The Saskatchewan AIDS Network (SAN) was a coalition of community-based organizations dedicated to responding to HIV/AIDS at the provincial level through the development and maintenance of community partnerships. At the time of its formation in 1994, the founders believed that an organization was needed to facilitate co-operation and communication on a province-wide basis to deal with the HIV/AIDS crisis.

SAN was designed as a province-wide coalition in order to ensure that the voices of rural communities would be included and that the independent efforts of member organizations would contribute to collective goals. SAN had numerous objectives including: to support other service organizations and communities in their efforts to advocate for social change; to make HIV/AIDS a higher health priority for the general public in Saskatchewan; to develop more effective relationships with all levels of government and with other health and social justice coalitions; to provide opportunities for members to network, share information, build skills, and develop partnerships with one another; and to act as a resource centre for its members by providing access to up-to-date information, hard-to-find documents, and other HIV/AIDS-related resources.

The Board of Directors of SAN consisted of one representative from each member group of SAN. The SAN Steering Committee was responsible for the day to day operations of the coalition, for tasks on a provincial level (such as lobbying Ministers or building coalitions with other provincial groups), and for developing resource materials that would be helpful for member organizations. SAN membership was open to any Saskatchewan non-governmental organization that was dedicated to addressing HIV/AIDS in its organizational mandate. By the early 2000s, SAN was having difficulty meeting its mandate so it was dissolved in February 2003.

After a strike in 1974, the University of Saskatchewan Employees' Union (Local 54, Canadian Labour Congress) was reborn as CUPE Local 1975 in October 1975. Since joining CUPE the Local has undergone an internal evolution as new sectional groups, such as the Library, have begun to play an active role equal to the founding physical plant group. While no other strike has followed, use of the grievance procedure and committee activity has dramatically increased. CUPE 1975 also plays a leading role in the Saskatchewan trade union movement. This is in keeping with the fact that 1975's 1800 members, plus 400 in Regina, represents the single largest union local in the province. Some other general features should be noted about CUPE 1975. In 1975 University of Regina support staff were awarded sublocal status by CUPE. The result is a parallel set of union structures on the Regina campus and a Joint Council Executive Board to coordinate the two support staff groups. Also, with the tendency to cutbacks and privatization in the 1980s, groups who received wages and benefits patterned on CUPE 1975, such as janitors and student workers at the Student Union building (Place Riel) and cooks, waitresses, bartenders, and caretakers at the Faculty Club, have formalised this practice by becoming members of CUPE 1975 and signing contracts with their respective employers. In the case of the Prairie Swine Centre, members of CUPE 1975 have found themselves outside the bargaining unit with a change of employer and have had to negotiate a new and independent collective agreement. For reasons of job security, however, they have chosen to remain as members of CUPE 1975, like the larger example of University of Regina support staff. 1975-1 has also been affected by privatization with a separate sublocal of food service workers organised in 1992.

On 29 May 1975, a group of University personnel and students met to discuss the feasibility of building a day care facility on the University campus. They presented a proposal to construct a 3,000-square foot building on a 1.3 acre site east of the farm residences; it was estimated that the building could provide daycare services for approximately 52 children, at a capital cost of $289,000. The proposal was accepted by the Board of Governors, but was not initially accepted by the Universities Commission; although the Commission eventually lent their support as well. However, the provincial Treasury Board refused to provide capital funding, arguing that such a facility would establish an unwelcome precedent for other government or public employees. Although the Cooperative documented similar facilities at other universities and noted that the day care was intended to benefit students as well as employees, the government did not accept their arguments.

The Graduate Students' Association was formed in 1959 and was open to all students registered in the College of Graduate Studies. The aim of the organization was to enhance the social and intellectual interchange between graduate students, and serve as a means of communication between graduate students, faculty, staff, and the University administration.

Corner Gas was a live-action Canadian comedy television program which was filmed in Saskatchewan and aired on the CTV television network from 2004 to 2009. Corner Gas was produced by Prairie Pants Productions, which was comprised of Virginia Thompson of Vérité Films and 3-35 Productions Inc., a partnership of Brent Butt and David Storey. Corner Gas was CTV’s first original narrative comedy series. The first episode of Corner Gas debuted in January 2004 and quickly became a popular Canadian program. By its second season, it was the most-watched Canadian program in any genre in Canada. Corner Gas was filmed at Regina’s Canada/Saskatchewan Production Studios and on location in Rouleau, Saskatchewan. Over its broadcast run, Corner Gas won numerous awards including six Gemini Awards and nine Canadian Comedy Awards. The show was followed by Corner Gas: The Movie which was released in 2014 as well as Corner Gas Animated which debuted in 2018.

Corner Gas was set in the fictional small town of Dog River, Saskatchewan and starred Saskatchewan comedian Brent Butt as Brent Leroy, the owner and operator of Corner Gas, the local gas station in Dog River. Other main characters on the show included Oscar and Emma Leroy (Eric Peterson and Janet Wright), Lacey Burrows (Gabrielle Miller), Hank Yarbo (Fred Ewanuick), Davis Quinton (Lorne Cardinal), Karen Pelly (Tara Spencer-Nairn), and Wanda Dollard (Nancy Robertson). One of the running features of the program was cameo appearances by high-profile Canadian celebrities.

Humphrey and the Dumptrucks. Country-folk group, active 1967-81. It was organized in Saskatoon as a jugband by Gary 'Humphrey Dumptruck' Walsh (banjo, dobro), along with Michael 'Bear' Millar (12-string guitar, bass, jug), Michael 'Ernie' Taylor (guitar, autoharp), and Graeme Card (guitar, mandolin). Each member sang. By 1969 a fulltime and professional band, Humphrey and the Dumptrucks performed throughout western Canada in clubs, on the CBC, and at folk and bluegrass festivals (eg, in Regina and Winnipeg), schools (where they gave workshops), and universities. They often appeared in small Saskatchewan communities, and many of their songs reflected rural life. (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/humphrey-and-the-dumptrucks-emc/)

The Observatory was designed by Gentil J.K. Verbeke and constructed in two phases using local limestone from 1928-1930 for about $23,000. The R. J. Arrand Contracting Co. was contracted to build the Observatory Tower in 1928 for a cost of $6625. The firm completed the tower $353 under budget on 14 April 1929, for $6,272. On 20 June 1929 R. J. Arrand was again awarded a contract by the University, this time to build the small classroom wing of the Observatory for $15,640. Work on the classroom wing was completed on 23 January 1930 for $15,034.50. University funding for the construction of the building was supplemented by private donations. Along with the Field Husbandry Building, the Observatory would be among the last free-standing buildings constructed on campus until after World War II. A plaque with the names of many donors still hangs inside the dome of the observatory. Saskatoon residents will find many of the names highly recognizable even today. A sundial was added to the exterior of the Observatory during the 1940s. It reads:
I am a Shadow
So art thou
The observatory facilities are available for use by both university students and visitors to the campus. The telescopes and other scientific equipment are used by students during the laboratory component of their courses. University personnel regularly offer tours of the observatory to elementary and high school classes, youth groups and other community associations. The Observatory is staffed year-round on Saturday nights so that any visitor may view celestial objects through the telescope.

These are they who went forth from this University to the Great War and gave their lives that we might live in freedom.” - Inscription on the Memorial Gates.

Sixty-seven University students and faculty lost their lives while on service during World War I. In August 1918, three months prior to the formal armistice, President Walter Murray began making inquiries regarding the cost of memorial plaques. Two years earlier, the Board of Governors had authorized an “Honor Roll” of names for all associated with the University who served, be added to the College Building. The impact of the war on the University was immense: 330 students and faculty served during the War, a number equivalent to nearly all students who had registered the year prior to the beginning of the conflict. In 1916-17 Engineering closed its doors as all students and faculty enlisted.

Architect David R. Brown estimated the Gates would cost $30,000, with an additional $10,000 required for the memorial. Students and alumni fund-raising helped with a portion of the costs. The gates were made of solid bronze, imported from England; the remainder, made of local greystone.

The Memorial Gates were unveiled by President Murray and dedicated by the Bishop of Saskatchewan on 3 May 1928; and for many years thereafter the site was used for the University’s Remembrance Day services. Wreaths are still laid at the site every November 11th.

The location of the Gates was on the spot envisioned in the original campus plan as the main entrance to the University. It became the primary roadway to the Royal University Hospital, and in the late 1980s various plans were considered to help ease the flow of traffic through the area, including moving the Gates to another area of campus. The design finally accepted left the Gates in their original location as a pedestrian entrance way, with traffic re-routed to the west.

Saskatchewan’s branch of the Dominion Provincial Youth Training Program (DPYTP) was established in 1937 with the goal of training young people for gainful employment (Paul, 1948, p. 1). This program was initiated during the depression years; since government funds were scarce, the costs of the program were shared between the Dominion Department of Labour and the Provincial Department of Education. As a result, the program was given the name “Dominion Provincial” (Paul, 1948, p. 1). In general, the program offered instruction to people between the ages of 16 and 30 years, offering courses in agriculture for men and in homemaking for women. In addition to the specific courses, there was also the opportunity for young men to receive financial assistance to attend the two-year School of Agriculture Course at the University of Saskatchewan.
The DPTYP was established as a solution to a specific issue, namely, “the youth problem” that was considered to exist in Canada (Department of Labour, Youth Training Division, 1939, p. 5). The “youth problem” was characterized by high rates of unemployment among young people. Many believe that the “youth problem” began with the collapse of 1929; in reality, this issue existed prior to 1929 (Department of Labour, Youth Training Division, 1939, p. 6). Prior to the onset of the depression, Canada’s economic conditions meant that this issue was overlooked. However, the depression magnified the issue, resulting in a perceived urgency in the need for a solution. This problem was not exclusive to Canada, as all Western countries were trying to deal with the “youth problem.” However, there were certain factors that existed in Canada that made the problem different here than anywhere else. More specifically, there were 50,000 to 55,000 between the ages of 16 and 30 years in Saskatchewan who were unable to leave home to pursue training in any area of study (Federal-Provincial Youth Training for Saskatchewan Farm Boys Memo, p. 1). Many of these young men had left school at 15 or 16 years, having only completed a grade nine education. The perceived consequences of such a large number of unemployed youth were clear: “Because of little or no directional influence they are inclined to drift mentally, to allow their minds to stagnate, and due to economic conditions, to feel sorry for themselves” (Federal-Provincial Training for Saskatchewan Farm Boys Memo, p. 1). Farming skills training was considered important both economically and for general social well-being.
The DPYTP was originally implemented to restore morale, increase independence and to provide direction for the youth of Saskatchewan. It was suggested that the Agricultural Extension Department hold short courses for young males and offer financial assistance to those who may need it (Youth Employment Program, 1937, p. 1). However, as the needs of the communities changed, so did the DPYTP. As the depression years came to an end and war broke out in Europe, the needs of the communities changed. Many communities experienced a decline in population: men were called away to the war or for special labour. These smaller communities made it difficult to run courses in all communities. Despite the efforts of community members to advocate for courses, many towns could not meet the 20 person minimum registration requirement. In addition, the increasing manufacturing work in the urban areas meant that the needs of urban areas became quite different from rural areas. As a result, the University of Saskatchewan began to offer two sets of courses: urban courses and rural courses, each with programs offered for men and women. Thus, the University continued to adapt its programming based on the needs of the communities.
In short, the DPYTP provided a program that served the needs of rural communities in Saskatchewan as they changed. Since Saskatchewan was a farming province, most of the courses offered to young men and women revolved around farming. This program helped communities provide skills and education to a young workforce. However, as men went to war and the urban/rural divide widened, the programs were altered to meet the changing needs of the communities.

The North Atlantic Coast Fisheries Arbitration settled an economic dispute between Canada, the United States, and Great Britain over fishing rights. The dispute centered on the interpretation of several treaties granting American citizens special fishing rights in Canadian and Newfoundland waters. The dispute began in 1905 when Newfoundland introduced new regulations which restricted the fishing rights of American citizens and were enacted and enforced without notice to the Americans. The three countries were unable to settle the issue on their own so they agreed to take the case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. On September 7, 1910, the tribunal ruled that while Canada and Newfoundland had sovereignty over the waters in question, the reasonableness of any new regulations must be allowed to be challenged by the United States. All three countries were pleased with the ruling of the tribunal. Using the ruling, the three countries were able to agree to a new treaty, which was signed in 1912. The new treaty stipulated that at the end of the fishing season, Canada was required to notify the Americans of any new fishing regulations for the following season. The United States was given a set number of days to object to these new regulations. If they filed an objection, a commission would decide if the new regulations were reasonable. If the Americans did not object, then the new regulations were presumed to be reasonable and in effect.

The Law/Commerce complex was completed in 1967 by Poole Construction for $2,627,250. It was designed by Holliday-Scott Desmond Paine, and provided 89,154 gross square feet of finished space for the two Colleges.

The building was adjoined to the north end of the existing Arts Building in order to economize building costs, as well as to provide a covered pedestrian passage between Arts, Commerce and Law. The decision to house both the College of Law and the College of Commerce under one roof was made principally in order to conserve land use while still providing both Colleges with almost complete independence in accommodation.

A sculpture by Bill Epp was commissioned in 1968 for the Law-Commerce Complex for $5000. The finished work stands approximately seven feet high by ten feet long and depicts a man and a woman reclining on a bench. The sculpture is composed of steel encased in bronze set on a steel frame. The sculpture rests at the north entrance of the Law Building.

The University of Saskatchewan’s first pool opened in 1916. Located in the basement of Qu'Appelle Hall, it was 18 feet wide, 45 feet long and around 8 feet deep with a spring board and changing rooms. Speed swimming, diving, water polo and recreational swimming soon became popular activities in the long Saskatchewan winters. The pool closed soon after the Physical Education pool opened in October 1964.

Emmanuel College has a unique history and relationship with the University of Saskatchewan and pre-dates the Saskatoon institution by some thirty years. The College was founded at Prince Albert in 1879 by Rt. Rev. John McLean as a “training College for Native Helpers.” In 1883 by an Act of Parliament, Emmanuel College was incorporated as "The University of Saskatchewan.” When the provincial university was established in Saskatoon in 1909, the Synod decided to relinquish its title and opt for affiliation to the new university.

Emmanuel sold its old site to the federal government, to be used for a penitentiary, and shipped all its belongs to Saskatoon in four box cars. On unbroken prairie on the east side of the river, professors, students and carpenters began to construct a series of wooden buildings. This “College of Shacks” was moved between 1910 and 1912 to the campus. In 1913 Rugby Chapel, so named because it had been funded by the staff and students of Rugby School, England was moved to the campus from Prince Albert.

A stone clad, permanent college building was constructed between 1911 and 1912. Designed by Brown and Vallance, the building contained residential space for students and the college Principal, classrooms and a refectory in the basement. In 1916 the College was used as a military hospital for returned soldiers and in 1918, as a hospital during the outbreak of influenza. In 1962 McLean Hall was built as an addition to Emmanuel College but a proposed walkway connecting the two was never completed.

Rugby Chapel was reopened in 1922 after a period of disuse during WWI. A pipeless furnace was later installed to replace 3 heating stoves, the ceiling was raised, the walls decorated and finally, a pipe organ installed in the summer of 1923. In 1926 a stained-glass window, “For the sake of the Name they went forth,” was installed to commemorate the Emmanuel students who died in WWI.

In 1964 St. Chad’s College of Regina joined Emmanuel.

From the Greek for ‘five and ten,’ Pente Kai Deka was created on 8 April 1911 with the first 15 women students on campus – five “big sisters” and ten “little sisters.” Every woman entering the University automatically became a member. Eventually the group became its own directorate within the Student Representative Council, and the PKD president, the vice-president of the SRC. Activities of the group included a Big Sister-Little Sister Dance, June in January, Jeanboree, a Spring Tea and a Frosh Week fashion show. As the sexual revolution loomed large in the late 1960s women on campus grew increasingly ambivalent toward the group, which had been seen by many female students as irrelevant and antiquated since midway through the decade. It was this attitude, as well as the sheer increase in the number of women and students in general at the University by the late 1960s that led to the group’s demise after the 1968-1969 academic year.