February 18-24 is Heritage Week in Saskatchewan. Of course, Moose Jaw is renowned for its many beautiful heritage buildings. This week, we are focusing on five of our favourite buildings that, sadly, are no longer standing.
Temple Gardens
Ask anyone who remembers Temple Gardens anything about the building and one of the first things they will say is “They never should have torn that building down.” At one point, Temple Gardens was THE place to go in Moose Jaw.
When Temple Gardens was built in 1921 by Cal and Trudie temple, it became one of Moose Jaw’s main tourist attractions. The house band was Cal Temple’s Tantalizing Toe Ticklers, who proved to be just as popular as the dance hall itself. Over the years, Temple Gardens hosted many popular musicians.
A fire in 1928 nearly destroyed Temple Gardens. Amazingly, it reopened less than a month after the fire. The new look Temple Gardens was even better than before. It remained one of the city’s hot spots for many years.
Temple Gardens was torn down in 1978. Its legacy lives on though; the current Tourism Centre was designed to replicate its appearance.
Victoria School
Victoria School was built in 1889. It was special because it was the first school in the Northwest Territories.
Eventually, the school closed and, before long, there were a desire to rezone the land. The pending demolition of Victoria School drew the ire of many Moose Javians. Historian Pierre Berton even wrote a letter in support of the building. The late Marion Tolley protested the school’s destruction by marching up and down the street. Sadly, it did not work.
Victoria School was demolished in 1978. A plaque celebrating the history of Victoria School is on display in the lobby of Victoria Place.
Joyner’s Department Store
At one time, Joyner’s was one of Moose Jaw’s premier shopping destinations. Locally owned, it was renowned for carrying fine goods and its excellent customer service. What made the store truly stand out, however, was its unique cash cable system. Those old enough to remember shopping at the store fondly recall watching the cash cars zoom around the shop. The system even garnered the attention of the Disney corporation, but the Joyner family refused to sell so that it could remain in Moose Jaw.
Joyner’s was destroyed by the massive New Year’s fire of 2004.
The Brunswick Hotel
There are many people who have fond memories of spending an evening or two at “The Brunny.” Oddly, the Brunswick was actually the “new” Brunswick, as a previous building — the first three-storey building in Moose Jaw — was also known as the Brunswick. The “new” building was located across the street. At the time of its construction, it was the largest hotel in Moose Jaw.
What made the Brunswick special was its ties to the city’s history; the hotel hosted a ceremony on November 20, 1903 during which documents incorporating Moose Jaw as a city were signed. The building had many beautiful features, including red bricks manufactured by Moose Jaw’s own Wellington White.
The Brunswick was demolished in 2009.
The Civic Centre
“The Crushed Can” was certainly a unique building. While Mosaic Place is a great venue for watching hockey, it just cannot match the atmosphere of the old Civic Centre. Standing along the end boards to watch a game was almost a rite of passage for Warriors fans.
The city built the Civic Centre following a fire that burned down the Moose Jaw Arena in 1955. The Civic Centre was designed by Saskatchewan architect Joseph Pettick and structural engineers J.L. Miller. The building won the Massey Award for architecture for its unique design.
The Civic Centre was demolished in 2012, but the memories live on.
