lavishly-illustrated in fullcolour, Architecture of Saskatchewan picks up where previous books on Saskatchewan architecture left off. transformed by a new generation of architects who will come to challenge established practitioners and inspire a shift toward International Style Modernism and uniquely Canadian expression. Flaman then visits the 1960s, a decade marked by unprecedented building activity in Saskatchewan, as well as national recognition for its architects whose approach to design is inspired by the light, colours, and seasons of the province. The journey continues through the 1970s and 1980s, when the styles of Late and Post-Modernism develop, along with an interest in both heritage conservation and energyefficient design. Flaman then brings us through the most recent decades and into the present, where the press-
12 | WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
ing issues of sustainable design, building rehabilitation, and the challenges of climate change are at the forefront of the province's architectural practice. With over 400 archival images, architectural drawings, and stunning new photographs by such noted Saskatchewan shooters as Don Hall and Larry Easton, approximately 150 of the province's buildings are depicted in Flaman's book. The major cities are wellrepresented, but Flaman carefully selects projects from all across Saskatchewan. Obvious monumental structures are included, but so are a great many surprises. In Saskatoon, many of the buildings at the University of Saskatchewan campus are featured, as are city landmarks such as the Mendel Art Gallery, the Frances Morrison Library, the Sturdy Stone Centre, Saskatoon Square, the Galleria Building at Innovation Place, and Saskatoon City Hospital. In Regina, a number of structures at its university are also showcased, as are the city's Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Saskatchewan Power Corporation headquarters, the T. C.
T. Rex Discovery Centre, Eastend, 2003. McMillan Lehrer Ellard Croft.
Wanuskewin Heritage Park Interpretive Centre, Tipperary Creek north of Saskatoon, 1992. aodbt architecture + interior design. Photo: Branimir Gjetvaj.
Photo: courtesy of Stantec, Calvin Fehr Photography.
Douglas Building, CBC Broadcast Centre, the Terrace Building at Innovation Place, and the RCMP Heritage Centre. Beyond the two largest cities, noteworthy projects include the Kramer Cottage in Lebret, the John Nugent Studio in Lumsden, the Wynyard Civic Centre, Prince Albert City Hall, the T.rex Discovery Centre in Eastend, and the new Meadow Lake Courthouse. Architecture of Saskatchewan also explores the rise of First Nationsinspired work: Douglas Cardinal's First Nations University is an obvious inclusion, as perhaps are the interpretive centres at both Batoche National Historic Site and Wanuskewin Heritage Park, but Flaman also looks at lesser-known projects such as the Beardy's and Okemasis Willow Cree First Nations High School. Of further interest is the focus on a few of the province's endangered structures. According to Lisa Rochon, The Globe and Mail's Architecture Critic, Clifford Wiens's Silton Chapel is “one of Saskatchewan's finest
examples of sublime Modern or land ural excellence today can combine architecture,” but she finds it “deeply views toward aesthetics and funcconcerning [that it] has been allowed tionality with issues of sustainable to fall into ruin, despite decades of design, building rehabilitation, and adoring use by Catholic worshipers the concerns of climate change. and visiting cottagers.” And as Lisa Rochon concludes, Flaman also features the Regina Architecture of Saskatchewan proPublic Library, one of the city's few vides “evidence of a stubborn, impresexamples of Modernist architecture, sive vision of people – architects, cliand one whose future is currently up ents and advocates – working to enfor debate. sure that the dream for excellence in Sadly, a few of the works gracing architecture never dies.” the pages of the book have not surAvailable April 2013 in fine bookvived. Joseph Pettick's Moose Jaw stores everywhere. For more informaCivic Centre, the “Crushed Can,” tion visit www.cprcpress.ca. W recognized by the Heritage Can (Source: University of Regina Press) ada Foundation as one of Canada's “Top 10 Endangered Places,” was demolished last year, and at the time of this writing, the signature, vaulted roof Safeway on 13th Avenue in Regina is coming down. Yet, despite these issues and losses, Flaman's book is a celebration. He vividly demonstrates to the general reader and the professional Prince Albert City Hall, 1983. Clifford Wiens Architect. practitioner that architectPhoto: courtesy of Clifford Wiens 13 WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE | 15
Province Invests in Claybank Brick Plant National Historic Site
T
he Government of Saskatchewan, through the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation, is investing in the Claybank Brick Plant National Historic Site, so that masonry conservation work to one of the plant's ten beehive kilns can take place. Beehive kilns are large structures where bricks were sent for the firing process. “The Claybank brickworks is a significant part of our province's history and a unique heritage site in North America,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Kevin Doherty said. “Tourism is a $1.7 billion industry in Saskatchewan and an important part of our growing province and strong economy. We are lucky to have this attraction and I am very appreciative of the partnership we have struck with Parks Canada, the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation and the 14 | WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
Claybank Brick Plant Historical Society, all focused on the goal of preserving this important site for both Saskatchewan and all Canadians.” The Claybank Brick Plant National Historic Site, located west of Avonlea, is both a national historic site and a provincial heritage property. It is the most intact early twentieth century brick factory in North America. The plant operated from 1912 until 1989 and was donated to the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation in 1992. During its operation, Claybank produced both refractory (heatresistant) bricks used in industrial buildings and face bricks used in many private homes and prominent public buildings throughout Saskatchewan and Canada, such as Saskatoon's Delta Bessborough Hotel and the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City. “The Saskatchewan
Heritage Foundation is very pleased to participate in a partnership arrangement that will ensure the much-needed rehabilitation of a significant component of this former industrial heritage site,” Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation Chair Wesley Moore said. “Access to this restored structure will enhance the visitor experience to this unusual heritage property, as it represents a unique aspect of the province's history and economic development.” The Government of Saskatchewan's investment has triggered funding from the Government of Canada. The federal government has agreed to match provincial funding up to $50,000 through Parks Canada's National Historic Sites Cost-Sharing Program. The contract to complete this work was awarded to Baroccon Wall Systems Inc. of Toronto for $95,000. W (Source: Government of Saskatchewan News Release)
Order your copy of Biographies Regina’s book Regina’s Warehouse District “Bricks and Mortar – Pride and Passion” by contacting the Warehouse District office by email: info@warehousedistrict.ca or fax to: 306-585-1765 The cost is $24.95.
WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE | 15
Architectural Heritage Society of Saskatchewan HELPING HERITAGE HAPPEN
extended to March 21, 2013.
16 | WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
IN IN THE THE NEWS NEWS
Bell Barn Earns Masonry Award
2013 AGM in Tisdale The 2013 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Architectural Heritage Society of Saskatchewan will be held on Saturday, March 23, at the CanAlta Inn in Tisdale. AGM activities include receiving and approving the audited financial statement. Election of directors and officers will also take place. In previous years, the society has held its AGM in North Battleford (2012),Yorkton (2011), Swift Current (2010) and Regina (2009).
The Saskatchewan Masonry Institute has presented the Bell Barn with the Award for Excellence in the category of Restoration and Addition. Bell Barn Society members pictured with the award made of marble are from left to right: Frank Korvemaker, Connie Billett, Jerry Willerth, Doreen Willerth and Lori Tourscher. Photo is courtesy of Toni Korvemaker. There were 109 projects considered for the awards which are presented every four years.There were eight in the heritage building category. Repointing of the Dominion/Federal building in Regina received an Award of Merit.The interior and exterior rehabilitation of the Leader Building also in Regina received an honourable mention.
Oops! We regret we erred and did not credit and thank Greg Miller for the Indian Head Main Street photographs especially the spectacular image featured on the cover of the winter edition of Worth.
Ralko 2013 Regina MHAC Chair Joe Ralko, who was named a lifetime member of the Architectural Heritage Society of Saskatchewan in 2008, has been elected 2013 chair of the City of Regina's Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee (MHAC). Ralko was appointed to the Regina MHAC two years ago. He has been the editor of Worth, the quarterly magazine produced by AHSS, and its predecessor publications Heritage Quarterly Saskatchewan and Façade since 2007. His 2005 Saskatchewan Centennial book, Building Our Future: A People's Architectural History of Saskatchewan, earned him literary recognition in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. Ralko also was one of the contributing editors for “Regina's Warehouse District….Bricks and Mortar – Pride and Passion”.The book was released in February.
Architectural Heritage Society of Saskatchewan 2012 BOARD of DIRECTORS Al Gill, President, Regina Brian Bell, Vice President, Moose Jaw Richard Hiebert, North Battleford Terry Sinclair, Regina Michelle Taylor, Prince Albert Rod Stutt, Moose Jaw Jayne Remenda, Prince Albert Wally Dyck, Saskatoon
Become a Society Member. The Architectural Heritage Society of Saskatchewan encourages, supports and rewards meaningful conservation of our built heritage. Any person, enterprise or community-based organization may apply to become a full and active member of AHSS for an annual membership fee of just $20. Fees help the Society communicate with members and provide grant funding for community-based programs and projects across Saskatchewan. To join simply complete and mail to AHSS, 202 -1275 Broad St, Regina, SK S4R 1Y2 or visit www.ahsk.ca for information under “Join”. Yes, I/we want to become a member of AHSS
STAFF Audrey Price, Executive Director Lovella Jones, Communications Coordinator
Yes, I/we want to receive WORTH Magazine free ____________________________________________________________ Name
____________________________________________________________ Address
Architectural Heritage Society of Saskatchewan
___________________________
_______________________________
Community
Province
___________________________
_______________________________
Postal Code
Email address (strictly for our use)
HELPING HERITAGE HAPPEN
WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE | 17
R E G I N A M U N I C I PA L
Rehabilitation:
The Creative City Centre
New Design – Addition:
Education:
Government House Edwardian Garden Landscape The landscape rehabilitation at Government House Historic Property located at 4607 Dewdney Avenue paid respect to the original gardens by preserving the historic landscape features and “garden rooms created by gardener George Watt between the years of 1894 and 1911. The site organization and planting configuration reflect those of the Edwardian landscape tradition in style at the time. The resulting design and garden features act as an invitation to the public and provide a setting for official functions while elevating the public awareness to the importance of the grounds and building.
The Engineer's Building (1912), located at 1843 Hamilton Street in Regina's downtown core, has seen many uses over the last 100 years. Taking on the sensitive adaptation of such an historic place for contemporary use and bringing it up to the comfort and safety requirements of the 21st century while still protecting its heritage value was no small feat. Hours of work from tireless volunteers including removing bricks from long-abandoned windows and stripping 60 year old paint from doors and millwork has given new life to the downtown and the arts community of Regina.
Bradley/Dawson Sunroom & Garage A structural addition of a 12' x 14' single-story sunroom and 16' x 32' detached, single-car garage sympathetic and compatible to a 1914 home situated in the Crescents area at 227 Angus Crescent complement and support not only the character-defining elements of the home, but those of the neighbourhood. The house is a representative example of the preFirst World War residential architecture. Both new structures were built using The Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada as a guide.
Award Recipients: Marian Donnelly, Creative City Centre Inc. Kelly Hague, Loggie’s Shoes
Award Recipients: Bruce Dawson and Crista Bradley, home owners Rob Sandstra, Sandstra Construction Bonnie Fenrick, Bonnie Fenrick Residential Architectural Design and Drawings Darcy Bodden, ADS Stucco & Exteriors Kelly Nadler, KRN Residential Design Ltd.
Regina Tornado Legacy Project The Regina Tornado Legacy project was a multi-faceted, multi-media, cross-generational commemoration of one of Regina's seminal events. It focused attention on the 100th Anniversary of the tornado and its continuing impact on the city. It honoured the tornado's victims, marked its destructive path, and celebrated the amazing renaissance of the city that began in the hours immediately following the horrific devastation. The project interwove the visual and performing arts with science, business, and historical study and preservation. The day's activities were further enriched by the participation of seven members of Scouts Canada and their leaders who recreated the Scouts' life-saving activities of the day of the tornado.
Award Recipients: SEPW Architecture Inc. Ministry of Central Services Habitat Design Stuart Olson Dominion Construction Ltd. Canadian Bobcat Services
18 | WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
Award Recipients: Audrey Price, Regina Warehouse Business Improvement District & Regina Tornado Legacy Group Judith Veresuk, Regina Downtown Business Improvement District & Regina Tornado Legacy Group Shari Sokochoff, Regina Plains Museum
H E R I TA G E A W A R D S
George Bothwell Heritage Award for Public Service: Time Traveler/Voyageur du Temps - École Connaught Centennial Committee Connaught School Regina's oldest public school - was the focus for a twoyear program of activities and projects supporting the creative expression of heritage through arts and culture. It built an enhanced public appreciation of the building and the community's capacity for understanding our city's heritage. In all, Voyageur du Temps/ Time Traveler encompassed 12 very diverse projects and activities that utilized all media and showcased the talents of community residents. Activities included walking tours of the area; Connaught's pre-school students baking 100 cupcakes; and a three-day music and arts festival. Award Recipients: École Connaught Centennial Committee Patricia Elliott, Chair Sheri Adams- Selinger Molly Moss, Rene Dumount Janine Windolph, Gerri Ann Siwek, Suzanne Arndt
Keith Knox Heritage Award for Youth: Stephen Reiger - The South Saskatchewan Regiment A regional Youth Heritage Fair project in the form of a display with period memorabilia, encapsulated the story of the South Saskatchewan Regiment tracing its lineage to 1905 and the formation of the 95th Regiment, which in 1913 became the 95th Saskatchewan Rifles. One of its official duties was patrolling the streets of Regina following the 1912 cyclone. Stephen placed special emphasis on their role in the raid at Dieppe during World War II. The project also told the story of Hervé Giroux, great-uncle of Stephen, who was captured in the raid at Dieppe and taken as a prisoner of war for 32 months before being released. Award Recipient: Stephen Rieger
Picturing 100 Years of Regina History - École Connaught Community School. Madame Harel's grade 7 and 8 students at École Connaught Community School sought a creative way to learn and bring life to Regina's past 100 years. The students began their work in the Prairie History Room at the Regina Public Library. The students chose specific decades to concentrate on: the 1910s,
1920s, 1950s, 1960s; and, additionally, they could look to the future. They studied both written history and photographs to get a 'feel' for those times and created various mediums. The results of their work were shared widely with the public through displays, presentations, and tours. Award Recipients: Mme. Harel’s Grade 7 and 8 students, Class of 2012, École Connaught Community School
Students recreate a scene from the 1910s.
WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE | 19
Housing is Important for Downtown Revitalization By Joe Ralko DONOVAN D. RYPKEMA, President of Heritage Strategies International (HSI), spoke about the importance of housing in the downtown revitalizations from a personal and professional perspective as he delivered the 6th Annual Saskatchewan Heritage Week Public Lecture. “I, myself, live in downtown Washington, D.C., halfway between the White House and the Capitol Building,” he began his presentation entitled: Housing & Heritage the Missed Connection. “The population of my zip code in 1990 was 11 people; most of them homeless. By the 2000 census there were 901 people and today over 4,000 people live in my neighborhood. Now, we even have a farmers' market every Thursday.” Demographic patterns have also encouraged the downtown housing trend, Rypkema said. “The huge demographic bubble of baby boomers now is becoming empty nesters, and empty nesters are a significant share of downtown residents,” he said. “When communities begin downtown housing initiatives they usually think of the new loan officer at the bank, the young stockbroker and her boyfriend the art teacher, the recent law school graduate and the young entrepreneur.” Those individuals, he said, would “certainly be a major chunk of the market.” “But the sleeper market is the relatively affluent older couple, who maybe want to spend their winters in Florida, but keep a home in their hometown in Regina,” the expert concluded. The second demographic trend, however, are those individuals described as “20 somethings”. “They are delaying getting married, therefore delaying having kids.They want the “Urban Cool” even if their urbanity is a town of 5,000 people and urban cool, at whatever scale, happens downtown.” Rypkema said the third demographic trend deals with the same age group but it a separate phenomenon. “Those 20 somethings are very independent,” he said. “Most of their parents began their working careers anticipating long term stability in their jobs in the corporate world or in government.These young people know their career path will meander, not only
between different jobs but among entire different professions.They not only know that but wouldn't have it any other way.” This independence manifests Donovan Rypkema is itself in many ways. President of Heritage “Some will express their Strategies International independence as counter(HSI). culturalists – the 21st century HSI was established in Donovan Rypkema version of the hippie, but many 2004 as a companion more will express this independence as firm to Place-Economics, a consulting firm entrepreneurial, creative enterprise in of which Rypkema is the principal. business or the non-profit sector, in educa- PlaceEconomics – widely recognized as the tion or in the arts,” he said. industry leader in the economics of his“Downtown housing provides the ideal toric preservation – specializes in services venue to express both independence and to public and NGO clients who are dealing entrepreneurship.” with center city and neighborhood comThe last demographic trend Rypkema mercial district revitalization and the reuse identified was the rapid rise of the one of heritage structures. person household. Rypkema has worked with communities “Here in Saskatchewan 29 per cent of all in 49 States and seven Canadian Provinces. households are made up of one person and HSI was formed to extend internationthat percentage is growing.This spans the ally the services that have been provided age brackets: young people who haven't yet primarily in North America over the past married, mid-life people whose spouse is 20 years. gone through death or divorce, and older On an international level, Rypkema has people living alone,” he said. worked directly with business leaders in “This single person household is a Japan on issues of downtown revitalization; strong component of the downtown marofficials in Thailand regarding historic presket.” ervation challenges; citizen groups in RusPhiladelphia was an example cited by sia on development and tourism strategies; Rypkema that had lost population every and prepared heritage preservation strateyear for four decades. gies for provincial officials in China. “Over the last decade downtown housHe has spoken at international confering in Philadelphia has exploded and today ences in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Czech numbers 88,000,” he said. Republic, Finland, Malaysia, Poland, Portugal, “But 61 per cent of the households in Saudi Arabia, Spain and Switzerland. downtown Philadelphia are one person He was a member of the American delehouseholds.” gation to a U.S./Spain Forum on Historic Across Canada when you add together Preservation and Economic Development one person households and two person and serves on the Board of Directors of households without children over 57 per Global Urban Development. cent of all households are accounted for. Rypkema was educated at Columbia “Many of those find downtown housing University where he received a Masters of appealing.” Science degree in Historic Preservation. Most success in downtown revitalization He is author of several publications is incremental success and downtown including Community Initiated Develophousing is no exception, Rypkema conment,The Economics cluded. of Rehabilitation,The “I'm most pleased to talk about Downtown Real downtowns and housing. It's the right thing Estate Development to do for Saskatchewan's downtowns, the Series, and others. right thing to do for heritage buildings and, (Source: best of all, you can make money doing the www.hs-intl.com) right thing.”
20 | WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
Global Perspective on City Revitalizations
ONCE UPON A TIME ALMOST EVERYONE NEEDED A BARN. Since horsepower was so essential in the pre-automobile age, it's no wonder there were barns in every Moose Jaw neighbourhood – the brick horse-andcarriage barn behind the Grayson House, and the red barn at the back of "A Red Brick Bed and Breakfast," 37 Oxford St.W., are just two of the restored leftovers of the bygone barn era. Even the old firehall on Fairford West, the home of all those fire horses, was as much a barn as anything. And the round Winn barn which once stood in the Belbeck district is pictured on the front cover of author Bob Hainstock's book Barns of Western Canada. In the rural areas, there was a barn of sorts on almost every quarter section. As the homesteaders prospered and farm size increased, straw, sod, log and bank barns gave way to two and three story frame structures sitting solidly on fieldstone and cement foundations. The mid-1920s saw the end of the bigbarn building – the last one in the Moose Jaw district being the massive U-shaped Lasby barn erected in 1926 by local contractor W.J. Jones. Its construction consumed 2,350 hundred-pound bags of cement, 173,000 feet of lumber and 156,000 cedar shingles. The carpentry work alone amounted to 6,075 man-hours. When Moose Jaw brick maker Wellington White finished building a handsome hip-roof barn at his farm five miles southeast of Pasqua in 1925, he invited the local Rotary club to throw a barn dance. “The big barn was found highly suitable for dancing, the floor of the loft having been prepared with polish until it had assumed a gloss sufficiently perfect to vie with the floors of many of the city's dance halls,” commented the Moose Jaw Times.
Area farmers built some huge barns back in the day By Leith Knight “The floor was also found highly secure, there being no vibration whatever even with a capacity crowd.” On the main floor, a harness room was turned into a refreshment stall where local Rotary president George Whitlock and his assistants served refreshments which included ice cream and soft drinks. Fulford's Orchestra, one of Moose Jaw's principal dance bands, provided a program of regular modern dances such as waltzes, fox trots and one steps “with a number of square dances and schottisches thrown in for the more middle-aged members of the gathering.” Everyone noted the barn's cleanliness and the aroma of newly-planed lumber – a pleasant change from odors sometimes encountered by barn dancers. One local musician recalled his youthful barnstorming days when he played for a barn dance near Swift Current. At one point, the fiddle player went looking for an outhouse or a substitute, and in the pitch dark slipped into the manure gutter behind the cow stalls. Band members scraped him off the best they could but had to put up with him for the rest of the evening, and then ride back to Moose Jaw with the band crammed into one automobile. The biggest barn in all North America was W.T.“Horseshoe” Smith's barn situated near Leader, Sask. Horseshoe Smith, a Kentuckian, arrived in the North-West Territories at the beginning of the last century bent on becoming
the biggest ranch operator east of the Rockies. A little over a decade later he owned 10,000 acres and counted his animals – horses, mules, hogs and sheep – in the thousands. In the spring of 1914, he was ready to build his sensational barn. From his banker at Maple Creek, he obtained a loan of $80,000 – a vast sum of money in those days – and proceeded to order 30,000 bags of cement, 32 railway carloads of lumber, 60,000 feet of galvanized tin for the roof and a carload of nails. The nail supplier, thinking the quantity was excessive, sent the order back for correction. Horseshoe increased the order to one and one-half car loads. When the 400-foot long, 128-foot wide and 60-foot high barn was finished, Horseshoe invited thousands to a barn dance. He hired two of the best cooks in the country to prepare the food, and two orchestras, one for each end of the loft. The evening's entertainment included a 100yard foot race on the loft floor. Horseshoe Smith was 69 at the time, and far from well. He died in 1918 at the age of 73, and three years later a trust company took over the property and tore down the seven-year-old barn. The lumber was bought up by local farmers and homesteaders to be built into hundreds of homes, stables and granaries. Today, the site of Horseshoe Smith's superstructure is municipal heritage property. On top of a large rock cairn sits a replica of the famous barn built to the scale of one foot to 25 feet. Commenting on the barn that occupied an area as big as a football playing field, historian Grant MacEwan said:“It didn't make sense, but it made conversation aplenty.” (Source: Reprinted with permission of the Moose Jaw Times Herald)
WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE | 21
NORTH AMERICAN BRICK By Frank Korvemaker - fkorvemaker@accesscomm.ca
Detail of the firebricks used in the bake oven.
Detail of the brick construction in the bake oven firebox. A series of vertical vents were built between the bricks to permit effective air flow. The exterior of the bricks darkened from 13 years of almost daily exposure to fire; and later contact with red soil for over 200 years. (Scale: 3 feet)
Brick Name:
Unknown
Brick Manufacturer:
Unknown
Manufacture Location: Unknown, probably France Date(s) of Manufacture: ca. 1732 Brick Type:
Fire
Approximate Dimensions: 9 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ inches/ 240 x 116 x 61 mm Colour:
The foundation for the stone bake oven at the Roma at Three Rivers National Historic Site, with the brick firebox at the right, built in 1732.
COMMENTS: On June 18, 1732 Jean-Pierre Roma and several ships landed at Trois Rivières, on the east coast of Isle St. Jean (now Brudenell Point, Prince Edward Island). They came from France, laden with supplies to establish a commercial fishing village. Among those supplies were yellow hand-made firebricks needed to construct building features such as fireplaces, chimneys, a blacksmith's forge and a bake oven. Roma's settlement survived despite many adversities, but was pillaged and burned to the ground on June 20, 1745 by New England Privateers after they had captured and sacked Louisbourg. Between 1968 and 1970, the site was excavated by Parks Canada archaeologists (directed by Dr. Rick Sprague and me) and remains of both the French village and later British residents were unearthed. Among the former was the wooden bakery, including a stone and brick bake oven foundation. Brick manufacturing in New France was not common, and so it is likely that the firebricks at the Roma Site were shipped over as ship ballast, to be replaced with fish for the return trip to France. Certainly the yellow bricks uncovered here were not locally manufactured, as all soils on PEI are renowned for their dark red colour. W
pale yellow Sources: [1] “Archaeological Excavations at the Roma Site, Brudenell
Point, P.E.I.: 1968-1970” by E. Frank Korvemaker, Parks Canada, Manuscript Report Series # 442, p. 7-16, and 42-59; [2] Charles Burke, Senior Archaeologist, Parks Canada, Halifax: Personal Communication: Feb. 12, 2013; [3] Photos: Parks Canada, Korvemaker: 1F-347-T, 1F-353-T, and 1F-843-T.
22 | WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE
?
e n
? w
W E
N
WORTH: SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE | 23
SASKATCHEWAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE MAGAZINE #202 – 1275 Broad St. Regina, SK S4R 1Y2