Wolseley, Saskatchewan - Sense of Place

Wolseley does shine...

A view from Banbury House

It is easy to fall in love with Wolseley.

The old Le Parisien Restaurant

The famous restaurant seemed closed when I stopped by, but the building still has good "bones".

One of the many heritage homes in Wolseley

A view from the commercial district

"Wolseley can still boast having two more elevators than many Saskatchewan communities," to quote a friend.

A fine example of the use of fieldstones in a Prairie context.

Hard to beat this entrance point of view.


The Wolseley Courthouse

"The Wolseley Court House is the oldest existing court house in Saskatchewan, and the only one built during the period of Territorial Government. Designed under the direction of Thomas Fuller, Chief Dominion Architect, the building was constructed between 1894 and 1895 to serve the judicial district of Eastern Assiniboia.

Following its closure as a court house in 1909, the building was used as a jail and as a boys' detention home until 1921, when it became an annex to the newly constructed home for the infirm. The original metal flagpole still stands south of the building."

A view of the lake

The swinging bridge

A view of the Wolseley Town Hall and Opera House from the swinging bridge

Late summer light in the morning certainly lingers on nicely.


View of the weir

This area sustained significant flooding this spring.

Wolseley Mayor Dennis Fjestad show us the extent of the flooded area

Wolseley Town Hall and Opera House

"In the early twentieth century, Saskatchewan was fueled by optimism and many small communities planned for a thriving future. Believing that growth was inevitable, many towns and cities built elaborate town hall/opera houses. The Town of Wolseley commissioned Manitoba architect, J. H. G. Russell, to design its Town Hall/Opera House, one of the most elegant buildings of its kind in the province. Some of the brick used in the building's construction was produced locally, while the rest was manufactured elsewhere, giving the building a two-toned effect. This variety of architectural elements contributes to the structure's impressive design. The building was restored between 1990 and 1993."

The dividing line between bricks that were fired locally (darker shade) and those that were brought in from Manitoba (lighter shade) is visible on the left edge of the photograph

Main Street announcement hosts get ready

Plenty of fruit punch

One of the Fire Insurance Plans on display

Wolseley has managed to acquire copies of the 1905 Fire Insurance Plans commissioned by insurance companies to help guide them in assessing risks of fire. These precious historical documents provide accurate depictions of town layouts and the built environment. They are coded and extremely valuable as a research tool for historians and heritage archaeologists. These are photocopies that were coloured to reflect the original system indicating the building materials that were used (wood, structural brick, brick veneer, stone and concrete). They show where liveries, coals sheds and boilers were located among a wealth of additional information. The earliest plans available for the City of Regina date back to 1911. Therefore these are rather significant.

The Honourable Bill Hutchinson, Minister of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sports announces Wolseley's inclusion among Main Street Saskatchewan demonstration projects