NORTH BATTLEFORD - A proposal to commemorate the former Saskatchewan Hospital with a legacy trail went before North Battleford council’s Planning Committee this week.
At the meeting Monday at Don Ross Centre, council heard from representatives of the Northwest Historical Society about the proposal.
Joseph Campbell made the presentation to the meeting Monday with the proposal to develop the legacy trail.
The Legacy Trail would commemorate the former hospital which stood on the site to North Battleford’s southeast until its demolition in 2021.
Campbell said the legacy trail would honour the history and also provide a venue for recreation and fitness.
“The Legacy Trail will weave memories of the past with the present and honour stories of the old Hospital and the community who have walked the grounds through the years,” Campbell said.
The plan is for a paved trail of about 400 metres that guides visitors past a series of interpretative pedestals. Those will present stories about the original Hospital, including doctors, nurses, staff and patients.
Other stories will include the Indigenous history, stories of changes and improvement in mental health care, and stories of the architecture and stonework.
The trail would lead to the chapel, which stands as the last surviving architectural link to the past on the grounds. The hope is for a courtyard to be developed in that area.
There are plans for a central plaza which will feature a monument built with bricks collected from the hospital’s iconic smokestack that also came down in the demolition.
Campbell said thousands of bricks were saved for the project, including the top 16-feet of bricks from the smokestack. Fundraising efforts are to focus on the donation of bricks engraved with names or messages built in to the project.
Other partners include from Saskatchewan Health Authority, SaskBuilds regarding the potential transfer of land to the city from the province, and the Town of Battleford. The legacy trail committee had met with the town in December.
A fundraising effort launched last fall, with a goal to raise $750,000 towards the effort. Contributions would go to engrave a hospital brick for $250 or a smokestack brick for $500, and there are larger contributions being sought towards building a bench, building 50 metres of trail, and building a pedestal.
The request that came Monday at Planning Committee was for the city to act as ambassadors for the project and identify the legacy trail in the Battlefords River Valley Master Plan, as well as to provide ongoing maintenance and also advice and assistance regarding design and development of the trail. A financial contribution from the City was also sought.
Members of council expressed support for the trail including Councillor Len Taylor, but he also urged a cautious approach.
He pointed out discussions between the city and province on the transfer of the land may go on for a considerable time. Also unclear is how much the city’s financial commitment to the property will ultimately be, with Taylor saying there were “a lot of moving parts.”
“We all need to have a great deal of patience, much as we want everything to move swiftly and quickly," said Taylor.
The indication is the next step for council will be continued discussions and dialogue with the group regarding the legacy trail progress, with the city pledging to update them on the progress of their discussions with the province regarding the land.
