Architectural Heritage Awards of Excellence

Contrary to what most people believe, architecture is not just buildings, said Audrey Price, provincial co-ordinator for the Architectural Heritage Society of Saskatchewan.

"It's anything that we have built. It may be bridges, it could be a greenhouse, it could be an elevator or it might be a private home or it might be a business."

And that's how a wide range of architectural projects in Saskatchewan came to be honoured with the society's Architectural Heritage Awards of Excellence, awarded by Lieutenant-Governor Dr. Gordon Barnhart at Government House on Wednesday.

"This is to recognize and bring some profile to the importance of built heritage in our province," said Price.

The awards are sponsored by the society, which has recognized 107 projects since 1996.

This year's awards went to:

- The Regina Telephone Exchange Building, a provincial heritage property completed in 1913 and located at 1870 Lorne Street; it's one of two projects recognized in the new category of long-term stewardship.

It was designed by the prominent Regina architectural firm Storey and Van Egmond, and had the most advanced phone system in the province at the time, said Price. Citations went to its owner, the Sask Sport Trust, and to Murray Duke, the project co-ordinator.

- Assumption Church in Marysburg, near Humboldt, which was recognized for long-term stewardship;

- Moose Jaw's former Royal Bank building, which received an award for adaptive reuse;

- The Doukhobour Dugout House near Blaine Lake, which was recognized in the education, signage, monuments and interpretation category;

- The Honeywood Heritage Nursery near Parkside, about 10 kilometres southwest of Shellbrook, which was recognized in the landscape, engineering and agricultural work category, and;

- Fleming's Lake of the Woods grain elevator and Christ Anglican Church in Wapella, which were recognized in the exterior conservation category.