National group adding voice to save historical building on U of S campus

WATCH: The Lutheran Seminary Building on the USask campus was slated for demolition this year. However, the decision is being reviewed.

The Lutheran Seminary Building on the University of Saskatchewan’s (U of S) campus was slated for demolition this year, but that decision seems to be facing some push back with the latest opposition coming from a national group that focuses on preserving historical structures.

The Canadian National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), sent a letter at the beginning of April, to The University of Saskatchewan Board of Governors Stating the significance of the building built in the late 1960’s and how they would like to see other solutions found in place of demolition.

The committee, which is based out of eastern Canada, has a member originally from Saskatoon who heard about the building from family living here.

“We heard from people locally, that this was a concern. And they only heard of it, kind of late in the day. So, there wasn’t a kind of open process where this was discussed more fully. It just came kind of leaked out that a demolition was being proposed,” Michael McClelland, secretary for ICOMOS told CTV News.

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McClelland says, they haven’t had discussions about buildings in Saskatchewan before this but sees the urgency with this project to save the building designed by local architect John Holliday Scott in the Late Modern style.

“It seems like many decisions have already kind of been made, so it’s the 11th hour,” he said.

University of Saskatchewan officials justified the demolition – explaining that the building was in disrepair and would cost a lot to bring up to code.

They also had concerns with the undesirable activity it was attracting, like people getting inside and starting fires as well as leaving drug paraphernalia behind.

ICOMOS hopes their voice can be added to others like the Saskatoon Heritage Society. They have previously expressed concern with the loss of the building.

According to McClelland, because Saskatchewan buildings don’t have hundreds of years of history, it’s common to place little historical value on structures that don’t seem worthy enough.

She argues that this is flawed thinking – because every old building has a part to play in preserving identity and culture of a city.

“There’s not a lot of recognition, particularly of mid-century modern buildings, they are buildings that were built 60 or 70 years ago and they’re getting kind of tired. They need new investments in them. They’re often they’re looked upon as obsolete buildings,” he said.

ICOMOS doesn’t oppose demolition when it is absolutely required.

“But before anything’s absolutely required, we really need to look at – are there other alternatives? And in fact, I’m aware of several alternatives in Saskatoon for this building and they need to be considered and reviewed,” he says.

The U of S Board of Governors is meeting this week – and it is expected they will comment on the situation afterward.