Description of Historic Place

The Land Titles Building is a Provincial Heritage Property consisting of seven city lots prominently located across from Victoria Park in Regina's business district. The property features a 2 storey brick and stone office building completed in 1910 and landscaped grounds.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Land Titles Building in Regina lies in its status as the first public building commissioned by the new provincial government. The transfer of land administration from the Federal to the new Provincial government in 1906 facilitated the need for new buildings to house the land records. Of such importance was the management of land records to the new government, the Land Titles Building in Regina was the first building to be tendered by the province of Saskatchewan in late 1906.

The heritage value of the building also resides in its architecture. Designed by the prominent Toronto architectural firm of Darling and Pearson during their brief tenure as the provincial architects, the Land Titles Building, through the use of the Classical Revival architectural style, conveyed the images of stability and self-assurance desired by the new province. The liberal use of Kootenay marble from British Columbia on the exterior and a 4.88 metre high ceiling on the main floor also give the building an imposing and prestigious look. Also contributing to the refined image of the building is the positioning of the building across from Victoria Park, the dominant gathering space in Regina's downtown district, and the separation of the building from the street by a 4.5 metre landscaped green space. The importance of the land records required that the building be built fireproof according to the standards of the day. These fireproofing requirements, which included the extensive use of reinforced concrete, stone and metal sash window and door fixtures, served as a template for other land titles offices built across the province in the succeeding decade. Completed in 1910, the building housed the records for the Regina Land District until 1977.


Source:

Province of Saskatchewan, Order Designating Heritage Property, February 10, 1978

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Land Titles Building resides in the following character-defining elements:

- Those elements which reflect the Classical Revival style of architecture, including the metal cornice, stone entablature and detailed stonework around the front doorway.
- Those elements which reflect the role of the building as a land titles office, including signs, fixtures and furnishings
- Those elements which reflect the prestigious and fireproof nature of the original building, including high ceilings, marble and stone decorations, metal clad doors, metal and stone staircases and the 4.5 metre landscaped greenspace around the building.