Previous Webinars

The Grand Hotel, Town of Shaunavon and The Bethany Social Hall, Village of Hazlet

Presenters: Kent Karemaker, Property Owner and Linday Alliban, Co-owner and Operator of the Bethany Social Hall

Built in 1929, the Grand Hotel has been a long-time community landmark with a deep connection to Shaunavon’s social history, witnessing some dramatic events that occurred in the town. After ceasing operation as a hotel, the building became an apartment building for a time but has sat vacant for over 40 years. Now it is being given new life. In this presentation, the new owner will tell us about his plans for the building and the work involved in returning it to its former glory.

Right across the country, there are growing numbers of unused churches. Although people can feel a deep connection to these historic structures, it’s challenging to find new uses for them that will ensure their survival and continued contributions to community life. In this presentation, you will hear how a small Saskatchewan village found a way to extend the life of its former Lutheran church by transforming it into a one-of-a-kind event space. Abandoned and unused for 25 years, the church is again a focus of community life as the Bethany Social Hall—a venue for social and corporate events, weddings, workshops, and more.

Archaeological Investigations in the Wakamow Valley, Moose Jaw

Presenter: Alan Korejbo, Senior Archaeologist, Respect Heritage Consulting

During the summers of 2023 and 2024, Alan Korejbo and his team at Respect Heritage Consulting completed archaeological investigations related to the Highway 363/9th Avenue slope remediation project. It’s estimated that over 200,000 artifacts were recovered from the site. Although the team is still cataloguing and analyzing the artifacts, it is evident that these finds will provide significant new information about the lives of First Nations people in the centuries before European settlers arrived. This project also demonstrates the importance of Cultural Resource Management in Saskatchewan.

John Nugent Studio – Provincial Heritage Property

Presenter: Brant Hryhorczuk, Heritage Building Conservation Officer, Heritage Conservation Branch

John Nugent was a prominent Saskatchewan artist known for his metal sculptures and castings, religious objects, silver work and candle-making. His pieces have been exhibited nationally and are included in many important collections. Much of his work was produced in a unique Lumsden studio, which was designed by the late renowned Saskatchewan architect Clifford Wiens. For its inventive design, the studio received a Massey Silver Medal in 1967 from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. In 2005, it was designated as Provincial Heritage Property. This presentation will introduce you to a truly novel structure and explain how its current dedicated owners are working to ensure its conservation and ongoing use.

Vibank Heritage Centre, Village of Vibank

Presenter: Heath Duncan, Administrator, Village of Vibank
Summary: Vibank’s former convent now houses the village office and other tenants, including a library, daycare, postal outlet, dance studio and a renowned restaurant.

C.M. Glascock Building, Town of Maple Creek

Presenter: Royce Pettyjohn, Southwestern Saskatchewan Oldtimers’ Museum
Summary: Automobile dealerships and a garage were in this building from 1909 to 2009. The Southwestern Saskatchewan Oldtimers’ Museum acquired it in 2010 and has transformed it into an attractive exhibition, meeting and event space.

Buffalo Child Stone

Presenter: Melody Wood, Special Projects Team Lead, Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan

Summary: The demolition of Buffalo Child Stone, called mostos-awasis asiniy by Cree people, was a devastating loss for First Nations people. The Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre worked to “bring home” surviving pieces of the stone to create a space where people can learn the lessons of mostos-awasis asiniy, and where First Nations can reconnect with a vital part of their cultural heritage.

Town of Battleford Historic Post Office Rehabilitation

Presenter: Jesse Crozier, S.L. Contractors, North Battleford

Summary: In 2015, Canada Post decided to move out of its aging building, leaving it with an uncertain future. Purchased and rehabilitated by a local construction firm, this landmark building is again a hub for downtown activity.

General Motors Building, Regina

Presenter: Curtis Lax, Project Manager, West Oak Investments

Summary: The General Motors building was part of an automobile assembly complex established in Regina in 1928. In this presentation, the developer walks us through the business and technical considerations for rehabilitating a heritage building for new use.

Topics: Darke Hall – University of Regina College Avenue Campus Renewal Project

Presenter: James Youck, Principal and Architect, P3Architecture Partnership.

Town of Moosomin Armoury
Presenter: Greg Nosterud, President, Society for the Preservation of the Moosomin Armoury Inc.; Councillor, Town of Moosomin.

Topics: Abbey Business and Community Centre, Village of Abbey

Presenter: Jenn Biensch, Economic Development Officer, Village of Abbey and Rural Municipality of Miry Creek; Secretary Treasurer, Abbey Business and Community Centre.

Qu’Appelle Valley Centre for the Arts, Town of Fort Qu’Appelle
Presenter: Jim Harding, Past President, Qu’Appelle Valley Centre for the Arts Inc.

Topic: Wanuskewin Heritage Park

Presenters: Dr. Ernest Walker, Anthropology Professor Emeritus, University of Saskatchewan; Darlene Brander, Chief Executive Officer, Wanuskewin; Jenaya Chutskoff, Director, Finance and Administration and UNESCO Lead, Wanuskewin.

Heritage Tourism

Topics: Historic Reesor Ranch, Humboldt Water Tower and the Southern Prairie Railway, Ogema
Presenters: Theresa and Scott Reesor, owners and operators of the Historic Reesor Ranch. Jennifer Fitzpatrick, Director of Cultural Services, City of Humboldt. Carol Peterson, Mayor, Town of Ogema; Chairperson, Ogema Heritage Railway Association.

Historic Buildings as Business Assets

Topics: Topics: Daily Grind Coffee Shop and Star Café, Maple Creek; Weston Bakery Building, Regina; and the Yvette Moore Gallery, Moose Jaw
Presenters: Tina Creswell, Councillor, Town of Maple Creek; Proprietor, The Daily Grind Roastery and Coffee Shop. Alton Tangedal, Project Architect. Yvette Moore, Owner.

Heritage and Community

Topics: The Grand Theatre, Indian Head; Melfort Post Office; and the Regina Indian Industrial School Cemetery
Presenters: Tara-Leigh Heslip, Chair, Indian Head Theatre and Community Arts Inc., and Meagan McEwen, Community Development Officer, Town of Indian Head. Gailmarie Anderson, Curator, Melfort & District Museum. David Owens, Member and Past President, Regina Indian Industrial School Commemorative Association.

Archaeological Heritage Projects

Topics: Ground Penetrating Radar – Applications for Cemeteries and Fort Carlton Archaeology Project
Presenters: Mike Markowski, Director/Principal Archaeologist, Atlheritage Services Corp. Dr. Karin Steuber, Public Outreach Coordinator, Saskatchewan Archaeological Society.

Adaptive Reuse – The Developer's Perspective

Topics: Identifying viable projects, financing, regulatory considerations, construction challenges.
Presenter: Ross Keith, founder of Nicor Group, a Regina-based property development and management firm with a large portfolio of redeveloped historic buildings.

Presentation document

Adaptive Reuse and Building Codes

Topic: Satisfying code requirements and preserving a building's heritage features.
Presenters: Murray Fischer, Building Safety Manager, City of Brandon; Brant Hryhorczuk, Heritage Building Conservation Officer, Heritage Conservation Branch.

Presentation document

Adaptive Reuse – The Municipality's Role

Topics: Community benefits of adaptive reuse, municipal tools for supporting adaptive reuse.
Presenter: Michael Ruus, Director of Planning and Development, Cape Breton Regional Municipality; former General Manager of Planning and Growth Development, City of Swift Current.

Presentation document

Adaptive Reuse – Archaeological Considerations

Topic: Protection and commemoration of archaeological materials found in association with historic buildings should be considered in reuse planning and management.
Presenters: Kim Cloutier, Archaeologist; Lorna Dmyterko, Provincial Archaeology Inventory Specialist; Tom Richards, Senior Archaeologist, Heritage Conservation Branch.

Presentation document