Description of Historic Place

Situated in the town of Waskesiu, the Assembly Hall is a low-lying timber building with a prominent cedar-shingled roof. A fully enclosed verandah runs around its four sides. Horizontally oriented windows located under the eaves and a small ventilating lantern crowns the roof. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Assembly Hall is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values:

Historical value:
The Assembly Hall is closely associated with the development of the National Park system in Canada, and also with park recreational activities during the 1930s. The building is a typical example of the numerous dance halls built and operated in summer resorts across the country during the ‘dance craze’ years of the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. The Assembly Hall also represents a period of National Parks’ policy that encouraged various commercial and recreational activities within the parks and townsites. Additionally, it is one of the oldest commercial buildings remaining in the Waskesiu townsite.

Architectural value:
The Assembly Hall is of good aesthetic quality and is consistent with the design guidelines for park buildings introduced by the Architectural Division of the Parks Branch in 1929-1930. These guidelines promoted the combination of local materials and certain architectural motifs borrowed from the Picturesque cottage tradition to establish a distinctive rustic image. The Assembly Hall forms part of the group of townsite buildings representing the application of these guidelines to both privately owned and public buildings. The Assembly hall is of good functional design.

Environmental value:
The Assembly Hall maintains an unchanged relationship to its site and is compatible with its original business section setting and is familiar to townspeople and visitors.

Sources:
Assembly Hall, Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, Heritage Character Statement 85-063; Buildings, Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, Federal Buildings Review Office Report 85-063.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Assembly Hall should be respected.

Its good aesthetic and good functional design, for example:
-the simple, rectangular form with a gabled-roof mass articulated on all four sides by a fully enclosed verandah that is supported on perimeter posts and beams.
-the horizontal drop siding with corner boards, skirting boards, casings and window units.
-the rooftop-ventilating lantern and projecting roof purlins and rafter ends.
-the symmetry and mullioned construction of the windows of the front elevation, and the horizontally-oriented side windows.
-the small gabled roof with finial over the main entrance doors.
-the high open space of the interior.

The manner in which the Community Hall maintains an unchanged historical relationship to its site, is compatible with the present character of its national park setting, and is a familiar landmark to townspeople and visitors, as evidenced by:
-the building’s ongoing relationship to the road system in front and behind as well as the natural vegetation.
-its aesthetic, scale, appearance and materials that maintains a visual and physical relationship with the adjacent buildings.
-its size and location within the resort town setting, its former function as a dance hall and its current role as public assembly hall that make it well-known landmark to residents and visitors.