Description of Historic Place
The Hospital, Indian Services is located on the main street in Fort Qu’Appelle, in a mixed residential and institutional area. The three-storey brick building is executed in a stripped classical style. The flat roof and near symmetrical front elevation lend emphasis to a slightly projecting entrance pavilion that is accented by a broad stone surround. Stringcourses, belt courses and window arrangement emphasize the building’s linearity. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
The Hospital, Indian Services is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
Historical Value:
The Hospital, Indian Services is one of the best examples of a structure associated with aboriginal people’s health care, in particular the treatment of tuberculosis, and is one of the first specialized facility of its kind. Built initially as a 50-bed tuberculosis treatment facility the building now serves as the public hospital for the Fort Qu’Appelle region.
Architectural Value:
The Hospital, Indian Services is valued for its good aesthetic design. The modern, simplified design is modestly decorated and reflects the restricted budgets for public architecture at that time. Sited at an angle to the original hospital, the 1946 addition is of similar and compatible design. Good functional design is evidenced in the purpose built aspects of the design, including the ward pattern, the fenestration pattern, the verandahs, and the outdoor space for patients. The design included easily sanitized, durable materials to facilitate disease prevention. Good craftsmanship is evident in exterior detailing such as the main entrance’s stone surround.
Environmental Value:
The Hospital, Indian Services is compatible with the present mixed residential/institutional character of downtown Fort Qu’ Appelle, and is a familiar landmark to residents and to visitors.
Sources:
Dana Johnson, Fort Qu’ Appelle Indian Hospital, Broadway Street, Fort Qu’ Appelle, Saskatchewan, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Building Report 88-068; Fort Qu’ Appelle Indian Hospital, Broadway Street, Fort Qu’ Appelle, Saskatchewan, Heritage Character Statement 88-068.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of Fort Qu’ Appelle Hospital, Indian Services should be respected.
Its modern aesthetic, good functional design and good quality materials, for example:
-the flat-roofed, near symmetrical, three-storey form;
-the slightly projecting entrance pavilion;
-the brick-clad exterior walls, the windows at three levels and the stone surround of the main entrance;
-the string and belt courses which emphasize the building’s linearity.
The manner in which the Hospital, Indian Services is compatible with the present mixed residential/institutional character of Fort Qu’ Apelle, and is a familiar landmark to residents and to visitors, as evidenced by:
-its horizontal massing, modern design and materials, that harmonize with the nurses residence, the power plant and the residential buildings on the main thoroughfare;
-its high visibility within landscaped grounds and its high profile through its important role in the community both of which make it familiar to locals and visitors.
