Esplanade Archives
The current public library as it appeared shortly after opening in 1964.
The concept of a lending library has been one of the hallmarks of modern society. Although the internet age brings information instantly to our fingertips, nothing online can replace the pleasure of browsing the stacks for information on any given topic. In 2015, the Medicine Hat Public Library celebrated its 100th anniversary.
As early as 1887, a reading room and library opened at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, financed by subscriptions and mainly for reading magazines. It closed in 1890. In 1909, the Medicine Hat Literary Society, with the support of council, addressed a request to Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-American philanthropist who financially supported libraries all over North America, but this initiative did not result in a library. Carnegie required the local government to provide the building site, pay staff and maintain and run the library.
The Alberta Book Co., proprietor A. E. Marshall, in addition to stationery and magazines, was listed in the 1914 Henderson Directory as offering a “circulating library.” One assumes this was a “for profit” service. The business was located in the I.O.O.F. Building, at 523 Third St. SE (the former Granada Apartments).
Finally, in 1914, Bylaw 458 established a public library and the next year, Hugh Hassard became the Librarian presiding over two rooms in the Huckvale Block (today’s Assiniboia Inn), opening November 1915. He departed after a salary dispute in 1916 and Edwin C. Warner took over as librarian. Expansion was soon required and in January 1917, the library moved to Room 13 in the Becker Block (later Central Block, since demolished) at 635 Second St. SE. In September 1920, the library moved again, to the I.O.O.F. Building. In addition to the librarian, there was an assistant librarian and a bookbinder. In an adjacent space at 517, there was a Christian Science Reading Room, Olive McDougall, Librarian. Complementary service or competition?
Around 1925, the Public Library moved to the former “Elliott’s Pool Room” at 328 South Railway (building since replaced) while the Christian Science Reading Room stayed where it was until 1927. The City finally stabilized the location with the purchase of the former Bank of Montreal building on the south-west corner of South Railway and Third Street SE in 1928 and the public library had a home. Hard times followed in the 1930s and staff salaries were cut back. Warner retired in 1935, the end of an era, and was replaced by Harry Burbidge. Back in my early elementary school days at Earl Kitchener, I remember the weekly bicycle trip to this building to fill my bike basket with books.
The public library remained at that location until the current Library was built at 414 First St. SE. Architect J.H. Cooke of Calgary drew up a plan for the new building. In November 1963, the City Welfare Building was demolished and Bird Construction commenced construction. The official opening took place on Oct. 3, 1964, featuring CBC radio personality (and hometown boy) Tommy Tweed as guest speaker along with Lt.-Gov. Grant MacEwan, Mayor Harry Veiner, library chairman Fred McGuiness and chief librarian Phyllis Lapworth.
A sympathetic addition was designed by Hutchinson Barrett Architects of Calgary and opened in 1993. The original 1964 building is a good example of the 1960s modern architecture style. Although it still seems modern, the Library is more than 50 years old and so fits the “historic” definition of age (45 years before present). Today, our library is much more than books, but you can still find books there too!
Malcolm Sissons is a Member of the Historic Resources Committee of the City of Medicine Hat.
