Photos of the Day: The Centre Block

That’s what they call the part of the city (formerly known as the Transition Area) I was taking pictures in today. Here are a few:

This municipal heritage property has long been one of my favorite houses in the city, and no wonder. It was built in 1911 (at a cost of $30,000) for Lorence Kerr of the Kerr Land Co., who lived here until 1919. It received national attention–it was featured in the January, 1915, issue of the trade journal Construction.

Harry Bronfman also lived here briefly before moving to Montreal in 1928 to join other family members in establishing Distillers Corp. and acquiring Seagrams Ltd. The house was subdivided into apartments in 1941 and has since had a series of businesses in it. I’m not sure what’s it it now–my wife’s hairdresser used to be there, but no longer.

Here’s another house I’ve always liked. It was built in 1926 for Dr. William Thomson, who settled in Regina in 1903, served on city council in 1907-1908, and helped bring about the construction of Regina’ first incinerator and its first milk pasteurizing plant: in fact, he shepherded through council a bylaw requiring that milk be pasteurized and sold in sealed glass bottles.

Dr. Thomson also served on the Regina Public School Board, where he led the way in establishing Western Canada’s first school hygiene program. He assisted in the early development of Regina General Hospital, brought the first X-ray machine to Regina, and owned Regina’s very first automobile.

This is the fire escape (which obviously doubles as balconies) for the Williamson apartments. Until a devastating tornado hit the city in the summer of 1912, Robert Williamson lived in a house on this site–but the tornado came right up Lorne Street and took out his house, among many others. This portion of the building was constructed shortly afterward, while Williamson moved into a new house just to the east. It, in turn, was demolished when the apartment building was expanded in 1929.

Finally, I’d just like to note that one meets the nicest people while out for a winter afternoon’s stroll:

More photos here.

Tomorrow, I hope to hit both the Warehouse District and Lakeview. If my legs hold out. (And back. It’s amazing how that little bit of extra weight from an SLR around your neck starts to drag at you by about the third hour…)

Permanent link to this article: https://edwardwillett.com/2007/02/photos-of-the-day-the-centre-block/

3 comments

    • Edward Willett on February 28, 2007 at 8:50 pm
    • Reply

    Alas, snow has prevented me from photography today. (Not much point in producing photos covered with little white specks.)

    • Ian H. on February 28, 2007 at 3:56 pm
    • Reply

    Almost forgot – Tony Merchant used to live in the house on the NE corner of McCallum & Angus, too…

    • Ian H. on February 28, 2007 at 3:54 pm
    • Reply

    If you’re going by Lakeview, make sure you check out the houses on the north-west and south-east corners of McCallum and Angus. The one on the NW corner is (like another you’ve mentioned here) now subdivided into apartments, but was at one time a single family dwelling. It’s massive. The house on the SE corner used to have the Montessori school in it (this was 5+ years ago, when I used to live in Regina) and looks like it should be on Albert St.

    The house I grew up in is right around there, too (2858 Angus) – it was built in 1912. My parents had panoramic photographs taken from the roof of the Leg that showed its construction: one year, a pile of lumber on an empty lot, and another shot a couple years later, our house finished and the one north of it (built for the same family) in the beginning stages of construction.

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