An outline of the proposed Legacy Trail provided by the committee. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Public trail

Saskatchewan Hospital Legacy Trail committee looks for support

Jan 20, 2023 | 3:01 PM

The volunteer committee working on the Saskatchewan Hospital Legacy Trail, a project of the Battlefords North West Historical Society, continues to look for assistance to get the initiative underway.

Joseph Campbell, Debi Anderson, Jane Shury, and Larry Romanow were recently at the City of North Battleford’s planning committee to give a presentation on the project. Last year, the committee launched a fundraising campaign to establish the public interpretive trail. A website has been created for donations for the project.

“The purpose of our presentation is to seek the support of your council for the development of [the] Saskatchewan Hospital Legacy Trail,” Campbell told the city planning committee.

The committee requested a financial contribution from the city to help develop and maintain the trail, including providing ongoing snow removal service.

They also asked to have the project identified in the Battlefords River Valley Master Plan.

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The committee also requested the city work with its provincial counterparts at SaskBuilds and Procurement, as the land in question transfers from the province to the city, to ensure the Legacy Trail design can be implemented in the space.

Campbell said the committee envisions a paved trail that guides visitors along a series of interpretive markers where the history of the original century-old psychiatric hospital will be shared. The former Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford was closed and later demolished after the new replacement hospital was opened in 2019.

“The trail will lead to the chapel, which stands as the only architectural reminder of the past, and where we hope to develop a courtyard,” Campbell said. “A central plaza will feature a monument built with the bricks from the hospital’s iconic smokestack. Trail pedestals will tell some of the many stories of the original hospital, including the stories of patients and their families…”

Anderson said the length of the trail will be 400 metres. This is the part the group is fundraising for. They are also asking the province separately to extend that another 700 metres in the future, to connect to the new hospital area, to make it easier for staff and patients to access the trail. That would bring the full length up to about one kilometre.

In addition to requesting a contribution from the city, the committee previously asked the Town of Battleford for assistance for the project also.

North Battleford Coun. Len Taylor was in favour of the Legacy Trail proposal.

“All the work you’ve done is appreciated,” he said. “I know there is a lot of work still to do. I’m very supportive of the idea. Hang in there, and keep developing it, keep prompting it and keep working on it.”

Mayor David Gillan also liked the idea for the project.

“The progress is fantastic,” he said. “Thank you very much for your volunteer organization and everything you are doing to make this Legacy Trail a reality. We are here to be supportive. We look forward to continuous dialogue on how the progress is going, and we’ll keep you informed as discussions advance with the province on that parcel [of land].”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow