SUBMITTED PHOTO The former Service Flight Training School building.
As the city’s heritage assistant, working out of the Esplanade, I anticipate and look forward to another busy year supporting the Heritage Resources Committee (HRC). Let me share some of what they are up to in 2020.
Over the last few years, a big focus of the HRC has been evaluating a variety of historic resources to create the Historic Resources Inventory. This inventory may be found on the City of Medicine Hat website under medicinehat.ca/heritage and clicking on “Historic Inventory.” Although they are continuing to evaluate a few resources, such as the former St. Louis School and the last remaining Service Flight Training School building from the 1940s, a new focus will be on interpreting a variety of resources through signage.
Utilizing the city’s new signage standards, you will start to see a number of signs appearing such as the one recently installed outside City Hall near Finlay Bridge. That sign recognizes the former Central Motors, Empress Theatre and Medicine Hat News buildings that once stood on the site facing Sixth Avenue, now occupied by City Hall. In addition to new signage recognizing buildings that once stood, signage is also planned for a number of existing historical buildings previously not recognized as well as sites of interest. One site of interest that the HRC is continuing to work on, to finalize a Statement of Significance/Statement of Integrity/Evaluation, is Saratoga Park. This site is commonly recognized as the area on both sides of the Seven Persons Creek at the bottom of Scholten Hill. The intent of the HRC is to recommend Municipal Historic Resource Designation of the site. Prior to doing so, the boundaries are currently being defined.
The HRC, through the generosity of Sally Sehn, will be continuing to offer tours of the southeast section of the First Street South Municipal Historic Area. Sehn, a member of the HRC, did the majority of the research for the booklet which retails for $5. Included with the price is the opportunity to book a tour. Weather dependent, Sehn plans to start tours again at the end of May.
Sehn continues to keep extremely busy researching. Not only does she conduct research for Heritage in the Hat columns, she has been researching the history of early residents and homes in the southwest section of the First Street South Municipal Historic Area. I am excited to say that a booklet for self-guided tours of the area should be available in the spring of 2020.
Keep waiting this spring for the plaque unveiling to recognize the Municipal Historic Resource Designation of the McKenzie Sharland Residence. Due to restoration of the residence that was designated in 2014, the installation of the plaque has been delayed.
The HRC will continue as well with their Centennial Certificate program that recognizes public and commercial buildings that are 100 years old or older.
Keep your eye on the Ewart Duggan House Heritage Garden too. Plans are to install signage to identify the various species of flowers that grace the garden. Yes, it should be another busy year!
Karen-Anne Cherwonogrodzky is heritage assistant at the Esplanade.
