Old fire hall among Regina buildings to get heritage protection

A fire hall with links to the historic Regina Riot is one of several buildings set to be added to the city's list of protected heritage properties.

Members of Regina's Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee meet Monday wherethey will consider recommendations to add four buildings to the city's list of properties that merit special protection from alterations. The final word on the heritage designations rests with members of city council.

The four buildings under consideration are:

Old No. 1 Fire Hall

• Location: 1654 11th Avenue (Osler and 11th).
• Built: 1920 - 1921.
• Architectural style: Queen Anne Revival.

According to the city, the fire hall is noteworthy in part because of its association with the Regina Riot. In its day, the building was just on the edge of what was then known as Regina's Market Square, the site of the Regina Riot of July 1, 1935.

"That historic event resulted from the attempted arrest of leaders of the On-to-Ottawa Trek who were protesting conditions in the single men's relief camps of depression-era British Columbia," the city noted.

"As a fire hall since 1921, it represents a major civic public work for the period," officials said.

Frontenac Apts.

• Location: 2022 Lorne Street.
• Built: 1929.
• Architectural style: Spanish Colonial Revival.

According to the city, the Frontenac was built during a brief housing boom in Regina when many apartment blocks were going up. The decorative Spanish Colonial Revival style was very popular at the time. There have also been many noteworthy tenants of the apartment block, including members of the legislative assembly and educator William Riddell (who was instrumental in the development of the University of Regina).

Weston Bakery

• Location: 1377 Hamilton Street (Hamilton and 8th Avenue)
• Built: 1929.
• Architectural style: Spanish Colonial Revival with Italianate-influences.

Built in 1929, the three-storey red brick building was in continual use as a bakery until it closed in 2012. City officials said the building's long-standing connection to George Weston bakeries, which went on to become a large food conglomerate, is noteworthy.

Somerset Block

• Location: 1806 Smith Street
• Built: 1929.
• Archectural features: Tyndall stone blocks, Claybank bricks.

This building is important, the city says, because of its long association with many Regina businesses which occupied the street-level shop space, including Peerless Printing Ltd. from 1932 to 1965.