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The Frances Morrison Library could receive Saskatoon’s ‘Building Heritage Status,’ but the city needs to find out more about the listing first.
The decision came Tuesday morning at the Standing Policy Committee on Planning, Development and Community Services.
The designation mandate is defined as providing “a listing of heritage resources identified as having significant heritage value or interest.”
Local architect Andrew Wallace presented his case on the Frances Morrison Library being designated as ‘Heritage Building Status’ on Feb. 11, 2019. (Brady Lang/650 CKOM)
Local architect Andrew Wallace spoke at the committee meeting and said other facilities have been designated that haven’t been around as long as the 54-year-old building.
He added that the library does have a connection to another facility in Saskatoon that was torn down at its 50-year mark.
“Some might draw a distinction between a building like the Capitol Theatre, constructed in 1929, and a building built in the 1960s in terms of heritage value,” Wallace said.
Wallace said the Frances Morrison Library has been standing for longer now than the historic theatre. He said heritage listing status should be considered for the facility.
“There’s no fixed date or age for heritage, and if there were, it would be a rolling target,” he said. “Buildings, like people, get old over time.”
Saskatoon’s Municipal Heritage Advisory committee sent a letter to the committee on Jan. 6, 2019 regarding the listing. In chair Lenore Swystun’s letter, she outlined the importance of the facility.
“As a work of architecture, the Frances Morrison Library building is notable as an example of late modernism, with many of the features and details typical of that style,” the letter reads.
“In this instance, the design is inflected towards an architectural humanism, emphasizing accessibility, openness, human scale, and warmth.”
Ideas bounced around the committee meeting Tuesday, with questions on where to go with the library.
Following a motion by Coun. Hilary Gough, the committee decided to look into the listing of the ‘Building Heritage Status’ as a whole, including policies within the classification.
There will have to be engagement with the owners of the Frances Morrison Library, the administration said. The final decision would be with the ownership group if it decides to proceed with the historic listing.
Heritage listing status doesn’t necessarily mean the building will have legalities around demolition, but commemorated facilities may be categorized after, and fall under legal protection.
In November at the city’s budget deliberations, the city allowed Saskatoon Public Library to borrow up to $67.5 million for a new downtown facility. The future downtown library will replace the Frances Morrison Library.
