Our president Jackie Schmidt joined CBC’s The Morning Edition earlier this week. Listen below to hear her interview and learn more about the new additions to the Cathedral Cultural Trailway, and how Regina residents can get involved:
Heritage Regina would like to introduce our new Social Media Associate, Nathaniel Hak!
Originally from Regina, Nathaniel is looking forward to learning more about Regina’s cultural and built heritage, and is excited to expand his knowledge of land-based heritage and the ecosystems found in our city. Nathaniel is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology at the University of Regina. This past spring, he completed a diploma in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation at Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alberta, where he managed social media for the School of Environmental Sciences, showcasing his program and the school, and served as a student member on the school’s Board of Governors. Nathaniel spent this past summer with Nature Saskatchewan as a Habitat Stewardship Assistant, engaging with Saskatchewan’s landowners to conserve wildlife habitat on the prairies. During his free time, you can usually find Nathaniel spending time with friends and family, enjoying the outdoors, or daydreaming about his next holiday.
On Wednesday, April 26, City Council debated a proposed Heritage Maintenance Policy. The policy is designed to allow the city to inspect properties on the Heritage Inventory and to recommend maintenance work to ensure the longevity of our heritage assets. The inspection only includes the character-defining elements on the facade of the building and items like foundations, roofs, and other factors that ensure the building remains solid. The policy also sets requirements for owners of vacant heritage buildings to protect heritage assets from the elements. Unfortunately, some heritage property owners known for leaving their vacant buildings unprotected from the elements, object to the requirements.
This is Heritage Regina’s presentation to City Council in support of the policy. (http://heritageregina.ca/…/Heritage-Regina_-_Phase-2…) We are happy to report that the policy was passed in a vote of 9 in favour and only 1 councilor, Ms. Nelson, opposed.
We will post a link to the complete Heritage Maintenance Policy when it is made available by the city.
Saturday, February 11th / 1pm
FROST Downtown Hub: Big White Tent on 12th Avenue
In Partnership with Downtown Business Improvement District
Get to know Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter-inspired architecture through stories, drawings, and photos.
Thursday, February 23rd / 7pm
Artesian, 2627 13th Avenue
Learn the history of the Victoria Park Conservation District, discover lost park structures, and understand the current threats to the future of our historic downtown park
Thursday, March 16th / 7pm
Link to be posted on Heritage Regina’s Facebook Page
This highly illustrated presentation will take you on a journey from Frank Lloyd Wright’s earliest projects through his life
and renowned career.
Thursday, March 23rd / 7pm
The Artesian – 2627 13th Ave.
A talented team of lecturers will explore Regina in the Roaring 20’s: From cars, to fashion, architecture, music, dance crazes, Art Deco and so much more.
Thursday, April 6th / 7pm
The Artesian – 2627 13th Ave.
Historian Bill Waiser returns for a fast-paced history of Saskatchewan’s first 100 years and discover why at the beginning of the 21st century Saskatchewan was not the same as a century ago. No seatbelt required.
ALL LECTURES ARE FREE – SUGGESTED DONATION $10.00 to help fund Heritage Regina’s educational programming.
Thursday, February 24 @ 7:00 PM
Heritage Regina’s Facebook Page – Facebook Live
Join John Robinson in an online lecture that takes us back to a time when mail-order homes were shipped thousands of miles by rail to the prairies and assembled by local labour.
LINK: Recorded Lecture – Catalogue Homes
Facebook Live – Heritage Regina
Join automotive author and award-winning journalist Dale Johnson as he tells the story of the first manager of Regina’s General Motors plant, Harry Aughe, and his relationship with the people at Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation, near Fort Qu’Appelle.
Thursday, April 7 @ 7:00 PM
The Artesian – 2627 13th Ave
Historian Bill Waiser tells the story of Almighty Voice, a member of the One Arrow First Nation and once one of Canada’s most wanted men. Learn how his resistance is important to reconciliation today. Meet and greet book sale to follow
Thursday, April 28 @ 7:00 PM
The Artesian – 2627 13th Ave.
Learn to identify Regina’s historical architectural styles with John Robinson.
Friday, April 29th @ 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Saturday, April 30th @ 9:00 AM – 12:00 and 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Sunday, May 1st @ 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Robinson Residential, 2232 2nd Ave.
Saturday, April 30 @ 7:00 PM
The Artesian – 2627 13th Ave
Sponsored by the Saskatchewan Writers Guild
Thursday, May 5 @ 7:00 PM
The Artesian – 2627 13th Ave.
Join our Saskatchewan Poet Laureate Carol Rose GoldenEagle for a discussion on how this harmful government policy has impacted her life and her writing. Reception and book sale to follow.
Sunday, May 15 @ 1:00 PM
The Artesian – 2627 13th Ave.
This is a special lecture for children, ages 5 and up (accompanied by an adult). Explore historic places in Regina and the province with readings from Crista Bradley’s new book and share stories about places that are special to you. Meet and greet book sale to follow.
Stay tuned for the exciting announcement of the next Cultural Trailway district, coming in 2022!
Demolition Denied, But Heritage Still in Jeopardy
by Heritage Regina
At its August 26th meeting, City Council voted unanimously to deny the demolition application for the Bagshaw Residence at 56 Angus Crescent and to begin the heritage designation process for the home. Although this is great news for the property, the home’s journey from Heritage Inventory to official heritage designation is far from certain. City Council will again discuss the matter at its October 28th meeting when the current property owners have the opportunity to object to the proposed designation of the home.
It would be easy to drive by the Bagshaw Residence today and write it off. At a glance, it is obvious that the home needs new shingles and eavestroughs. Some of its windows and screens need repair and it could use a fresh coat of paint. In short, the exterior of the home—the only part of the property that would be covered by a heritage designation—needs the care and attention that any other 107-year old home in Regina would require.
But the property also deserves to be viewed within the much larger context of its long-time owners (Frederick and Esther Bagshaw) and prominent architect (Frederick Clemesha) and their substantial contributions to the development of Regina, the province and Canada. The home needs to be appreciated for its unusual Craftsman-style design. It merits recognition for the role it continues to play in enhancing the unique character of the neighbourhood. These are the character-defining elements that make the Bagshaw Residence worthy of protection under a Municipal Heritage Property Designation.
When the City established its Heritage Holding Bylaw (now Heritage Inventory) in 1989, the intent was to prevent the destruction of historical properties that the City felt might warrant a heritage designation. The Bagshaw Residence was among the first homes added to the Bylaw list.
Recently, a new trend seems to be emerging regarding homes on that list. It is becoming more common for a heritage home to be purchased by buyers who know the property is listed on the City’s Heritage Inventory. They are not seeking a residence for themselves, but a redevelopment opportunity. They “roll the dice” and purchase the property, hoping that it will never be designated. They decline the City’s offer of financial incentives to restore and conserve the heritage home and apply for a demolition permit so they can tear down the building, redevelop the site and then resell the property. When the demolition application is paused to let the City consider a heritage designation for the property, the owners argue that the home they willingly purchased is unsafe, too expensive to rehabilitate and cannot to be resold. We see this pattern playing out with the Bagshaw Residence.
This is a concerning development because the history and architecture of heritage homes are vital to retaining the character of older neighbourhoods. When heritage homes in the Cathedral area are purchased only for the redevelopment potential of their lots, the community loses its tangible connections to Regina’s history along with the distinctiveness of its streetscapes.
We need to change the conversation around the value of heritage properties in Regina. There needs to be a greater focus on the economic benefits of restoring heritage homes, including the jobs created in construction, engineering, interior design and landscaping.
There needs to be a greater emphasis on heritage tourism. Visitors want to experience the historically, architecturally and culturally significant areas of our city. If we don’t conserve and promote our heritage sites, we lose out on the economic benefits enjoyed by other municipalities across Canada. Imagine St. John’s without its iconic “Jelly Bean” rowhouses, for example. Or Quebec City without the 400-year old architecture of its Old Quebec district.
There needs to be greater attention paid to the environmental benefits of conserving heritage homes. By choosing restoration over demolition, greenhouse gas emissions and the volume of materials that end up in our landfills are substantially reduced.
There also needs to be some consideration given to protecting the character of heritage neighbourhoods where an infill project is a possibility. City Council is already moving in this direction and has tasked its Administration with preparing a report on implementing an Architectural Control District for the Crescents neighbourhood. As part of Regina’s Official Community Plan, the control district aims to maintain architectural design standards in order to ensure development or infill projects are compatible with the heritage character of the neighbourhood. The Diocese of Qu’Appelle property at Broad Street and College Avenue is an example of an Architectural Control District.
From a heritage perspective, applying an Architectural Control District to the Crescents neighbourhood is a good approach to protecting the architectural character of the community in cases where a property does not meet the criteria needed for a heritage designation. The Administration’s report, due in early 2021, may be used as a guide for future heritage neighbourhoods.
As for the Bagshaw Residence, the criteria required to be granted a Municipal Heritage Property Designation have been met. It is up to City Council to make it happen.
Friends of Heritage,
To help citizens get to know the candidates in the Civic Election, Heritage Regina sent five heritage related questions by email to 52 candidates. The 53rd candidate did not have an email address available. We received 18 responses to our enquiry. We encourage you to review the responses received by those running in your Ward and from the Mayoral Candidates. Please feel free to ask these questions of candidates you meet during the election.
Please note: No changes have been made to any responses submitted except for formatting. Ward 4 was declared by acclamation so no responses were requested.
Thank You for your interest in Heritage and for supporting Heritage Regina