Central Business District, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- See also: Saskatoon Centre
| City of Saskatoon Neighborhoods | |
|---|---|
| Central Business District | |
| Core Neighbourhoods SDA | |
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| Population: | 2,470 |
| Average Family Income: | $60,479 |
| Average Household Size: | 1.3 |
| Homeownership: | 22.5% |
| Average Home Selling Price: | $107,059 |
| Municipal Ward: | 6 |
| Statistics c2005 [1] | |
The Central Business District is one of Saskatoon's seven suburban development districts. Formerly called West Saskatoon, this area arose when the steam engines built their pumping stations on the lower west bank of the South Saskatchewan River. Many retail enterprises sprang up around the newly created train station and rail yards. Gone is the reputation of Canada full of ice, snow and wilderness areas. The city of Saskatoon's Central Business District hosts many sophisticated world class shopping malls and boutiques.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1890 the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railway Line (QLLR) or The Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Steamboat and Railway Line {QLLSR) extended from Regina through to Prince Albert, crossing the South Saskatchewan River where the Sidney L. Buckwold Bridge crosses the river presently. Steam engines could be refilled easier on the west banks of the river which were not so steep. Businesses sprang up around the pumping station forming the beginnings of the Central Business District. [2] The first post offices were named Saskatoon and West Saskatoon. For clarification, the post offices adopted the titles Saskatoon down town and Nutana (meaning "first born") for the east side of the River settlement. [3] Section 28, Twp.36, R.5, W3 was the location of West Saskatoon Post office located at 21st & 1st Ave.[4]
With settlement on the west side of the river, 32 children needed to cross the river to attend the Stone School on the east side where there were 67 students in total. To cross the river, there was only the wooden rail bridge without walkway or by ferry. Another school - Pioneer School- was envisioned in 1900 at Third Avenue around 19th Street. [5] [6]
This area became a village of 100 citizens on November 16, 1901 named Saskatoon, and July 1, 1903 became a town. 1912, City Hall had official headquarters in the old King Edward School; 23rd St and 3rd Avenue. 1928 saw Eaton's opening in the building on 21 Street and Third Avenue, which later housed the Army and Navy Department Store and now the Saskatoon Board of Education offices. The armouries of the 29th Saskatchewan Light Horse Regimental Headquarters and 105th Fusiliers Division were constructed in south downtown in 1922. The Saskatoon Arena was constructed in 1937 on 19th Street and torn down in 1989.
The Central Business District is one of Saskatoon's seven suburban development districts. The Saskatoon downtown revitalisation project began in the 1950's and 1960's when the Canadian National Railway yards were removed and replaced with a shopping mall in its image called the Midtown Plaza, and its neighbor the Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium and Convention Centre (recently re-named TCU Place). Eaton's and Simpson's Sears were the first anchors for the Midtown Plaza. [7]
The present day City Hall was had it opening ceremonies on June 23, 1956[8] Oct. 5, 1965 was the last day the C.N.R. passenger train ran through downtown Saskatoon over the old CNR bridge; it was replaced by the Idylwyld Bridge {Sidney L. Buckwold Bridge} on Oct. 28, 1966. April 1, 1968 saw the official opening ceremonies of the Centennial Auditorium, and a short while later, July 30, 1970 the Midtown Plaza opened; the Midtown Plaza was enlarged in the 1980s. The Hudson Bay Company building on 23rd Street East and 2nd Avenue has been undergoing renovations to convert to condominium living, and the adjacent Bayside Centre is now owned by Ashley Furniture. The Hudson Bay Company and Sears Canada are anchors in the Midtown Plaza shopping mall.[9]
- Book written about Down Town Saskatoon: City of Saskatoon Core Neighbourhood Study Review, 1980: vol. 3: Land use Policies and Land Use Patterns.[10]
[edit] South Downtown River Landing
Currently Saskatoon is developing the South Central Business District, or block 146, which is called the River Landing Project. The C.N.R. railyards and the Saskatoon Arena were the first buildings to fall; then the A. L. Cole Power Plant; and more recently, the Gathercole Building. It was once a high school, and later the Saskatoon Board of Education offices. Persephone Theatre is one of the first tenants on site, developing a new theatre to open in the winter of 2007. [11] [12] [13]
[edit] Layout
The early layout was a train bridge where the CNR Bridge ( present day site of the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge or Freeway/Idywyld Bridge ) Sidney L. Buckwold Bridge currently stands. The train yards, switching station, station house were all at the foot of the bridge. Warehouses sprang up along the rail tracks. Homes, and schools were scattered to the east of the train yards. Churches lined the river bank edge; Spadina Crescent was first named Church Road. The western side of the rail yard became the town of Riversdale, and were smaller sized lots. The eastern side was the town of West Saskatoon. [14]
When the revitalization downtown project commenced in the 1960s, the rail yards were refashioned into the current downtown core, a shopping mall, and two large at-grade parking lots (for the shopping mall). The rail bridge was demolished and an automotive bridge was constructed in its place. The layout started on Avenue A (now Idylwyld Avenue) and the riverbank for the QLLS. Streets are laid out east-west, and avenues north-south. First Avenue begins to the east of Avenue A and numbers rise consecutively towards Spadina Crescent. Streets are numerical incrementing northward.
[edit] Demographics
There are several condominiums presently being developed in the downtown core area which house mostly seniors, University of Saskatchewan students and employees of the downtown business sector.
[edit] Shopping
There is 2.3 million square feet of retail and restaurants in 7 million square feet of building development in the 2.3 acres allotted to the downtown core. [15]
Recently second avenue was revamped to provide angle parking and created a unique strip mall type of shopping area in the revitalised downtown core.
[edit] Midtown Plaza
The ceremonies of July 30, 1970 celebrated the opening of Saskatoon's enclosed down town shopping mall. For more information about this shopping mall see the main article at Midtown Plaza
[edit] Scotia Centre Mall
For more information about this shopping mall see the main article at Scotia Centre Mall
[edit] See also
List of shopping malls in Saskatoon
[edit] Education
Currently the downtown core hosts private vocational schools, career colleges and trade schools such as CDI College, Academy of Learning, Marca College, Marvel Schools - Saskatoon School of Esthetics and Hairstyling, McKay Career Training, Regency College, Saskatoon Business College and Universal Career College.[16]
- Pioneer School, an early stone elementary one room schoolhouse, was ready for use in 1900. This frame building was moved to the King Edward School site c.1912 to provide more classrooms to the replacement brick building.[17]
- King Edward School opened July 1904. The frame Pioneer school closed at its location, but was soon moved to supplement classes at King Edward School. In 1912, the King Edward School building housed the City of Saskatoon City Hall Chambers in the heart of the Central Business District at Third Avenue and 23rd Street. The first King Edward School building was used as City Hall until 1956, when it was demolished and replaced with modern civic buildings. It wasn't long before another King Edward school was rebuilt to serve the educational needs of the public school children still residing in this area. It was located in City Park now Kinsmen Park a part of the City Park subdivision. The second King Edward School was on 25th Street until it was demolished in 1980[18]
- The Gathercole Building started out as the Technical Collegiate Institute in 1931. In 1968, the Technical Collegiate Institute housed the administration offices and Riverview Collegiate. In 1972 it was called the Dr. F. J. Gathercole Education Centre. This building has recently been torn down and the area is part of the South Downtown - River Landing Project.[19] [20]
[edit] Recreation
[edit] Bowling
In the downtown core, there have been several bowling alleys that have come and gone over the years. K.G. Bowl since 1962 is in the King George Hotel, Hunter's Bowling Alley off of 20th Street and 2nd Avenue, and Raks Bowl-a-drome on 3rd Avenue and 23rd Street.
[edit] Movies
The downtown area has been the home of several different movie theatres over the years. Cineplex Odeon, recently closed down its Pacific Cinemas and now shows their movies at the new twelve-screen theatre complex called Galaxy Theatre. Famous Players Capitol 4 is on First Avenue, and became Empire Capitol 4 in 2005. The old Capitol Theatre (1929-1979) was located on second avenue, and was a single movie screen theatre [21] and was demolished (amid public outcry) to make way for the Scotia Centre Mall in 1979. The Roxy Theatre, for time called the Towne Cinema, is located nearby in the Riversdale neighbourhood. Daylight Theatre (1935-1965), Midtown Cinemas (1970-2000) and Paramount Theatre (1969-1980) are previous movie theaters that no longer exist downtown.
[edit] Arena
The Saskatoon Arena housed several events in Saskatoon, such as the early Western Hockey League's Saskatoon Quakers (and later the Saskatoon Blades) hockey games, wrestling events, concerts, and the Shrine Circus. These events are now hosted either at TCU Place, the exhibition grounds, or at Credit Union Centre (Sask Place).
[edit] Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium / TCU Place - Saskatoon's Arts and Convention Centre
Currently the Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium has recently undergone a major renovation and name change. TCU Place - Saskatoon's Arts and Convention Centre hosts many ballet, symphony, musicals, plays, concerts, and conventions in the heart of downtown.
[edit] Gallery
Mendel Art Gallery opened in 1964. The Mendel Art Gallery is located on Spadina Crescent East and overlooks the South Saskatchewan River near the base of the University Bridge [22]. Frederick (Fred) Salomon Mendel, Intercontinental Packers Limited enterprenuer began the gallery in appreciation of a new life began in Saskatoon. The gallery hosts a permanent locations, and galleries of rotating collections to celebrate the arts.
The Art Placement Gallery is a commercial enterprise on 3rd Avenue South[23]
[edit] Features
[edit] Heritage Buildings
- Canada Building, 105 21st Street East - 1913
- C.P.R. Station, 305 Idylwyld Drive North - 1907
- Delta Bessborough Hotel, 601 Spadina Crescent East - 1931
- Fairbanks-Morse Warehouse, 1911 [24]
- Knox Presbytarian Church (United), 838 Spadina Crescent East - 1914
- Land Titles Building, 1909[25]
- Royal Bank, 241 2nd Avenue South - 1913
- Rumely Warehouse - 1913 [26]
- St John's Cathedral, 816 Spadina Crescent east - 1913
- St Mark's Anglican Church, 1406 8th Avenue North - 1939
- Saskatoon Club, 417 21st Street East - 1912
- Schroeder House (Barrister House), 321 6th Ave North - 1909, renovated 1986[27]
- Senator (Flanagan) Hotel, 243 21st Street East - 1907 - on the raised balcony of the hotel, many civic leaders gave speeches to the crowd on 21st Street East in the early 1900s.
- Third Avenue Methodist Church (United), 304 3rd Avenue North - 1912
- Thompson Chambers (Avalon Block), 206 2nd Avenue North - 1912
- T. Eaton Store (Army & Navy), 3rd Avenue and 21st Street - 1928
[edit] Area Parks
- Saskatoon Kinsmen Park
- Friendship Park
- The Meewasin Valley Authority has been developing park land and walkways on both sides of the river.
Within this park various Saskatoon festivals and events are hosted. A few of these are the Saskatoon Children's Festival, the Saskatoon Jazz Festival, public ice skating rink, Taste of Saskatchewan, and Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan. A previous event was "Louis Riel Day", with the Riel Relay, an team competitive event comprising running, canoeing, horseback riding being the highlights.
[edit] Hotels / Motels
Saskatoon's tourist industry is expanding. Celebrate Saskatoon, the 100th birthday in 2006 kicked off many projects, developments, and celebrations. Conventions and get-togethers are easily hosted in this provincially central city with many downtown amenities. A variety of historic and contemporary hotels blend together to provide the traveller a home away from home in beautiful downtown Saskatoon.
- Bessborough Hotel
- Hilton Garden Inn Hotel
- Hotel Senator
- King George Hotel (previous hotel on 23rd Street East)
- The Parktown Hotel
- Radisson Hotel
- Sheraton Cavalier Hotel
[edit] Transportation
[edit] City Transit
Saskatoon Municipal Railway or Saskatoon Municipal Street Railway provided an electric railway in Saskatoon and the surrounding area, for instance connecting Saskatoon and the village of Sutherland. The Electric Railway operated between 1912 to 1951. Saskatoon Transit operated from 1949 to present. The early trolley cars operated from electric lines suspended above the streets, and the trolley cars ran on tracks. This system was employed between 1948-1974. The wires were in need of repair from ice accumulation in the winter months, and were subject to breakage. Motor buses supplemented this system starting in the late 1930s and are still in operation today. [28]
The 23rd Street roadway between 3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue has been closed off to produce a hub city bus terminal. This produces access to anywhere in the city via a type of spoked wheel analogy. If you catch a city route bus on any of the spokes of the wheel or any neighborhood, they all pass through the hub, so a bus transfer will connect you to all sections and neighborhoods of the City of Saskatoon. The transit system has moved forward and some recent innovations are the Bio Bus, Access Transit and Low Floor Service.[29]
[edit] Saskatchewan Transit Services
STC, The Saskatchewan Transportation Company runs its main bus depot in down town Saskatoon on 23rd Street and Pacific Avenue or the Warehouse district. It has provided passenger and parcel services across Saskatchewan since 1946. [30]
[edit] Vehicular Traffic
22nd Street (Highway 14) is a major throroughfare through Saskatoon. Highway 14 connects with Asquith, Biggar Wilkie, Unity, and Macklin enroute to Alberta.
Idylwyld Drive has had many titles: Avenue A, (Saskatchewan Highway 11 and most currently Louis Riel Trail. It is a main thoroughfare through the city connecting Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. It also connects west Saskatoon with the bedroom communities of Warman and Martensville
[edit] References
- ^ Neighborhood ProfilesURL accessed February 3, 2007
- ^ A History of Saskatoon To 1914 URL accessed February 1 2007
- ^ Saskatoon Gen Web Narratives of Saskatoon URL accessed February 2, 2007]
- ^ Archivia Net National Archives Dominion Land Grants URL accessed February 2, 2007
- ^ Saskatoon Gen Web Narratives of Saskatoon URL accessed February 2, 2007]
- ^ Blashill, Lorraine (1982). in Lorraine Blashill: From a little stone school... A story of Saskatoon Public Schools. Modern Press Ltd., p.9.
- ^ Saskatoon and District Chamber of Commerce South Downtown Taskforce URL accessed February 1, 2007]
- ^ City of Saskatoon - Archives - History URL accessed February 1, 2007]
- ^ Saskatoon Retail Survey URL accessed February 1, 2007]
- ^ How to research a subdivision - Local History pathfinder ...URL accessed April 1, 2007
- ^ River Landing URL accessed February 4, 2007
- ^ The PartnershipURL accessed February 4, 2007
- ^ River Landing Concept PlanURL accessed February 10, 2007
- ^ History of Saskatoon URL accessed April 1, 2007
- ^ Saskatoon Down Town PlanURL accessed February 4, 2007
- ^ Saskatoon Career Colleges and Trade Schools]URL accessed February 7, 2007
- ^ Blashill, Lorraine (1982). in Lorraine Blashill: From a little stone school... A story of Saskatoon Public Schools. Modern Press Ltd., p.5.
- ^ A View From Above A Key to Landmarks URL accessed February 14, 2007
- ^ Heritage Resources Impact Assessment of the Gathercole Property in ...URL accessed February 7, 2007
- ^ Blashill, Lorraine (1982). in Lorraine Blashill: From a little stone school... A story of Saskatoon Public Schools. Modern Press Ltd., p.65, 122.
- ^ Saskatoon 100]URL accessed February 7, 2007
- ^ Mendel Art GalleryURL accessed February 7, 2007
- ^ Art PlacementURL accessed February 7, 2007
- ^ City of Saskatoon·Departments·Community Services·Leisure Services&Community Development Fairbanks Morse WarehouseURL accessed February 7, 2007
- ^ City of Saskatoon·Departments·Community Services·Leisure Services&Community Development Land Titles OfficeURL accessed February 7, 2007
- ^ Downtown Saskatoon heritage buildings URL accessed February 7, 2007
- ^ The Saskatoon ClubURL accessed February 7, 2007
- ^ Transit History of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Saskatoon Electric Railway and Power CompanyURL accessed February 7, 2007
- ^ City of Saskatoon · Departments · Utility Services · Saskatoon Transit ServicesURL accessed February 7, 2007
- ^ STC, The Saskatchewan Transportation Company Home PageURL accessed February 7, 2007
[edit] External Links
- Neighborhood Profiles
- Saskatoon Neighborhoods Word Search Puzzle
- City of Saskatoon · Departments · Community Services · Community ...
- Saskatoon Gen Web Narratives of Saskatoon Saskatoon 1906 Photograph Taken from the top of Victoria School
- Midtown Plaza official website
- City of Saskatoon City of Saskatoon · Departments · Community Services · City Planning · ZAM Maps
- Populace Spring 2006
[edit] Location
Coordinates Coordinates: 52°7'39"N 106°40'3"W
- Maps and aerial photos
- WikiSatellite view at WikiMapia
- Street map from Mapquest or Google Maps
- Satellite image from Google Maps
- Topographical map from Maptech
| North: Central Industrial | City Park | ||
| West: Riversdale | Caswell Hill | Central Business District; Warehouse District; a Suburban Centre | East: South Saskatchewan River |
| South: South Saskatchewan River |
