Historic building moved out of Sask. national park townsite

A piece of Waskesiu history was moved to a new location on Thursday.

The 75-year-old building, formerly the Waskesiu Chamber of Commerce building, was relocated to the Parks Canada compound on the edge of the townsite

A video shared by a resident of Waskesiu, Aaron Keogh, shows the historic building being moved by a semi-truck.  

“This move is a small part of a larger master plan to renew the Waskesiu recreation area facilities,” Waskesiu Recreation Association director Jim Kerby told CTV News.

“That plan has been ongoing since 2018, and the recreation area has already seen numerous improvements to the recreation facilities.”

According to Kerby, the current project is the third phase of the master plan, which includes the construction of a smaller, more functional building with accessible washrooms, along with two new pickleball courts and landscaping improvements.

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The total project cost is estimated at $650,000.

“The move needed to be organized by the Waskesiu Recreation Association, in conjunction with Parks Canada Agency, and the new owner of the building. All appropriate permits were obtained, and the move was conducted by professional building movers in a very successful manner,” Kerby said.

“It was also planned for a time when the number of visitors in the community would be minimal — thereby avoiding busy summer season and weekends.”

The relocated building will be used primarily for storage, and in the long-term it may be brought back into the townsite.

While the move went smoothly, Kerby acknowledged it was a complicated job.

“Moving a building of that size is obviously a big undertaking — it requires a lot of coordination among the site owner, utility providers (like SaskPower), Parks Canada Agency, and a professional building moving company,” Kerby said.

According to Kerby, weather can also pose a problem. Particularly, high winds and rain can cause major issues moving a building of that size.

“All the hard work and planning paid off and any short-term challenges were overcome — the move was a success.”