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Many Wondering What Will Happen to University of Sask.’ Stone Barn

Constructed between 1910 and 1912, the University of Saskatchewan’s Stone Barn is a landmark building that serves as a symbol of the ambition Saskatchewan had for its University, yet it’s future remains uncertain.

Designed by Brown and Vallance of Montreal, the large L-shaped barn with attached silos was intended to house roughly thirty horses and fifty cattle. Construction took two years with a total cost of $150,000. The west wing was finished in the first year and was used for the university’s horses until the 1950s. The east wing housed the dairy herd, and the loft stored feed.

Resting on a concrete foundation, the first eight feet of the exterior walls are composed of rough granite stone; the upper part of the exterior walls and roof are clad in cedar shingles. The building has a gambrel-type roof that was popular in America in the 1850s and is reminiscent of barns in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Two 120 ton concrete silos flank the north ramp and are considered one of the oldest in the province. A low stone wall of rough granite encircles much of the building and defines the barn’s external pens.

However, as time marches on, the barn has been out of use since 2010 and has fallen into disrepair, causing many to wonder what the future holds for this important heritage structure.

Seeking a renewed path forward, on May 24, the University of Saskatchewan invited community members interested in the stone barn to attend a community visioning event where they had the chance to provide their ideas for the structure. Over 50 people attended the evening.

For anyone unable to attend, an online survey was conducted, allowing anyone who wanted an outlet to express their thoughts.

As the University plans to have additional meetings and further conversations about the barn’s future, and while cost will likely be the deciding factor, nothing about the structure’s fate has been decided.

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