Ashworth Holmes Park

Description of the Historic Place

Ashworth Holmes Park is a large circular park located in the neighbourhood of Caswell Hill at 915 Avenue D North. The park was established in 1907.

Heritage Value

The Heritage value of Ashworth Holmes Park lies in its association with John Ashworth and Joseph Holmes, two Saskatoon citizens who formed a real estate company early in the 20th century. Both men were the founding members of the Saskatoon Nursery (later named the Marriott’s Nursery in 1907). Ashworth graduated from the University of Toronto and worked as a lawyer when he first arrived in Saskatoon. His legal office was located above the offices of Saskatoon’s first newspaper (The Phoenix) where Joseph Holmes worked as managing editor when he arrived from Ontario in 1904. Ashworth and Holmes established a real estate business in 1905 and bought a quarter of land west of the city’s core for $40,000 which they held onto for residential development. The Ashworth-Holmes district was Saskatoon’s first suburb, and is now known as Caswell Hill.  In 1907, Ashworth and Holmes established the Saskatoon Nursery Company. They donated 10 acres of land for a city park, which was named Ashworth Holmes Park in their honour. 

In addition to their roles in real estate, Ashworth and Holmes contributed in numerous ways to benefit the young city. Ashworth was elected to Saskatoon's first City Council in 1906. He was also president of the Board of Trade in 1907. When Ashworth and his family left Saskatoon for British Columbia in 1911, Ashworth donated his house to the Sisters of Immaculate Conception of Mary for use as a convent. Joseph Holmes became recording secretary of the board of stewards of Third Avenue United Church in 1906, a position he held until the 1960s.  He was on the Public School Board from 1906-1919 and was chairman of the board for four of those years. From 1919-1924, Holmes was deputy registrar at the court house, and he was Commissioner of the Saskatoon Board of Trade from 1925-1940.

Today, Ashworth Holmes Park continues to be a focal point for the residents of Caswell Hill, and is the site of the community’s popular annual summer art festival: Art in the Park.

Character Defining Elements

Key elements which contribute to the heritage value of this historic resource include:

• Those features that relate to the park’s historical significance and its association with John Ashworth and Joseph Holmes, including its location within the Caswell Hill neighbourhood and its community orientated nature.