Demolition of the Post Office in 1961.--Photo courtesy Esplanade Archives
“It’s just an old building. You don’t know anything about progress.” said Mayor Veiner to a young Jim Marshall about the iconic post office building, about to be demolished despite it being one of the most impressive buildings in downtown Medicine Hat. Jim was pleading to save the sandstone and brick structure opposite then City Hall (now BATUS Park) where the Bank of Montreal is now located. It was just one of many heritage buildings lost in our city.
At a recent training session conducted by Alberta’s Historic Resources Management Branch, presenter Mike Doherty admitted to being a “building hugger” and wanting to save all old buildings. However, his boss once told him that you can’t and don’t want to save them all. Some aren’t worth saving and dilute the effort and focus to save the ones that are.
We can bemoan our lost heritage: City hall, the post office, St. Theresa’s Academy, Alexandra High School (the original) and many gracious homes, but that won’t bring them back and they live on in photos, if not in memories.
However, we can celebrate our “saves”, most often designated as Municipal, Provincial or National Historic Resources. Medicine Hat does have an impressive list, ranging from the our city centre churches, to schools (Montreal St., Elizabeth St.) to important commercial and civic buildings and structures such as the courthouse, the Cypress Club, the Monarch Theatre and Finlay Bridge. The Medicine Hat Clay Industries National Historic District has no fewer than a national and three provincial designations.
It’s not all about big buildings, as some homes have also been protected by legislation, including Ewart Duggan, Crawford Dietrich, Cousins, and Ueberrhein Dumanowski. Even a simple grocery store that used to exist in every neighbourhood, the McKenzie Sharland Grocery, is worthy of protection. Some important buildings are not designated but are protected by the goodwill of the current owner, for example St. Barnabas Church, the Beveridge, Kerr Wallace house and other evaluated buildings on the City’s inventory.
So what’s coming up where we will need to hit the “save” button? Much of our Second World War heritage has been lost. We were a major Canadian outpost in the war effort, with Prisoner of War Camp 132, Squadron 34 of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan and the Suffield Defence Research Station. Few elements remain (the Rhine Hall on Stampede grounds, the Armoury and the Guardhouse at the Airport) and they really do need saving and preserving. Fortunately, the members of the City’s Heritage Resources Working Group are on the case!
Lament the losses, celebrate the wins but never throw in the towel!
Malcolm Sissons is the vice-president of the Historical Society of Medicine Hat and District
