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University of Saskatchewan Photograph Collection University of Saskatchewan - Engineering Buildings (1912 + 1925)√
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St. Thomas More and Emmanuel College Buildings

Looking south at St. Thomas More College Building at centre. Engineering Building at left; Emmanuel College and Observatory at right. Two men stand on roof of Health Sciences Building; one man close to edge of roof [holding a camera].

Bio/Historical Note: Saint Thomas More College (STM) has the distinction of being the first and only federated college at the University of Saskatchewan. It was established as a Catholic college in 1936 following negotiations between Fr. Henry Carr of the Basilian Fathers of Toronto and President Walter Murray of the University of Saskatchewan, and was named for Thomas More, who had been canonized in 1935. Yet the pre-history of the college and its buildings goes back more than a decade earlier. For several years, Saskatoon Catholics had been asking for a Catholic college at the newly established University of Saskatchewan. The first step was taken in 1926, when a group of Catholic laymen established the Newman Society, with the long term goal of establishing a Catholic college at the university. By September of that year, "arrangements were in place for Fr. Dr. Basil Markle from the Archdiocese of Toronto to teach Scholastic Philosophy at the University of Saskatchewan and to serve as chaplain for the Catholic students." The first facility for the Catholic chaplain, with chapel and clubrooms for the use of the Catholic students, was Newman Hall (usually called "the white house"), built in 1927 on land on the south side of the campus at the corner of College Drive and Bottomley Avenue. This building later became St. Thomas More College in 1936 and in 1943 it was enlarged in anticipation of an expected large influx of students when the war would end. The first section of the present greystone building was constructed in 1954-1956 at a cost of $600,000; it was designed by architects Webster and Gilbert and built by Shannon Brothers of Saskatoon, for whom the college's Shannon Library is named. The new building was officially opened on 7 February 1957. Subsequent additions to the college building were completed in two phases, one in 1963 and another in 1969. This three-stage period of construction on the building translated into well over a decade of constant construction between 1954 and 1969, and included a chapel, library, cafeteria, auditorium, faculty offices, classrooms, and an art gallery. Living quarters on the third and fourth floors, used by the Basilian Fathers for many years, have been converted to offices and classroom space in recent years. Renovations since 2000 have involved changes to the auditorium, cafeteria, student and faculty lounges, library, art gallery and the rededication of some areas to use as classrooms.

Engineering Building - Addition - Construction

View of construction of Engineering Building addition; winter scene.

Bio/Historical Note: The modern day Engineering Building was built on the foundations of the original Engineering Building which was destroyed by fire 13 March 1925. Construction began the following June with an expected completion date of 1 November 1926. Gentil J.K. Verbeke of Saskatoon designed the new building, which was initially budgeted at $277,150. In reality the project would run well into February 1926 and eventually cost $304,169.65. The still uncompleted Engineering Building was occupied by the college in January 1926. Similar in design to its predecessor, the new Engineering Building featured a few noteworthy improvements. These included skylights for the top floor and individual lights for the draughting tables, a smoking lounge for students, and a new library and reading room. The new building contained 89,000 gross square feet of space, and also housed the dean and assistant dean’s offices, about 15 staff offices, drafting rooms, several lecture rooms, laboratories and postgraduate student offices. In 1939 the west wing of the new building was extended northward to house the Mechanical Engineering laboratories and the welding shop. An extension of the tractor lab was completed on 7 February 1941 for $33,188.60. The extension was designed by Gentil J.K. Verbeke and was built by Shannon Bros. Construction. A full addition to the west wing also designed by Verbeke was completed in 1946 by W. C. Wells Contractors for $31,890. The official opening of the west wing took place on 10 February 1948. In 1949 a World War II Air Force hangar was adjoined to the building to provide “temporary” space for the college. In the fall of 1961 the Evan A. Hardy Laboratory was completed as part of greater construction on the building. The laboratory project included extensive space for the Department of Agricultural Engineering, the Agricultural Engineering Research and Development Section and the Divisions of Hydrology and Control Systems. The project was completed in 1963 for $611,761; it was constructed by W.C. Wells Construction. The lab was designed by architect J. K. Verbeke while the further addition was designed by the architectural firm of Webster, Forrester and Scott. In the late 1970s the Engineering Building would undergo drastic renovations.

National Research Council and Engineering Building

Elevated view looking northeast at National Research Council building, with Engineering Building in background.

Bio/Historical Note: In 1916 the National Research Council legislation was enacted and the institution was formed with the mandate to advise the government on matters of science and industrial research. For the first 15 or 16 years of its existence the NRC consisted of offices and borrowed lab space. It launched Canada’s first research journal, “Canadian Journal of Research” and funded research for human and bovine tuberculosis – a significant domestic problem in the 1920s. In 1932, NRC’s first dedicated lab was built in Ottawa. The NRC established a laboratory on the east side of the University of Saskatchewan campus in 1948. The original purpose of the facility was to “use chemistry and biology to diversify Canadian agriculture.” Originally called the “Prairie Regional Lab” then the “Plant Biotechnology Institute,” the facility is now known as “NRC Saskatoon.”

Engineering Building - Addition - Construction

Images of the addition to the Engineering Building under construction.

Bio/Historical Note: In the late 1970s the Engineering Building would go through drastic renovations. In six stages from 1977 to 1983 the entire building was completely overhauled and redesigned. It encompassed the replacement of the original portion of the single storey west wing, the removal of the Storage Building, the construction of additions, and renovations in what remained of the original building. The architectural firm responsible for this redesign was Forrester, Scott and Bowers, and the total cost of the project would eventually surpass $13 million. The reconstruction began in 1977. It included the demolition of the old central heating and power plant, the construction of additions to house the Hardy Lab and central shops, and the relocation of a small section serving the Department of Geological Sciences. The second phase included the demolition of a one-storey wing of the building which adjoined the Hardy Lab, and its replacement with a larger three-story structure. A second storey was then built over the office section of the Hardy Lab, which was also renovated. The first phase of demolition work was carried out by CEL Contracting for $136,000 while the second was performed by Roscoe Enterprises for $39,626. The majority of the reconstruction itself was performed by Cana Construction for $1,012,730.

Engineering Building - Addition - Construction

View of early stages of construction of the Engineering Building addition.

Bio/Historical Note: In the late 1970s the Engineering Building would go through drastic renovations. In six stages from 1977 to 1983 the entire building was completely overhauled and redesigned. It encompassed the replacement of the original portion of the single storey west wing, the removal of the Storage Building, the construction of additions, and renovations in what remained of the original building. The architectural firm responsible for this redesign was Forrester, Scott and Bowers, and the total cost of the project would eventually surpass $13 million. The reconstruction began in 1977. It included the demolition of the old central heating and power plant, the construction of additions to house the Hardy Lab and central shops, and the relocation of a small section serving the Department of Geological Sciences. The second phase included the demolition of a one-storey wing of the building which adjoined the Hardy Lab, and its replacement with a larger three-story structure. A second storey was then built over the office section of the Hardy Lab, which was also renovated. The first phase of demolition work was carried out by CEL Contracting for $136,000 while the second was performed by Roscoe Enterprises for $39,626. The majority of the reconstruction itself was performed by Cana Construction for $1,012,730.

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