Devil s Dip University of Saskatchewan Heritage Register November 2014

Transcription

1 Devil s Dip University of askatchewan Heritage egister November 2014

2 Devil s Dip Alternate Names Architect(s) Builders Construction Dates ecognition 1. tatement of ignificance Figure 1. Native grasses and tree species. Figure 2. A atarian Honeysuckle, not native to askatchewan; part of the diversity found on the riverbank. Devil s Dip is a ravine on the south-east bank of the outh askatchewan iver, on the grounds of the University of askatchewan. Its primary significance to the history of the university relates to the original 1909 Campus Plan by the Architects David Brown and Hugh Vallance. his plan was designed such that its primary axis, laid out perpendicular to the river, aligned with and terminated at Devil s Dip. he Bowl, which developed into the focus of the U of campus, and all of the buildings around it, are laid out according to this axis, which is oriented 28.5 degrees south of due east. he 1909 plan governed the development of the campus until the late 1950 s, when a deliberate shift away from its formal Beaux Arts principles took place. he construction of the campus began with the MacKinnon Building in 1910, some distance away, and was intended to advance towards the river over time. However, because the plan was abandoned before development took place near the river, the formal relationship between the campus plan and Devil s Dip is not apparent to an observer on the ground. Devil s Dip also has heritage value with respect to the university community as it was part of the frosh week campus tradition for many years. he ravine can also be associated with the askatoon ki Club who built their first jump and held their first championship there. University of askatchewan Heritage egister 7-520

3 L C L I N I C A N D G L A N L A C Palliser Garden Voyageur Place Nobel Plaza Y O A D A D I Y A U A D I Y C askatoon Field House Parking Lot A P L A C 2. Character - Defining lements 2.1 Materials he plant materials of Devil s Dip are predominantly naturally occurring species native to askatchewan. hey include wild grasses, flowers and trees as shown in Figure 1. he trees present are mostly deciduous and low-lying, and many produce berries as shown in Figure 2. A 1928 photograph, Figure 3, shows the state of growth in the ravine at that time. he Meewasin Valley rail, a foot and bicycle path developed during the 1980 s, skirts Devil s Dip to the south and north. he plants of Devil s Dip, including its native grasses, trees and flowers are its principal material character-defining elements. Figure 3. he University in Devil s Dip at the far left. Photo A-184 retrieved from University of askatchewan Archives. 2.2 Location & Form Devil s Dip is located on the east bank of the outh askatchewan iver, between the 25th street (University) Bridge and the Diefenbaker Building on the grounds of the University of askatchewan (Fig. 6). he property also falls within the conservation zone of the Meewasin Valley Authority. UNIVIY BIDG CLANC AV O U H A Irene and Leslie Dubé Centre for Mental Health President's esidence Devil s Dip is a natural ravine, the formation of which began in the Pleistocene period, when askatchewan was covered by a succession of glaciers. he last and largest of the glaciers to enter the area is known as the Wisconsin Glacier. It carried soil and Maintenance rock from the Canadian hield and deposited nergy this Centre material on he the plains as it melted and receded north. he melt Concourse water 121 formed a lake that remained in the vicinity for 3000 he years. Atrium he eventual C drainage of Lake askatoon took the Analyticalform of a broad flow Laboratories Dr. Burton Craig channel that settled to become the outh Innovation askatchewan Place iver. esearch Park he river valley, formed by erosion and the shifting position of D Canadian ystems Inc. the river over time, is a land form highly differentiated pace from the Agency surrounding prairie. Devil s Dip forms part of the river valley. C A N A D I A N P A C I F I C A I L W A Y Vaccine Centre (InterVac) As a land form, Devil s Dip has been preserved to a high Canadian Light ource degree of commemorative integrity, ynchrotronalthough this integrity is threatened. he east bank of the outh askatchewan iver is unstable and actively.j.f. mith Centre For Aquatic cology slumping. Because of its esearch location on the east bank, Annex Devil s Dip is threatened by the same forces that have caused instability on other sections of the riverbank in askatoon. Figure 5 shows Qu'Appelle Livestock Hall College esearch the form of the ravine in the askatchewan tone Hall Animal Barn cience Dairy McLean Hall Barn Athabasca Figure 6. Devil s Dip circled in green 1940 s. Hall mmanuel & t. Chad/ Chapel on this contemporary campus C O L Lplan. G D I V K A C H W Hantelman llis Hall PIDN' PLAC. ANDW' PLAC A P I H O UNIVIY DIV D I V Memorial Gates MMOIAL CCN A N I V UH Parkade t. Andrew's College C O L L G D I V MUNO AV askatoon Cancer Centre oyal University Hospital P L A C Little tone chool Diefenbaker M D I C A L C D-Wing xpansion Health ciences Dental Clinic -Wing xpansion Ogle Hall D I F N B A K. P L Law W I WIGGIN AVNU C G I dwards chool of Business C Lutheran heological eminary D I F N B A K Observatory O A D Ball Field 9 ducation C P O A H C O P WAY C A M P U D I V C A M P U D I V Arts Ball Field 10 Murray (Library) Ball Field 11 ennis Courts t. homas More ugby College Chapel Marquis Place Hall iel Qu'Appelle Hall Addition BOOMLY AV horvaldson B O O M M I N A Y C C N C O U Y D U C C I N C P L V OYAGU C A I O N O A D Heating Agriculture and Plant Agri-Food Canada Memorial Union Geology N O H O A D Biology (W.P. hompson) H B O W L Faculty Club Ball Fields L.F. Kristjanson Biotechnology Complex D O W N Peterson University ervices CINC PLAC Physics Waste Management Facility Food Centre Kirk Hall Administration A D M I N P L 411 C A M P U D I V Agriculture Greenhouse oxicology Centre M A I N N A N C O A D Agriculture John Mitchell C A M P U D I V tadium Parkade VINAY COU G Kinesiology Physical Activity Complex (PAC) PotashCorp Park Bio Processing Centre D O W N Y O A D ngineering Curling ink Poultry cience Archaeology utherford ink M N A I Graham Huskie Clubhouse 108 Dr. Jack McFaull U M A nvironment Canada Canadian Wildlife ervice Grounds Greenhouse Food Animal NC - Plant Biotechnology Institute Louis Beach Volleyball C H D Western College of Veterinary Medicine C C N M P L A C N O H A C C D C H D I V 110 CANADIAN WILDLIF C Clinical ciences (Bovine) Facility C A I V V I N A Y O N W A Y M P C A M Concession 103 Canadian Food Inspection Agency U O 112 D W O W A Y P U D I V V he Galleria HALH OF ANIMAL PL. V F A M L A N International A I N O A D V I D O General Purpose O U C O W VIDO Laboratory Farm esidences F A M L A N National Hydrology esearch Centre I N N O V A I O N B O U L V A D P.O.. Pilot Plant Corporation...F. University Farm C O L L G D I V O A D C H D I V P I M O A D P O A Poultry Centre P O N A V N U P O N A V N U Crop cience Field Laboratory O A D t h Animal cience Fields Patterson Garden Figure 4. Devil s Dip in winter. xact date unkown; the Bessborough, visible in the background, was constructed in Photo PH retrieved from internet/lh_adquery.htm Figure 5. Devil s Dip, possibly in the 1940 s. he Bessborough, visible in the background, was built in Photo PH retrieved from spldatabase.saskatoonlibrary.ca/internet/ LH_ADQuery.htm HWY 5 Devil s Dip 7-521

4 Figure 7. A portion of the 1909 Campus Plan by Brown and Vallance. Devil s Dip is circled in green. North is oriented to the left. Devil s Dip is also of significance due to the important role it played in the formal layout of the University of askatchewan. he first university architects, David Brown and Hugh Vallance, aligned the primary axis of the 1909 Campus Plan with Devil s Dip. he axis, oriented 28.5 degrees south of due east, is apparent when the campus is viewed in plan (Figure 7). From Devil s Dip, a grand boulevard would radiate towards a central courtyard (now he Bowl ), around which academic buildings would be placed. he buildings shown in the 1909 plan indicate a constructed University of askatchewan Heritage egister 7-522

5 landscape along the riverbank. Buildings and terraces along the top of the riverbank would overlook the landscape of the ravine and the river. A bridge is visible spanning Devil s Dip. he axis of Devil s Dip was respected in campus planning until the late 1950 s. Much of the spatial configuration and form of the current university is based on its alignment with this natural feature. 2.3 Use(s) Devil s Dip has seen numerous uses associating it with student life and tradition at the University of askatchewan. he earliest recorded recreational use of the ravine was as a ski jump. In January 1929, President Walter Murray gave permission to the newly formed askatoon ki Club to build a ski slide on the big hill near the Varsity. In the winter of a wooden ski jump on the banks of the askatchewan iver was built at Devil s Dip earning it the name Devil s Dip ki Jump. he jump only lasted one season. Figure 8 may be a photograph of the ski jump at Devil s Dip. he Devil s Dip ski jump had a K point or critical point of 80 meters, indicating that the target jumping distance was 80 meters from the jump and that is where most skiers would land. he first club championship of the askatoon ki Club was held there in A skier broke his leg during the competition, and the ski jump was closed. Later, a second jump was built north of Devil s Dip, at a site now called ki Jump Coulee. At one time it was a popular feat to try to climb the riverbank at Devil s Dip on motorcycle. Crews with ropes and hooks would accompany the riders to save the bikes if the rider lost control. Figure 8. he ski jump in this photograph, may be the one that existed at Devil s Dip. Devil s Dip ki Jump was the first on the banks of the askatchewan iver and was constructed in his photograph is dated 1925, but that date may be in error. etrieved from com/n/ki+jumps/can-canada/k- askatchewan/askatoon/0117/ Figure 9. Leisure activities at Devil s Dip. By the 1940 s Devil s Dip had become part of the tradition of frosh week. First-year students would assemble at a campfire to learn Varsity songs and yells, meet campus dignitaries and sing songs. Devil s Dip became the favoured location for these events, at which university dance bands would provide music. he campfire tradition of frosh week was recorded as early as 1941 and bands provided music to the campfire gatherings from Devil s Dip 7-523

6 1945 to he gatherings at Devil s Dip were later called dance parties. Figure 11. Plaque honouring Glen Makahonuk. In 1979, the Meewasin Valley Authority (MVA) was created an autonomous planning and conservation agency charged with the protection and development of the outh askatchewan iver Valley. he University of askatchewan was a partner in the creation of this organization, along with the City of askatoon, the Province of askatchewan and the.m. of Corman Park. (Meewasin Valley Authority, 2005). he goals of the MVA were developed and guided by the Meewasin Valley Project, a 100 year conceptual master plan by aymond Moriyama Architects and Planners. he immediate river valley lands, including Devil s Dip, are reserved for natural habitat conservation and as a public amenity. he Meewasin Valley rail, a system of pedestrian and cycling paths, was subsequently developed along both banks of the river, including across Devil s Dip. (Figure 9 shows one of the trails). 3. Associated Objects wo plaques are located in Devil s Dip. One commemorates the life of the late Glen Makahonuk who died in 1997 serving as the President of the CUP 1975 union. he other plaque is in honor of amara s House, and reads river stewardship program Meewasin. Figures 11 and 12 show these plaques. Figure 12. amara s House iver tawardship Program plaque. University of askatchewan Heritage egister 7-524

7 4. upporting Documents Author Unknown. (October 19, 2007). our xplores Creepy Part of Campus. On Campus News,. etrieved from Author Unknown. (October 2, 1998). Makahonuk Memorial Located on Campus. On Campus News, 6(3). etrieved from html yre, W. (eptember 5, 1997). From the University Archives: A Brief History of Frosh Week. On Campus News,. etrieved from ocnept5/archives.html Hayden, M. (1983). eeking a Balance: University of askatchewan, Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. Hayes, P. (January 23, 2009). From the Archives: he Big Jump. On Campus News,. etrieved from ca/archived_ocn/09-jan-23/fromthearchives.php. Meewasin Valley Authority. (2005). About Meewasin History. etrieved from aymond Moriyama Architects and Planners. (1978). he Meewasin Valley Project. askatoon: aymond Moriyama. askatoon Public Library. (etrieved 2012). Popular earches of the Local History oom Collections Database. etrieved from LH_Canned_earches/canned_searches ki Jumping Hill Archive. (etrieved 2012). askatoon. etrieved from ki+jumps/can-canada/k-askatchewan/ askatoon/0117/ Walking our. (etrieved 2012). G.W. Norman Printer th treet West. etrieved from ca/walkingtours.php?page=gw-norman Weins, L. (Fall 2001). A Great Choice: Molloy elected as New Chancellor. Green and White. etrieved from fall2001/features/ php.history/ Devil s Dip 7-525

8 5. ummary of Character - Defining lements Materials: Form: Location: patial Configuration: Uses: native grasses deciduous trees and bushes wild flowers result of glaciofluvial processes naturally occuring ravine outh askatchewan iver, east bank University of askatchewan natural ravine formation views ski jump frosh week campfires natural habitat conservation public river access and leisure Cultural and Chronological Associations: University of askatchewan Brown and Vallance 1909 Campus Plan University of askatchewan Heritage egister 7-526