| History of the Centre
The Origin and Development of Wascana Centre (by W.A. Riddell)
Chapter 1
Many assume that the suggestion for Wascana Centre arose when the University of Saskatchewan, having decided to develop a new university in Regina, selected the federally-operated experimental farm on the southeast boundary of the City as the site for the new campus. Although the origin of the Wascana Centre Authority (the governing body of Wascana Centre) did emerge following that decision, the real origin of this park area goes back to the very early days of the City of Regina.
In 1905 the federal government created the Province of Saskatchewan out of the Assiniboia area of the Northwest Territories, and designated Regina as the capital. The new provincial government, under Premier Walter Scott, decided to construct a new legislative building to replace the Territorial Buildings which were located on the north side of Dewdney Avenue, between Athol and Montague streets. The property surrounding these buildings was too small to provide a suitable site for the proposed new legislative building. After rejecting other possible sites (one in Victoria Park and another on to north side of Wascana Lake) the authorities chose a 68-hectare site (the Sinton property) on the south side of the reservoir (Wascana Lake), because of its elevation and view of the city. As A.J. Calder observed, "It is high and if the buildings were erected there, they would face the city and at the same time overlook the reservoir. The grounds could easily be beautified." Even before the buildings were constructed, the government appointed Frederick Todd, a Montreal landscape architect, to prepare plans for this project. Although most of his planning for the area was never implemented, his proposal regarding the provision of trees for the area was followed closely. Because it would be very costly to secure trees of the ordinary size for transplanting, he recommended that a large quantity of seedling plants should be purchased and grown for a year or two on some congenial soil near Regina until ready for transplanting. By May 1913 nearly 11,000 trees and shrubs from this source had been planted on the grounds surrounding the Legislative Building - the beginning of the finely-developed area we know today. Although the area on the north side of the lake was not established as a park until 1906, the idea to use it as such had existed since the city's founding in 1903. The original townsite plans for Regina encompassed all the land to the northern edge of the reservoir and indicated that the area immediately north of the reservoir an east of Albert Street was to be developed as a park. However, when the boundaries of the town were actually designated, its southern boundary extended only to Sixteenth Avenue. The land south of Sixteenth (now College Avenue) remained in the hands of the federal government until 1906. In 1903 a land partnership between the federal government and the CPR was dissolved, and the federal government began to divest itself of some of its land in and around the City. Although the federally-owned land within the town limits was granted to the City, the land between Sixteenth Avenue and the reservoir was not included in that grant. The same year Major J.W. Smith, feeling that it would be in the interest of the City to have a park facing the reservoir, raised the issue of acquiring the land between Sixteenth Avenue and the reservoir to be used as a park in accordance with the original town plans. An agreement on this proposal was reached in 1904. On May 2, 1906 the federal government transferred to the City 18 hectares of land located between Albert and Cornwall streets, and from College Avenue to the lake in exchange for nine blocks of city land. This area was developed into a park - the original Wascana Park. These actions by the government and the City were the beginning of an imaginative and far-sighted plan for parks in what had originally been known as "Pile O' Bones", a city located on a dry, wind-swept segment of the prairies. The citizens of Regina are fortunate that this area has survived as a park, for a portion of it was at one time earmarked for commercial development. In 1913 the city council leased the northwest corner of the park at Albert and College to the Grand Truck Pacific Railway for the construction of a large hotel - Chateau Qu'Appelle. The steel framework of the building had been completed by the time World War 1 was declared and the skeleton stood until about 1920, when it was torn down following the declaration of bankruptcy by the GTP. The area was restored to park use although the foundations still remain in place today just north the Museum of Natural History (now known as the Royal Saskatchewan Museum). In 1911 the Methodist Church of Canada purchased nine hectares on the north side of the lake just east of Cornwall Street from the provincial government at $800 per hectare as a site for the construction of Regina College, a residential high school. This transaction, which brought an educational institution into the area, proved to be an important factor in the future development of Wascana Centre. During the years since 1912, a number of major studies of the area have been conducted. The government of Saskatchewan initiated the first of these when, in 193, it engaged Thomas Mawson and son, City Planners of London, England, with offices in Vancouver, B.C., "to improved without disturbing" what had already been done. Mawson's plan centered on the legislative grounds but included the area on the north side of the lake, both east and west of Broad Street. Mawson was later engaged by the City of Regina to develop plans for the north side of the lake, and by the Anglican Church to design the landscaping for the Qu'Appelle Diocese property just east of Broad Street on College Avenue, where the Diocese proposed to build a cathedral and a college. Traces of these plans may still be seen in the developments in these areas. Mawson's prophecy, made later in 1913, was that the "Wascana Lake area would be a striking asset after it had been properly taken in hand and its natural advantages enhanced by planting the margins of the lake. His proposal included developing the recreation grounds which he planned for the area. Although the Mawson plan was never completely implemented, it did influence the development of the area, especially the landscaping arrangement around the Legislative Building. In order to begin the implementation of Mawson's plan, the government appointed Malcolm Ross to the Department of Public Works staff as landscape architect. Suggestions that the landscaping and control of the area surrounding the lake should be reviewed emerged again when, in 1960, the University of Saskatchewan decided to develop a second university campus in Regina. Enrollments had been rising rapidly at the University in Saskatoon and at Regina College, which had become a Junior College of the University in 1934. This led the Board of Governors to investigate the needs of the University for the next few decades. From their survey came the decision to expand Regina's junior college work to full university level. The university administration was instructed to make inquiries regarding the possible acquisition of any parcels of land in the vicinity of the Regina College site. In order to secure a broader basis for their decisions, the Board appointed the Toronto firm of Shore and Moffat to explore the Regina area for an appropriate site for the new university. Their investigation indicated that the site on which the College was located was quite inadequate, even if it could be augmented through purchase of adjoining property, and they recommended a site on the Experimental Farm, which was located on the southeast boundaries of the City. This land was owned by the provincial government although the farm was operated by the federal government. After much discussion, pro and con, this recommendation was accepted by the Board of Governors and the provincial government. With the site determined planning for the anticipated development began immediately. This involved not only the physical facilities but also the academic requirements, staffing projections, and a host of other considerations. Early in 1960, shortly after the decision was made to expand the university work in Regina, the government and the university agreed to develop the south side of the creek and lake in a unified manner. They decided to employ someone to prepare a comprehensive plan for the south side of the creek and to "look at" the north side. In other words the planner would be asked to consider the area as a whole. During the early stages of planning of the university, there were a few wistful comments about reviving the Mawson plan or developing a revised plan for the area surrounding the lake, but no one had initiated any specific suggestions. Presumably this idea had been expressed by a number of people, or it had at least entered their thoughts, but in the opinion of the present writer the stimulus that brought this to the fore probably occurred in early June 1960 during the presentation of Shore and Moffat's plan for the campus. A young member of the firm, who had done a lot of the detailed study locally,was talking to A.W. Johnson, Deputy Provincial Treasurer ( a member of the Board of Governors), and the present writer about the area. The young man pointed out to us that many cities were paying millions of dollars to secure a few acres of open land within the city limits. Here, within the City of Regina, he went on to say, there was an area of about 1000 acres surrounding a lovely lake, all of which, with the exception of a few lots, was public property - owned by either the government or the City. He raised the question, "Why don't you take control of this whole area for a park development that would include the legislative grounds and the new university as well as recreational areas for the citizens?" Whatever provided the stimulus, discussions along these lines began immediately. The writer contacted the President and Vice-President of the University about the idea, while Johnson took the action that moved this concept from the area of speculation and hope into the stream of actual policy formulation. On June 22, 1960, he took the first official step by preparing a memorandum entitled "A Proposal for a Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts" and addressed to the Hon. Woodrow Lloyd, Minister of Education. This memo purports to speak "for some of us on the Board of Governors (of the University)" but the suspicion must persist that the strongest advocate of the ideas in the proposal was Johnson himself. In this memorandum he set out the broad general concept for developing the lake and the surrounding area, suggesting that "an area (essentially as described in the short and Moffat land use map) be set aside as a Centre for the Arts, Education and Government." Johnson's memorandum went on to describe, in outline, the "commission" that would ultimately become the Wascana Centre Authority: A commission should be established to govern the whole area, made up of representatives of the Government, the University and the City. It would engage landscape architects to plan the whole development (e.g. the Mawson Plan) subject to the needs of each part of the Centre. All future construction and development within the area would have to be consistent with the master plan, and would require the approval of the commission. It proved to be an idea that had emerged at the right time; everyone contacted accepted the concept without much question. The problem facing those promoting the idea was to devise a legal structure that would secure and maintain the co-operation of the three agencies concerned, each with its own land and its own requirements. Careful consideration was given to ways of preventing conflicts from developing within the group, or, where conflicts might develop, how they could be resolved without danger of a break-up. These and similar problems occupied various committees for many months. Following discussions with the government regarding the site for the new campus, the University formed a joint committee of government and university representatives to consider the general planning of the area on both sides of Wascana Lake as it related to the proposed new campus and the site of Regina College. Judge E.M. Culliton (Chairman of the Board), President J.W.T. Spinks and A.C. McEown (Vice-President) were university members of the committee; the Hon. W.S. Lloyd, the Hon. A.E. Blakeney and the Hon. W.G. Davies represented the government. While the City of Regina was not intimately involved at the early stages, it was not excluded from the flow of information. The University had informed the Mayor of its intention of developing a second campus in Regina, and of the appointment of Shore and Moffat of Toronto to survey the area and recommend a site. During the Board's discussions that followed, it was realized that the City of Regina should be fully involved in any consideration of the Wascana area. Accordingly the Board requested the Hon. A.E. Blakeney, on behalf of the government, to appoint Mayor Baker of the City of Regina to the committee mentioned above, and to advise him of the intention of developing a master plan for the area and of forming a body (later to be called the Wascana Centre Authority) to develop and administer it. The joint committee recommended to the University Board of Governors that the area surrounding Wascana Lake and along the Creek should be developed as a centre for Government, Education, the Arts and Recreation, and that the committee should proceed to search for a planner for the proposed centre. This recommendation was approved by the university Board on May 2, 1961. Because the Deputy Provincial Treasurer and the Deputy Minister of Education were ex officio members of the Board of Governors, the university members of the Board could assume that these decisions had government approval. The decision to secure an outstanding master-planner for the project arose from a suggestion made by Professor K.C. Lochhead, Director of the School of Art at Regina College. He felt that when the proposed university campus was being planned de novo, the University should "think big" and appoint an outstanding planner. He believed that the development was of sufficient significance that an internationally-recognized planner should be engaged. He pointed out that the choice of such a planner would cost very little more than if a local planner were used, and that it would bring special benefits to the University and the community, with Lochhead as a member, to make a search. A list of eleven planners was submitted for consideration and in June 1961 Minoru Yamasaki of Birmingham. Michigan was selected to become the master-planner for the new campus. His responsibilities were expanded when, on August 11, 1961, he was appointed architect/planner for the proposed Wascana Centre. As the large concept of a formally-established Centre involving all the area surrounding the lake emerged, the joint committee, mentioned above, was reconstituted by the three participating agencies as the "A" Committee, which was given the responsibility for policy decisions in the broader discussions. A "B" Committee, which also had representation from all three agencies, was formed to carry out the administrative work required for the studies. Designing an appropriate organizational structure to control this new area involving land owned by three independent agencies was crucial to the success of the proposal. Al Johnson (Deputy Provincial Treasurer) was the prime mover in numerous ad hoc meetings that were held in government offices and at Regina College during which the basic concepts for a Wascana Centre Act were worked out. A number of individuals in addition to Johnson were involved - A.E. Blakeney, a newly-elected member of the legislature; A.C. McEown, Vice-President (Administration) of the University; and A.A. McCallum, Deputy Minister of Education. This group provided an "interlocking directorate," since both Johnson and McCallum, in addition to being government officials, were also ex officio members of the Board of Governors of the University of Saskatchewan. Blakeney had been a senior public servant for a number of years before entering politics, and now, as a Minister of the Crown, provided a vital link between the senior administrators involved in the planning, and his political colleagues. The fact that this was essentially an "old-boy" network probably had much to do with the success achieved in developing a plan for co-ordinating the three agencies, each having its own needs and plans, into a strong working authority for the Wascana area. During these discussions that led eventually to the passing of the Wascana Centre Act, the planning for the new university continued. The presence of Yamasaki as master-planner for the University was a strong stimulus to those seeking to develop a master plan for the whole Wascana area. When the government approached Yamasaki, inviting him to serve as master-planner for the entire Wascana Centre development, he was very reluctant to accept their offer, as he had been appointed to the President's Commission (U.S. government) - a body charged with making a re-development study of Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the Capitol in Washington, D.C. He yielded to local government persuasion but only on condition that his meetings regarding the preparation of a master plan for Wascana Centre would be held in Birmingham, Michigan, or be arranged during his visits to Regina for university planning. In August of 1961 he was appointed master-planner for what became known as Wascana Centre. This appointment of Yamasaki permitted the planning for the whole Wascana Lake area to go ahead in concert with the university development. Canada Council provided a grant of $5000 to assist with the preliminary costs of planning. Yamasaki was very enthusiastic about the Wascana Centre development as he embarked on the planning. The Leader-Post ran a large headline after an interview with him in September 1961 - "Yamasaki claims Wascana Centre's future unequaled." He was also quoted as saying the "Wascana is going to make Regina one of the greatest cities in the world"; and again, "There won't be a centre equal to this in the world." The Leader-Post went on to outline the prospects for future development: (The plan) calls for both shores of Wascana Lake from Albert street to the No.1 highway by-pass east of Regina to be developed into parkland sanctuary for government, culture, tourists and birds. The development will include:
Conditions were also favorable for securing the desired decisions from the City of Regina. As already noted, the University and the government had a strong joint Committee to direct planning for the new campus. Mayor Baker, who had been named to the committee, had close political ties with the government in power and was able to keep the members of city council informed about the discussions taking place. It should be noted that, during this formative period, and during the year leading up to the passage of the Wascana Centre Act the partners in the scheme conducted their discussions on an informal basis, reaching decisions by consensus. there was no statutory or contractual document that governed their procedures. The early discussions at all levels were mostly conducted in camera and there is little record of either the agendas or the discussions. All indications are that the initiative lay with Johnson and his government colleagues, and with members of the University. It was in these discussions, and many similar ones within the government service, that the basic concepts for the Wascana Centre Act were hammered out. It was the aim of the "A" Committee, and all individuals involved in the discussions, to develop legislation that would provide a comfortable relationship among the three parties, and avoid requirements that might cause conflict in the years ahead. The legislation would also have to be clear enough to prevent any of the three partners from interpreting some section of the Act in a manner that would infringe on the perceived rights of the others. The ideas developed by this small group were referred frequently to each of the three agencies. Their discussions, both formal and informal, continued for about a year. It is not surprising that some of the excitement would flow outward into the community. An editorial appearing in the May 1, 1961 issue of the Leader-Post commented at some length on the foresight of the Mawson plan and the need, arising from the University's decision to build on the experimental farm site, for renewed, orderly planning of the area surrounding the lake. The lack of this would result in "the unorderly hodge-podge development of the rest of the lake frontage (that) inevitably would have detracted from the best efforts of the planners engaged by the university." The writer of the editorial went on to state that a Wascana Centre Planning Authority, patterned on Ottawa's national planning authority, was being considered, and suggested that a top-flight planner should be commissioned; both these suggestions became actualities as the planning proceeded. Eventually the proposed act was approved by the University and the City. With this approval in hand, the government presented the Wascana Centre Act to the legislature for consideration in April 1962. The Hon. A.E. Blakeney, in presenting the bill for second reading, stated that "the project grew and evolved because of the requirements of each of the three participating parties, requirements which each of the parties was pursuing independently." The government, he went on to say,
The preamble to the Wascana Centre Act sets out the broad purposes of the new Centre:
(A 1989 amendment to the Act spelled out one further aim or purchase - conservation of the environment.) In his presentation the Hon. A.E. Blakeney pointed out that the development of the cultural arts - music, visual arts, including an art gallery - at Regina College had always played an important part in the Fine Arts Program of the University of Saskatchewan, and that the University planned to continue this program at the new institution. This would bring a strong cultural element into the proposed Wascana Centre and further enhance the attractiveness of the area. The Act creating the Wascana Centre Authority as a corporate body was passed unanimously. It included the provision that the Act would come into effect retroactively on April 1, 1962. It provided that the Authority would consist of eleven members - five from government, three from the University (It was not until 1974 that the University of Regina secured separate identity. Prior to that date any reference to "University" refers to the University of Saskatchewan.) and three from the city. Each agency would own its own land and control the rate of building development on its own land; the interior design of such buildings would be controlled by the participating party constructing them. However, the Authority would have the power of veto over developments proposed for the area, including the location, design and style of any building planned within the Centre. The
above information is from the book titled
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Wascana Centre is known internationally as a beautifully landscaped park
surrounding a 120-hectare lake located in the heart of the City of Regina. Within this 930-hectare parkland development may
be found numerous important buildings among which are the Legislative Building, government office buildings (one of which houses the MacKenzie
Art Gallery), the various buildings that make up the University of Regina, the Museum of National History (now known as the
Royal Saskatchewan Museum), the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts, two campuses of SIAST (the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied
Science and Technology), a hospital, a rehabilitation centre and the headquarters of the Wascana Centre Authority. The park
areas are attractively landscaped and are enjoyed by thousands of Regina citizens and tourists in both summer and winter.
The
initial development of Wascana Park, now part of Wascana Centre, was almost entirely the work of the government. In the 1880's
there were only one or two wells in Regina and, in order to augment the supply of water available, the federal government combined with
the CPR to build an earth dam across the creek, about one block west of the present location of the Albert Street bridge.
This created a water reservoir of about 65-hectares, with an average depth of 1.5 metres. It was used primarily for stock-watering
purposes although some of the citizens used it for recreational sailing.