Description of Historic Place

The Former Fire Hall No. 3 is a Municipal Heritage Property comprised of two commercial lots located at 612 11th Street East in the Broadway district of Saskatoon. The property features a two-storey, yellow brick building that was constructed in 1911.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Fire Hall No. 3 lies in its association with Saskatoon's boom years when the city's rapidly growing population created an increased demand for civic services. Though a fire hall already existed in Saskatoon's downtown, the population boom, combined with the decision to locate the University of Saskatchewan on the east side of the city, increased the need for a new fire hall on the east side of the river. Equipped with every modern device for its time, such as automatic overhead doors, a fireman's pole, overhead harness storage, loading pulleys, and both horse-drawn and gasoline-powered machines, this building also symbolized the progress and optimism of a growing prairie city. By 1926, the fire hall was completely motorized; it continued to serve the community until 1956 when a new fire hall was built further east.

Heritage value also lies in the building's association with the Cold War period. In 1959, at the height of the Cold War, the building became a headquarters for the Department of Civil Defence, the result of which led to alterations in the interior of the building. The basement became a radiation-proof communications centre in the event of nuclear war; an emergency food kitchen was also built and radiation-proof bricks were installed at the base of the stairs, all of which reflect the mentality of the Cold War era.

Heritage value also resides in the building's architecture, which balances a simple, functional, and utilitarian design with more elaborate elements, such as an exterior cornice and interior molded tin ceiling. Its presence helped establish a sense of permanence in a burgeoning community and contributed to the character of the area. It is the last remaining of Saskatoon's original fire halls and serves as a reminder of the changes that the city has undergone over the course of its history.

Source:

City of Saskatoon Bylaw No. 7184.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of Former Fire Hall No. 3 resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements related to the building's original use as a fire hall, such as the fireman's pole and the original overhead doors;
-those features that reflect the building's architecture, such as its basic, utilitarian design, the molded tin ceiling, the exterior cornice;
-those elements that speak to the building's use as a communications centre during the Cold War, such as the radiation-proof bricks.