Description of Historic Place

The Wardens’ Equipment Building is situated amongst lawns and mature trees in Prince Albert National Park of Canada. Rustic in style, the rectangular structure is built of horizontal log walls with saddle-notched corners. It also features a broad hipped roof with dormers, multi-paned windows, and a large lift door for vehicles. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Wardens’ Equipment Building is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values:

Historical value:
The Wardens’ Equipment Building is associated with the theme of the development of the National Park system in Canada. Designed and built during the unemployment relief program, it was modified to accommodate use as a storage building for park wardens’ equipment in the 1950s.

Architectural value:
The Wardens’ Equipment Building is valued for its good aesthetic design. Its rustic log construction and hipped roof design make it characteristic of the distinctive rustic design theme utilized by National Parks during the 1930s. The character of the structure is defined by the successful manner in which natural, local construction materials are used. The functional design of the structure is very good, while both the exterior and interior exhibit very good craftsmanship.

Environmental value:
The Wardens’ Equipment Building maintains an unchanged relationship with its site. The structure reinforces the natural setting of Prince Albert National Park of Canada and is familiar to wardens, visitors and townspeople.

Sources: Buildings, Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan. Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 85-063; The Wardens’ Equipment Building, Prince Albert National Park, Waskesiu, Saskatchewan, Heritage Character Statement 85-063.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Wardens’ Equipment Building should be respected.

Its Rustic design aesthetic, functional design, quality craftsmanship and natural materials, for example:
- the rectangular massing of the structure;
- the broad, shingled hipped roof, with exposed rafter-ends and shingle-sided hip roofed dormers and chimney;
- the walls of peeled log construction and the exposed rafter ends;
- the three-part multi-paned windows in the rear and on the side elevations.

The manner in which the Wardens’ Equipment Building maintains an unchanged historical relationship to its site, reinforces the natural park setting, and is a prominent local landmark, as evidenced by:
- the building’s ongoing relationship to the surrounding open spaces and mature trees;
- its rustic aesthetic, form and massing, that speak to its natural surrounds;
- its design and location next to the nearby Visitors’ Resource Centre, which make it well known to park visitors and the community.