Mayfair Drugs

Description of the Historic Place

Mayfair Drugs (also known as Pinders Drug Store) is a small one storey commercial brick structure. Built in 1929, the building is located at 504 33rd Street West in the Mayfair neighbourhood.  

Heritage Value

In 1929 the north side of 33d Street West was still undeveloped land. Robert M. Pinder owned the first lot in the 500 block on the north side of 33rd Street. Pinder arrived in Saskatoon in 1914 after graduating from the Pharmacy College in Winnipeg. Pinder found work with the Saskatoon Drug and Stationary Company and, through his entrepreneurial ambition, quickly climbed the company ranks from employee to store manager to part-owner. Although much of Pinder’s time was devoted to his business interests in retail pharmacy, he was actively involved in community affairs, serving Saskatoon as an alderman from 1928 to 1933 and as mayor from 1935 to 1938. His business, Pinder’s Drugs, became one of Saskatoon’s best-known family businesses.

In the late 1920s, six Safeway stores were scheduled to be constructed in the city. The stores were designed by J. Melrose Morrison and called for a one level brick structure. For the location on 33d Street, the building was initially used as a Safeway store with a 20 foot corner section of the space used for a drugstore. In 1930 a Pinder's Drugstore (the fourth one in the city) opened at the corner of 33d Street West and Avenue E North.

In addition to its historical value, Mayfair Drugs is also valued for its unique architectural design. The building, with its brick façade, tiled roof, roof parapets and corner columns, exhibits many elements that reflect the Spanish style of architecture. The building has managed to retain many of its original features making the building an interesting landmark in the Mayfair neighbourhood.   

Source: City of Saskatoon Built Heritage Database

Character Defining Elements

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

• Its architecture, with Spanish influences, evident in its brick façade, tiled roof, roof parapets, and corner columns; and
• Those features that represent its historical significance including its scale, form and massing and its original location along 33rd Street West.