R.J.D. Williams Building

Description of the Historic Place

The R.J.D. Williams Building is a three-storey brick boom time building located within the University of Saskatchewan Management Area. Originally a School for the Deaf, the building’s name, R.J.D. Williams, honours the school's dean of residence, Rupert Williams who lost his hearing as a child.

This historic place, located at 221 Cumberland Avenue, 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 R.J.D. Williams Building is an important educational landmark in Saskatoon and the province of Saskatchewan. In the 1920s, Saskatchewan's deaf children had to travel to Manitoba or Montreal for their education which meant that many deaf children received no formal education. The Western Canadian Association for the Deaf appointed Rupert Williams to investigate education for the deaf in Saskatchewan.

R.J.D Williams, who had lost his hearing at the age of five after contracting spinal meningitis, moved to Saskatoon in February 1927.  A graduate of the Manitoba School for the Deaf, Williams was determined to establish a Saskatchewan School and in 1929 it was announced that a new school for the deaf would be built in Saskatoon. The university agreed to provide land, with the location being chosen on Cumberland Avenue, several hundred yards south of what was then the university street car terminal.  Construction began in 1930 at the start of the Depression. This meant that plans for the school were revamped to conform to the new economic reality.  Although sacrifice in the design and size of the building were made, it allowed for the use of Saskatchewan materials and generated sorely-needed economic activity in the province.

R. J. D. Williams took the position of Chief Supervisor of resident students in the new school. He remained there for thirty-two years.  1982 marked the 50th anniversary of the School for the Deaf, and the building was renamed the R.J.D. Williams Provincial School for the Deaf. In June of 1991 the students at the school were moved into mainstream education. The school was subsequently closed and the building became part of the University of Saskatchewan.

The R.J.D Williams Building was designed by H. Dawson and Frank P. Martin in the Gothic architectural style; a style of architecture characterized by great cathedrals, pointed arches and richly decorated fenestrations. The building’s exterior features brick from Claybank, Saskatchewan, and is ornamented with Tyndall Stone from Manitoba. Inside, the main floor housed the administrative offices and classrooms.  The second and third floors consisted of dormitories, rooms for domestic science and home nursing, recreation rooms and two suites for supervisors. The basement was devoted primarily to vocational training, with manual training facilities for the boys and sewing, millinery and laundry demonstration rooms for the girls.  

Today the R.J.D. Williams Building is home to the University of Saskatchewan Language Centre (USLC). 

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 represent its historical significance including the building's continued use as an educational facility, and the use of local materials in its construction.
• Its architecture, evident in its form, scale and massing, pointed arches and fenestrations.