Nutana Collegiate

Description of the Historic Place

Nutana Collegiate is a large three storey brick building built in the French Renaissance architectural style.  Constructed in 1909, this school is located in the neighbourhood of Nutana. The building is situated on a site that offers sweeping views of the South Saskatchewan River and the downtown. To the east of the school is Chief Darcy Bear Park.

This historic place, located at 411 11th Street East, is listed under Bylaw No. 6770 (Holding Bylaw). This Bylaw provides short-term protection of the building from demolition by providing for a 60 day holding period in the event a demolition permit is received. Within that 60 day period heritage designation is considered by City Council. 

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Nutana Collegiate lies in its significance as the first collegiate in Saskatoon. The use of "collegiate" in the school's name reflects the school's original curriculum and intended role as a preparatory school for students expecting to attend university and enter professional careers. The building was built in 1909 on a site that was used as an exhibition ground by Saskatoon's first settlers.

Nutana Collegiate faced overcrowding during the Boom years, although the completion of Bedford Road Collegiate in 1923 helped to alleviate the problem.  At times, the University of Saskatchewan and the Normal School also used the building.  After Bedford Road Collegiate was constructed, Saskatoon Collegiate was renamed Nutana Collegiate Institute because the School Board felt no one school should be named after the city.  Well-known graduates of Nutana Collegiate include: J.G. Diefenbaker, Chief Justice Emmett Hall, Sid Buckwold, Farley Mowat, Ray Hnatyshyn, Cliff Wright and Max Braithwaite.

The heritage value of Nutana Collegiate also lies in its contribution to Saskatoon’s art community. Established in 1919, the Memorial Art Gallery located in the school housed the first important collection of art in Saskatoon. The gallery was a student initiative. The Nutana Collegiate students raised funds to purchase paintings to commemorate the 29 fallen soldiers of World War I who had attended the school. In 1921, loans from the National Gallery of Canada and from collectors in Saskatoon enabled the gallery to hold its first exhibition, which was also the first art exhibition in Saskatoon. The collection includes works from many early Saskatchewan artists, including Ernest Lindner, Augustus Kenderdine, Fred Loveroff, Inglis Sheldon-Williams, James Henderson, and Emile Walters. More recently, works by Wynona Mulcaster, Paul Constable, and Allan Sapp have been acquired. 

Designed by Storey and Van Egmond, Nutana Collegiate is designed in the French Renaissance architectural style, and includes elements characteristic of the style, such as pilasters, quoins, and dentils. The school features a pressed brick symmetrical façade with large two-storey white stone classical columns and heavy squared piers flanking the main entrance.

Additions were made to the building in 1930, 1953, 1958, 1964, and 1965. Despite these numerous alterations and additions, the original façade and parts of the building’s exterior have been retained. In 2013, the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan Heritage Architecture Excellence Awards was awarded to Nutana Collegiate for Adaptive Re-Use & Rehabilitation of the building. In 2014, through the City’s Heritage Awards Program, the school was awarded for its exterior restoration.

 Source: City of Saskatoon Built Heritage Database

Character Defining Elements

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

• Those features that relate to its historical value including its imposing and elaborate appearance representative in its form and location along the banks of the South Saskatchewan River;
• Those features that relate to its cultural significance, including its continued use as an education facility and art gallery, and its symbols and lettering located on its front façade; and
• Its French Renaissance style of architecture, evident in: its brick façade, stone composite columns, heavy squared piers, full height entry porch, gabled central, right and left projection, dormers, dentils, and pediment.