An elevated shot looking northwest [likely taken from the Murray Library]. The Arts and Science Tower is in the centre of the image. City in the background.

Group photo of dignitaries present at the unveiling ceremony of the 10-foot high bronze statue of Lesya Ukrainka, the celebrated Ukrainian poet. Back row from l to r: Tom Gauley, Chairman, Board of Governors; R.W. Begg, University President; V.O. Buyniak, Head, Department of Slavic Studies; and Nina Okhatrina, Ukrainian representative. Front row (l to r): Ukrainian representatives Volodymr F. Skofenko, Mikhalio Stelmakh, and Mikola Manoiolo.

Bio/Historical Note: Lesya Ukrainka (Larysa Kosach-Kvitka) (1871-1913), the celebrated Ukrainian poet, made her mark on Ukrainian and world literature through her diverse writing talents. Her profound knowledge of world history and languages enabled her to write extensively across genres on a variety of subjects. In her lyrical works and dramatic poems, she vividly developed the themes of patriotism, human dignity, and personal integrity. Ukrainka’s work is timeless in its powerful assertion of human rights and freedoms. In 1976, a bronze statue of Lesya Ukrainka, made in Kyiv, Ukraine (USSR) by sculptor Halyna Kal’chenko and architect Anatoliy Ihnashchenko, was unveiled at the University of Saskatchewan. Commissioned by the Association for Cultural Relations with Ukrainians Abroad, the statue was at the time seen by some merely as Soviet propaganda designed to rehabilitate their international reputation tarnished, in part, by injustices perpetrated against the people of Ukraine. The gift was initially declined by both the Province of Saskatchewan and the City of Saskatoon before being accepted by the University of Saskatchewan and installed on campus in a grove south of the Arts Tower. Through a generous donation by Dr. Victor O. Buyniak, as well as through the support of alumni and the wider Ukrainian community, the statue was refurbished and unveiled in its present location on 1 August 2013, the centenary of the death of Lesya Ukrainka.

Bio/historical note: A statue of Lesya Ukrainka, the celebrated Ukrainian poet, was presented to the U of S in 1976 by the Association for Cultural Relations with Ukrainians Abroad of the USSR as a gift of friendship from the people of Ukraine to the people of Canada.

Students walking in front of north wing of Murray Memorial (Main) Library; Arts Building in background.

Entrance set back among other buildings. Bicycle stand, trees and sidewalk in the foreground. Part of the Architectural Display.

view of ice sculpture made by medical students in front of Murray Memorial Building. Arts Building in background; looking west.

Looking south at snowdrifts across the Bowl; tree laden with snow in foreground. University buildings in background (from l to r): Medical Building, Murray Memorial (Main) Library, Arts Building, and Chemistry Building.

Looking southwest at the Island of Trees, commemorating Robert Reid Moffat, co-architect of the Memorial Union Building, in front of the Arts building. Health Sciences building at left.

Bio/Historical Note: Robert Reid Moffat (1906-1960), partner in the leading postwar firm of Shore & Moffat, established in Toronto in 1945. Born in Edrans, Manitoba, he obtained a degree in Science from the University of Saskatchewan in 1926, and worked for one year as a junior draftsman for David Webster, a leading architect in that city. He moved to Boston and studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1927 to 1931, then returned to Canada where he worked for Darling & Pearson, for Mathers & Haldenby, and for S.B. Coon & Son, all of Toronto. He served as Assistant Superintendent of Buildings at the Univ. of Toronto from 1932 to 1936, then opened an office under his own name. He embraced the new modernist style being promoted in Europe and the United States, and entered the T. Eaton Co. Architectural Competition for House Designs in 1936, receiving an Honourable Mention for his progressive concept. His striking design was a radical departure from the neo-Georgian conservatism evident in some of the other entries. After serving overseas with Canadian Forces during WWII, he formed a new partnership in 1945 with Leonard Shore and during the next fifteen years they were credited with a number of significant modernist landmarks in Toronto (see list of works under Shore & Moffat). The firm also designed the Memorial Student Union Building on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan. Their firm was awarded a Massey Medal for the York Township Municipal Offices (1952), and another Silver Massey Medal for the Imperial Oil Research Centre in Sarnia, Ont. (1961). Moffat died suddenly on 17 December 1960 at Port Credit, Ont.

Elevated view looking northwest from the Administration Building. Arts Tower, Thorvaldson and Physics buildings in background.

Looking west at Chemistry annexes; Thorvaldson Building and Arts Tower in background.

Bio/Historical Note: The limitations of the original Chemistry Building became apparent with the massive influx of students at the end of World War II. The rise in enrollment put a strain on the resources of universities across the country. In response the federal government offered military surplus equipment and buildings to educational institutions at bargain prices. The University of Saskatchewan purchased nine surplus huts used at the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan airport at Dafoe, Saskatchewan, for $46,000 and joined them together to form Chemistry Annex One and Two. This “temporary” solution remained in place for two decades. The annexes were reconfigured in 1964-1965. The Thorvaldson Building opened on 6 June 1966. The annexes were removed by spring 1977.

Looking west from the Administration Building with Thorvaldson Building,Qu'Appelle Hall, Marquis Hall, north wing of Murray Memorial (Main) Library and Arts Tower visible. South wing of Murray Library under construction. Students changing classes; winter scene.

Looking west from the Administration Building as students change classes. Buildings (from l to r): Chemistry Building, Qu'Appelle Hall, Marquis Hall, north wing of Murray Memorial (Main) Library and Arts Tower. South wing of Main Library addition under construction. Parked cars in foreground; winter scene.

Looking west at the Arts Tower and classroom wing.

Looking southwest across the Bowl at Qu'Appelle Hall, Marquis Hall, and Arts Building.

Looking west across the Bowl, with Marquis Hall and Arts Building in background. Top floor of Arts Building under construction; students walking on pathways and grass.

Scaffolding built to the top of the building and four floors of girders in place. Construction sign and classrooms on the left with trees and sidewalk in front of the buildings. Clouds in the sky.