U of S to demolish architecturally significant seminary buildings

Scott Larson · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 17, 2025 11:29 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

A seminary gathering that has humanities value connected the University of Saskatchewan campus is going to beryllium torn down.

The Lutheran Theological Seminary Building and a erstwhile pupil residence adjacent doorway person been vacant for the past 5 years and person fallen into disrepair.

The buildings suffered a brace of fires, had windows broken, and radical person been recovered sleeping inside.

In a quality release, the University of Saskatchewan Board of Governors said it would outgo $55 cardinal to $60 cardinal to reconstruct the seminary building. 

"In 2024, USask Protective Services responded to much than 160 information calls to this site," the merchandise said, adding the gathering "is unusable without important concern owed to flooding and a catastrophic nonaccomplishment of the building's electrical transformer."

Advocates who privation the buildings saved accidental they're 1 of the champion examples of late-modern architecture successful this country.

Built successful 1968, it is listed on the university's interior practice registry, meaning the schoolhouse has recognized its humanities significance. 

It was designed by John Holliday-Scott, who besides designed the Law/Commerce Building and the Dentistry Building connected campus.

The gathering is owned by the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Saskatoon but is managed by the university. 

Holliday-Scott attended a meeting astir the projected demolition precocious past twelvemonth and expressed his disappointment astatine the plan.

"I was truly upset," Holliday-Scott told the CBC. "I was disappointed due to the fact that I thought the gathering was important to the assemblage and frankincense to the province. I was atrocious that they didn't marque a greater effort to clasp it."

The assemblage committee received 5 proposals to assistance money restoration of the seminary, but said none were financially viable. 

The quality merchandise said the buildings volition beryllium torn down successful the adjacent fewer months.