Cornerstones: Heritage Hall (SAIT)

Collegiate Gothic. Long rectangular building divided into three sections. Building has crenellated roof lines. Battlements and towers give the structure a medieval look. The front entrance has " tablet flowers which originated in the 15th century medieval churches carved in the portal moulding. Fine detail is carried through to the fork-tailed dragon door hinges and the devil on the port latch. This influence dates back to early Christian times and was intended to ward off evil spirits."

Original interior details:

The floors were terrazzo, made of rectangles of marble chips in fine cement and separated by thin bronze rods. Oak doors. Bannisters were made from solid maple, some pieces 18 feet long. Spiral stairs inside the towers led to upper level observatories.

Historical highlights:

Alberta was the first province in Western Canada to address the need for a skilled worked force at the post secondary level with the establishment of the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art in 1916. (now Southern Alberta Institute of Technology)

First Institute was located in Colonel Walker School and nearby converted fire hall #8.

By the end of World War I the Institute had outgrown its quarters and on July 21, 1919 110 acres on the edge of town known as the North Hill was purchased for $75,849 from Ezra Riley to be developed as a permanent campus.

The Main administration and teaching building was one of three structures scheduled for construction in 1921. The other two were the workshops building and the powerhouse building.

The site of the three storey structure known as the Main Building was carefully chosen to maximize the view from the North Hill and to capitalize on the impressive presence of the building on the property.

The contract for the Main Building was awarded February 28, 1921.

Cornerstone was laid June 22, 1921 by the Honourable George P. Smith, Minister of Education for Alberta.

Built to accommodate both the Normal School (a teacher training facility and attached public school) and the Institute. The Institute occupied the east wing of the building while the public school and Normal School was housed in the west wing. The auditorium and gymnasium were shared facilities.

When the school opened in September 1922 there were 40 staff and 800 students. Programs included Motor Mechanics, Mining, Building Construction, Art, and Drafting.

Between 1932 and 1936 enrolment declined and times were difficult. At this time staff developed one of Canada's first retraining programs for the unemployed. In 1934 the school offered an aeronautical training course which included the complete design and construction of an airplane.

1940 - 1946 campus taken over by the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Main Building became home to No. 2 Wireless School. The school and tons of machinery and equipment were relocated to the grandstand at the Victoria Park Fair Grounds for the duration of the war.

After the war, when the school returned to the Main Building, the fledgling University of Alberta in Calgary occupied the west wing.

There have been three additions to the Main Building, all expanding northward. (1926, 1928 and 1950) in 1960 the school was renamed the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology serviced approximately 50,000 registrants in all programs during 1996 - 1997.

Currently Heritage Hall is home to SAIT's Department of Energy and Natural Resources, Registration and Student Employment Centre, Business Development and International Training and Alumni Association offices.

1985 the Main Building designated a Provincial Historic Resource and renamed Heritage Hall.

May 11, 1989 designated as a National Historic Resource and a ceremony was held to "commemorate the contribution of Heritage Hall in the development of vocational education in Western Canada."

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