By Jenny Hagan
Here in Saskatchewan, history is laid out in front of us, painted under our big living sky. Every
back road you drive on, there is a story to be found. I guess that’s the reason exploring
Saskatchewan is so intriguing to me. The landscape speckled with old churches, houses, barns
and schools. Each of them tell us the story of our past. You can almost hear whispered on the
wind.
There is so many hidden gems, but my favourite are those that can be found in my own back
yard. The most amazing part is seeing history come back to life, to be enjoyed again and filling
those buildings with laughter and memories. I came across one of these amazing gems recently
between Alsask and Marengo in the old hamlet of Merid.
A quaint B&B and event venue Merid & Magna is nestled among some rolling hills off the main
Highway 7. With spectacular views of the Saskatchewan prairies. That would be selling point
right there for me, but what makes this place unique and intriguing is that its two old school
houses repurposed into beautiful rooms with high ceilings that offer up some history as well as
an extremely cozy atmosphere where you can immerse yourself in the true feeling of the
Saskatchewan prairies.
On the property sits the old Merid school, originally constructed in 1912. This one room school
house has one of the most unique designs that I have seen on the prairies, with these amazing
windows facing south that would have basked the children in the warm prairie sun. The school
operate until 1953 and eventually the building was used as a community center until the
1980’s. A cairn and flagpole were added to the site in 1980 to commemorate both Merid and
the school. It is the last remaining building of the Merid Hamlet.
The second Building on the property is Magna Bonum School that was constructed in 1911 in
the RM of Milton Located North of Marengo. In the 1960s it was moved into Marengo as an
extra classroom and later was in use as a hall. In 2016 the owners of this beautiful B&B saved
this amazing piece of history from being lost and torn down. Which in itself makes this
particular building a treasure.
Kathy & Keith Warrington complete renovations in 2021 and have done an amazing job of
preserving a small piece of our history in a glorious manner. The places need to be seen to be
truly enjoyed for the treasures they are. They have managed to capture the feeling of rural
Saskatchewan, making you feel at home and welcome in every way. I know that these building
will continue to be filled with laughter and memories for years to come.
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