Designing a Home That Hosts 32 CLOSING THE GAP ON AIR LEAKS
Sealing Your Home From the Inside 37
MAUREEN’S KITCHEN
Warm Lunches with Fall Soups and Fruit Crisps
THE TURTLE PAGE 6
When homeowner Adrienne Sidloski chose a name for her King Crescent slow and steady infill build, it wasn’t for the reason one might think.
~ Photo King Rose Visuals
~ Photo: Maureen Haddock 41 HOMETOWN
Varsity View
HOME FRONT
Nothing stays the same forever, and please stop us if you have heard this one before (looking at you, Bob Dylan fans)—the times they are a-changing. New trends, technology, ideology and ideas seem to dominate our landscape today. All as summer gives way to autumn.
We here at the Saskatoon HOME-quarters, believe there are some things you can’t control, but others fall into the category of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Our consistently talented and dedicated team of writers and photographers continue to tell the stories of Saskatoon homes and homeowners, tales that keep you entertained and intrigued. Not some AI-generated plagiarism or newswire regurgitation. All our content is real, curated, local and pure.
This issue’s lineup is a perfect example of our HOME values. We showcase some great new ideas and exciting possibilities, and we pull back the curtain on a few things we know you’ve been curious about.
Ever wonder what’s the story behind the Warman Road art sound wall? Does a new infill build affectionately named “The Turtle” intrigue you? It's named for something you may not first suspect. How about a renovation built specifically as a gathering place? New insulation technology, a historical look at the Varsity View neighbourhood and just in time for fall …drum roll please…. soup! Are you excited yet? Dive in and enjoy this Fall issue. And remember, don’t ever miss an issue with a HOME subscription. Happy Reading!
Amanda Soulodre
OWNER & PUBLISHER
Receive every issue of HOME right in your mailbox for $20/year by subscribing at www.gethomemagazine.ca
Issue 71, Fall 2025
ISSN 1916-2324
info@saskatoon-home.ca
Publishers
Amanda Soulodre
Rob Soulodre
Editor
Karin Melberg Schwier
Contributors
Julie Barnes
Mitch Cook
Blair Gillies
Carmen Gilmor
Maureen Haddock
Scott Prokop
Karin Melberg Schwier
Jeff O’Brien
Sean Vis King Rose Visuals
The booking deadline for advertising in the Winter 2025 issue is October 18, 2025 Contact Amanda for more information. Email: amanda@saskatoon-home.ca Phone: 306-373-1833 Text: 306-717-0663
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THE TURTLE
BY: JULIE BARNES
The Luxury of Taking Time
When Adrienne Sidloski was ready to move from her farm near Weyburn to Saskatoon, she reached out to local architecture firm, aodbt, to begin discussing the design of a new home.
The move was motivated by a desire to be closer to her adult children, all of whom
had settled in the city.
From the outset, Adrienne’s goals were clear: she wanted to build a modestly sized bungalow that would allow her to age in place, with a modern, minimalist, Scandinavian feel. Just as important was finding a lot “in an old, established
neighbourhood with nice big trees, like Nutana or City Park,” she says.
She remembers her first phone call to aodbt: “In my conversation with Mitch (a managing partner at the firm), he said, ‘My main housing guy has Scandinavian roots and he lives in Nutana.’”
That “housing guy” was Leif Friggstad, an architect who had recently moved to Saskatoon from Vancouver, where he had specialized in modern residential architecture. It turned out to be a perfect fit for Adrienne’s priorities.
PHOTOS: KING ROSE VISUALS
A Thoughtful Process, Unrushed
Leif’s expertise aligned well with Adrienne’s vision, and together they embraced a deliberate, considered design process that led to a home that feels just right.
“It was almost two years from the day Adrienne met us to when we had design plans, and another year and a half to build,” says Leif. “I don’t want to say it was a
slow process; I think it was the right amount of time.”
Still, taking that kind of time is a luxury in today’s fast-paced home building industry. There were many moments in the process that Adrienne could have rushed—but didn’t, Leif says.
That patience paid off. What emerged from the years-long collaboration is a home that feels deeply
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intentional—a perfectly distilled expression of Adrienne’s vision.
Right Amount, Right Kind of Space
After securing an ideal lot in City Park, Adrienne began working closely with Leif to shape her ideas into form.
“I was quite insistent on modest,” she says.
Creating the right amount— and right kind—of space was more important than creating more of it, adds Leif. “We tested some two-storeys early on, and some walkout options (because the lot was sloped), but accessibility, with Adrienne’s goal to age in place, became a higher priority.”
The result is a striking, angular bungalow that Adrienne affectionately calls The Turtle, thanks to its protective exterior metal “shell.”
Seamless in Stone
The home’s exterior makes a bold first impression, anchored by a vertical band of Tyndall stone that bisects the front façade and carries seamlessly into the interior, wrapping the living room’s fireplace surround.
This creamy, fossilflecked stone appears again in the backyard fireplace wall, visually tying the two spaces together.
Serenity Through Restraint
Inside, the open-concept kitchen, living and dining areas feel bright, airy and serene. Natural light pours in from all directions, thanks to careful window placement throughout.
The calming, uncluttered feel is a direct result of a deliberate approach to materials.
(Left) Custom walnut millwork conceals the TV behind sliding panels, keeping the living area clean and uncluttered.
(Below) Built-in storage was designed to free up wall space, allowing for expansive glazing on the two opposite walls (not shown) in the primary bedroom.
Thanks to its 9-foot ceilings and deep window wells, the basement receives plenty of natural light throughout the day.
“We tried to reduce how many new things we’re introducing,” says Leif. In addition to the Tyndall stone, the finishes include quartzite counters, Venetian plaster, walnut-veneered millwork and metal accents.
“One of my strong inclinations from the beginning was, I wanted real materials as much as possible,” Adrienne says. “If it’s going to look like wood, it should be wood. If it’s going to look like metal, it should be metal.”
A dramatic slatted walnut feature visually defines the dining area. The slats extend down into the stairwell,
creating a sense of continuity.
“Somebody called it a butterfly pergola, and I think that’s a pretty good term for it,” Adrienne says.
Finessed Finishes
Mavrik was brought in as the builder, and Adrienne spent many hours working with Mavrik’s interior designer, Jen McLean, to select the home’s finishes and fixtures.
“Jen spent a lot of time just thinking, and trying to get inside my head,” says Adrienne. “So when she came forward with suggestions like the bathroom tiles and kitchen countertop, I just
Windows were strategically placed to frame views of the Swiss Stone pine trees along the property line, which were carefully preserved during the build.
A vertical band of Tyndall stone on the facade continues into the home’s entryway, wrapping seamlessly around the living room’s fireplace wall (as shown in top right photo).
Discreetly tucked into a wall of book-matched walnut, a half bath is located near the front entry.
sort of felt, ‘she gets me.’”
There’s an overwhelming number of decisions in a custom build, but Adrienne says both Jen and Leif were instrumental in helping her stay true to her vision.
“They helped me to be a lot more sure of what I wanted,” she says.
When it came time to select kitchen and bathroom cabinet hardware, Leif posed a question: did she actually want any hardware at all?
“We ended up with no
A striking walnut slat feature defines the transition between spaces, adding warmth and architectural interest to the open-concept living spaces.
By limiting the number of new materials introduced, the kitchen maintains a serene, uncluttered feel.
hardware on the cabinets— everything is just bevelled,” says Adrienne. “And once we settled on that, I just 100 per cent relaxed.”
The decision streamlined the look, and helped achieve the minimalist aesthetic Adrienne envisioned from the start.
Built-ins With Purpose
To maximize natural light and maintain a clean look, Adrienne leaned heavily towards built-in furniture
and storage throughout. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the principal bedroom, where a full wall of walnut-clad closet space eliminates the need for a dresser or armoire. The only freestanding furniture is the bed and two small night tables.
Once the bed frame was delivered, reading lights were inset into the headboard— negating the need for larger night tables to accommodate table lamps.
Expansive, uninterrupted views of the backyard become the bedroom’s focal point. The outdoor Tyndall stone fireplace wall and row of laser-cut metal screens provide an extra layer of privacy, both indoors and out.
One of the bedroom’s clever hidden features is a linen closet with a passthrough to the adjacent laundry room. Rather than designing two shallow, backto-back cupboards, the wall between them was removed during the design phase, to create one deep closet that serves both spaces.
Another subtly concealed detail is the main floor’s half bath, discreetly tucked behind a wall of bookmatched walnut in the front entry. The only clue to what lies beyond is a simple black door handle that’s easy to miss.
Trees Considered and Vistas Preserved
Before the design began, serious thought was given to the mature elms on the lot. Leif consulted with an
arborist to assess their health and long-term viability. In the end, they removed an elm near the south edge of the lot (approximately where the kitchen island is located now), and preserved the elm in the backyard.
A row of Swiss Stone pine trees along the north property line was also preserved and protected during the build. Thoughtful window placement on the north side of the home
ensures evergreen views can be enjoyed year round.
A Spirit of Collaboration
“It’s such a quiet, generous space,” says Adrienne. “It’s soul-nourishing. The overall spirit of the place is so much what I wanted—but I wouldn’t have exactly known what it was until I was moved in. It’s just perfect.”
Without Adrienne’s patience, “this could have been a watered-down
of detail, fit and finish,” says Leif. “But it didn’t go that way. I couldn’t wish for anything more.”
Adrienne agrees. “It takes time to get to know each other—to get a sense of who the other person is, how to talk to each other and how to listen. It was such a fortunate collaboration.”
Julie Barnes
version
North-facing clerestory windows fill the home with soft, diffused light. “They work really well because you don’t ever get intense light or shadows,” says Adrienne.
A Tyndall stone fireplace in the backyard adds an extra layer of privacy from the neighbouring lot.
Dream Home Dream Home
BY: KARIN MELBERG SCHWIER
GRAFFITI ART WALL
eye Candy on Warman Road
There’s been much talk of walls throughout history: tearing them down, putting them up, how tall, how long, for what reason or for no reason at all. There’s one in particular in Saskatoon near the intersection of 33rd Street and Warman Road that has become a kinetic installation of street art. One thing is certain, if this wall could talk, there are plenty of stories to tell.
Braking the Sound Barrier
Someone who can talk about it is Darren Wolfe, a shop foreman and Red
Seal autobody technician who also does “automotive art,” including airbrushing, pinstriping and sign painting and, as it happens, a stretch of Warman Road.
The 175-foot long by eightfoot high wall was built in 2006 by homeowner Ches Burns. He wanted a sound barrier along the section of Warman Road, turning the corner at Empress Street, but the City did not see that portion as part of their Traffic Noise Sound Attenuation program. Once the wall was built, it seemed the perfect canvas for eye-catching
street art, especially benefitting motorists braking for the train crossing and lights at 33rd.
Darren is one of the few original “graffiti writers” since the first art wall in 2007. The artist or “writer” lineup has changed since then, but the core writers have remained constant over the last decade. Along with Darren, others plying this means of self-expression include established tattooists with their own businesses, a lawyer, a fabricator and a graphic designer.
“It’s a private wall, on
private property, so the owner is free to paint it however he chooses. That stretch of Warman Road is the loudest since people really step on it off the light heading northeast. So he put up his own wall, and that’s where we came in. Graffiti has always had a negative correlation attached to it, but in recent years ‘street art’ has become popular.” The theme changes each year, but the subject matter is always something to which the community can relate. “Some years,” says Darren, “the mural tells a story.”
Artist: Sirvis
Photo: Sean Vis
Every Picture Tells a Tale
The first mural was a tribute to the 1963 children’s book, WheretheWildThings Are, a story by Maurice Sendak about a boy named Max who gets sent to his room where his imagination runs wild. The artists determine theme, which takes some negotiation, and “all paint and supplies come from our own pockets. No sponsorship,” says Darren.
“Just a shared love for the art and a way to give something to the community. A few of the themes have included Alice in Wonderland, ‘90s cartoons, Super Mario, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, dinosaurs, flowers, art supplies and free range artist’s choice.
The quality of paints used means no sealant is necessary to preserve the images. Darren says it is
sad when it comes time to prepare for the next mural by erasing the still vibrant art, rolling it with latex paint to create a blank canvas.
Spray Can Creativity
The time and energy to create the mural can be overwhelming, especially when the summer goes by quickly and the majority of artists are family men. Still, they show up armed with
creativity and supplies, ready to create their own part.
“It’s definitely a ‘by the people, for the people’ thing,” Darren insists. Each artist can take several days on their own section of wall.
“A lot of us writers grew up a little outside the norm, maybe a bit outcast, so this graffiti subculture gave us a voice, one that people enjoy. When we do the wall, we really appreciate all the
Artist: Cachum Photo: Mitch Cook
Artist: Cachum
Photo: Sean Vis
Artist: Zabs Photo: Mitch Cook
Rove and Cachum work their aerosol magic on the wall.
Photo: Blair Gillies
positive attention, like locals bringing us cold drinks, ice cream and encouragement.”
The murals have become the backdrop for family pictures and, on many occasions, wedding photos.
Another well-known example of approved street art in Saskatoon is the multiartist Alley Gallery that has transformed the neglected downtown alleyways between Third and Fourth Avenue South and 20th and 21st Street East. Darren has also plied his art on several installations throughout the city like Gord’s Plumbing and Heating in Sutherland, the former Prairie Sun Brewery building on Quebec Avenue, Amigos Cantina on Broadway, the Craven Physio building downtown and Hy-Grade Millwork on 33rd Street.
Art is Not Created Equal
Darren and his fellow writers insist there is a significant difference between street art and graffiti—and especially tagging—both in terms of legality and intent.
“Street art is about legally placed images using different mediums like stencils, murals, with installations designed to enhance public
Artist/Photo: Csik
Artist: Zabs Photo: Mitch Cook
spaces,” says Darren. “Graffiti is much more rugged, almost a means of gorilla advertising with the sole purpose of getting your name out there in the most artistic and stylized ways possible.” It is applied with markers, spray paint, stylized lettering. “It’s rugged, gritty and raw.”
But it is the “taggers that can really give the artists or
‘writers’ a bad name. Most people don’t understand the difference.” Tagging is really just a symbol or signature, sort of the lowest form of art to mark territory, scrawled on a surface and generally thought of as vandalism.
Some people only tag and “never evolve,” says Darren.
“They only do it for the ‘fame.’ Street art is basically
just that,” he says. “‘Art’ put in the street, and all art is subjective. Most respectable writers actually stay away from private property. It’s the younger, inexperienced taggers that hit private property like fences and garage doors, businesses or other public structures. Those people don’t respect anything. The idea is that the
more your name is out there, the more attention you gain, even if it’s negative.”
No one has ever tagged the Warman Road mural, but Darren says if that happened, “it would be repaired immediately using the same techniques it took to paint it the first time.”
during work on a mural on the White Buffalo Youth Lodge on 20th Street, he said at 36 he was “too old to run from the police so I don’t paint anything illegal.” That was over eight years ago so there is definitely no non-commissioned painting done without permission these days.
“As we as artists grow older, we pick our battles more wisely.”
A Jurassic Coming Attraction
One battle Darren and his fellow graffiti writers look forward to every year is figuring out how to renew the Warman Road mural. It usually takes several rounds of negotiation. So far, Darren doesn’t have just one special wall project. “They’re all my favourite!”
The next change for the Warman Road Wall is planned for September and the theme chosen for 2025–26 will thrill children of all ages and paleontologists alike. It’s been a few years since these creatures were on the march at this stretch. Once again, it’s going to be a parade of dinosaurs.
“I know what it’s like to be stuck waiting for that train on Warman Road,” he says with a laugh. “To give the public something to enjoy while they’re waiting feels really good. We seem to usually pick the hottest time of year to do it. But when we’re done, there’s a lot of pride and satisfaction when we stand back and say, ‘This one is the best yet!’”
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BY: JULIE BARNES
BUILT FOR GATHERING
Designing a Home That Hosts
When you step inside Amanda and Rick Pilon’s light-filled Avalon home, you’ll immediately sense it: this is a home designed to welcome. From the seamless flow between the living and dining areas, to the expansive kitchen island built for gathering, every detail has been carefully tailored for connection.
Creating space for hosting was a priority, says Amanda. “Rick and I come from big families, so it was really important that we had an open space where we could host.”
A decorator by trade, Amanda was eager to design something that fit her family’s lifestyle—allowing the couple to search for an older home they could
renovate while still living in their Stonebridge home.
Functional Family Design
“I really wanted a house that would function for my family of five,” says Amanda. Having raised their three children in Stonebridge, the couple wanted to move to an older neighbourhood with mature trees.
Aging in place was also top of mind—they were looking for a bungalow so they could ensure all the essentials of daily living were located on the main floor.
When a 1960s-era bungalow hit the market on one of Amanda’s favourite streets, they didn’t hesitate. They bought the house, and Amanda got to
PHOTOS: SCOTT PROKOP
As a nod to her love of mid-century modern design, Amanda chose a vibrant green tile for the kitchen backsplash.
Framed by glass partition walls, the dining room exudes warmth and sophistication, grounded by a charcoal grasscloth wall covering
A leafy palm frond wallpaper brings a playful, tropical touch to the main floor’s half bath.
work on the redesign. The original 1,000 sq. ft home was taken down to the studs, and the footprint (for both the basement and main floor) was expanded by an additional 1,000 sq. ft., creating 2,000 sq. ft. of new living space.
Privacy was another major priority as their children grow older. The two oldest kids’ bedrooms are located in the basement, and the original stairwell was relocated to the side of the house, with a separate side entry added at the top of the stairs.
“We added the side entry so the kids and their friends could come downstairs into their space and it wouldn’t affect us,” says Amanda.
The family will also be billeting a Saskatoon Blades hockey player this fall. “So it’s nice for that person to have their own entry,” she adds.
The basement features a teen-friendly hangout space with a pool table. To buffer the sound from the kids’ gatherings and billiard games, Amanda installed a barn door at the base of the stairs.
Holiday Feasts and Sunday Brunches
Upstairs, those big family functions have room to spread out.
Amanda and Rick have hosted up to 38 people for Christmas dinner. Extra tables are tucked around the oversized island, and seating spills over to the adjacent dining and bar areas.
“I love being with everybody and it doesn’t bother me to cook in front of people,” says Amanda. “So, we needed a big island.”
Just steps away from the kitchen, the dining
room remains part of the action, thanks to sleek glass wall partitions that define the space without fully enclosing it. Trimmed in black metal, they bring a graphic, modern edge, while allowing both natural light and conversation to flow seamlessly between rooms.
The dining room’s charcoal-toned grasscloth wall covering adds a rich layer of texture and depth, creating a space that feels intimate and special—perfect for Sunday dinners when the whole family is free to come together.
“I love that when we have big family dinners, it kind of feels like we’re all still together,” says Amanda. “You can hear people laughing in the kitchen from the dining room.”
Having grown up with Sunday suppers, Amanda wanted to continue that tradition—though with her kids’ packed schedules, she found evenings tricky.
Mornings offered a better fit. “So I always host Sunday brunch,” she says.
From jammed packed Christmas dinners to casual weekend brunches, the open layout makes hosting feel effortless. With thoughtful flow and generous proportions, the main living area lets guests move freely, gather comfortably and stay connected—no matter where the action is.
Cohesive Colours and Materials
Amanda and Rick co-own Days Paints & Design, a local company established by Amanda’s grandfather over a century ago.
So what does a paint store owner-slash-decorator choose for her own walls?
C USTOM H OMES AND R ENOVATIONS
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“It’s such a favourite of mine,” says Amanda. She had used it in her previous home as well.
While designing this home, she tested other whites—Swiss Coffee and Ballet White (also Benjamin Moore)—but found they didn’t work in the space.
“There’s so much natural light in here that those other colours were taking on different looks as the light changed throughout the day—one wall ended up looking yellow—so I had to go back to my number one— and I just love it.”
To add contrast, she chose Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal for the fireplace feature wall. White oak flooring throughout also lends a sense of continuity and warmth, and holds up well to heavy foot traffic and the occasional muddy paw print from the couple’s two lively Wheaten Terriers— Bruin and Wilson.
Entertaining Indoors and Out
The south-facing backyard is still a work in progress, but already includes a cosy seating area sheltered on three sides by the home’s exterior walls. With string lights overhead and a fire table at the centre, it’s a favourite spot to gather once the sun goes down.
“It can be 12 degrees outside but it feels warmer because you’re protected from the wind,” says Amanda.
Prioritizing Local Over Big Box
A final, less tangible—but deeply important—priority for Amanda and Rick was to support local businesses throughout their year-long renovation.
With the additional 1,000 square feet in the basement, there’s ample space for a games room complete with a pool table. The bar was built by one of the couple’s sons when he was in high school.
“We weren’t sure what we were going to do with this space,” says Amanda. They ultimately transformed it into a coffee bar with extra seating, tucked alongside the stairs leading to the back deck.
EVERY MOMENT COUNTS
“Without
your donations, if places like this didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be here. My son wouldn’t be receiving the care that he needs. The donors make it possible.”
- Maverick’s Family
Hope’s Home is the only early learning and child care centre providing nursing care to meet the medical needs of all kids, so parents can focus on being parents. Families need your help to complete Saskatoon’s first medically inclusive child care centre.
“We didn’t buy anything from big box stores,” says Amanda. “The customer service, by far, when you go local, is just so much better.”
From millwork by Majestic Cabinets, to the glass partition walls by Acara Glass, they chose to work with local companies that brought a personal touch to every stage of the renovation.
The result is more than just a beautiful home—it’s one that reflects their values and comfortably supports the way they live and gather.
“I feel like I’m more relaxed in this home,” says Amanda. “It’s everything I wanted it to be.”
Julie Barnes
Glass partition walls on either side of the front entry create a sense of symmetrical balance. To the right, a vertically banded feature wall adds depth and texture to Amanda’s office.
BUILDING ENVELOPE SOLUTIONS
• Versatility
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CLOSING THE GAP ON AIR LEAKS
BY: CARMEN GILMORE
Sealing Your Home From the Inside
People may not have known that Saskatoon’s 2023 Hospital Home Lottery Grand Prize Showhome was aerosealed, but perhaps they recall hearing this showhome was ‘Net Zero Ready.’ Hometown Homes did the work of building an energy efficient home, and used Aeroseal Envelope to close the window on air leakage. Simplified, it is a process
of using aerosolized acrylic sealant that is dispersed through the air in the interior of a home. Positive air pressure is used to force the sealant to any points of leakage in a building's envelope. Reducing air leakage can reduce both heating and cooling costs, making a home more comfortable and ultimately more energy efficient.
This technology has been around for nearly 15 years, but in the past three years Prairie ICF has been bringing the technique to Saskatoon and area to make homes better for both people and the environment.
“We’re using a familiar product everyone knows, acrylic caulking, but we are atomizing it to reduce air loss from homes and
increase energy efficiency,” Tyler Dagenais, co-owner of Praire ICF explains. “Typically, we can reduce air leakage by 60 to 80 per cent.”
Reducing Air Leakage
Every home has air leakage. Builders measure this in three ways: air changes per hour (how many times per hour all the air in the home is replaced and
cooled or heated); cubic feet per minute (how much air is moving through the HVAC system); and equivalent leakage area (the sum of all the tiny air leaks that can mean as much as having a window left half open year-round).
Tyler describes the concept behind the Aeroseal Envelope as something similar to blowing up a balloon and noticing a small leak. A piece of duct tape would seal that small leak and that’s similar to what builders currently do with sealant for all the door frames, windows, ducts and vents. Of course, the scale of air leakage in a home is much larger than a single pinprick in an inflated balloon. It’s estimated that 30 to 70 per cent of energy use in homes is due to heating and cooling. Aeroseal Envelope solves the air leakage problem from the inside. By atomizing acrylic caulking and running fans to create a positive air pressure, the atomized acrylic caulking disperses to all those tiny leaks and seals them from inside.
Three-Step Process
The Aeroseal Envelope process involves three air loss tests: a pre-preparation test to create a baseline measurement, a pre-seal test once all windows and doors are taped shut to prevent the sealant from accumulating, and a final test after the atomized sealant has been dispersed. The homeowner receives a graph so they can see the air leakage at each stage of the process.
“We’re watching the numbers throughout the process. We don’t stop when we measure a certain percentage improvement, even if that meets the
Workers prep for the Aeroseal Envelope installation.
Doors and windows are protected before the atomized sealant is dispersed.
Net Zero measurement,” he says. “We keep the fans going so the sealant is dispersed for maximum results.”
Aeroseal Envelopes work best for new builds or deep retrofits on older homes. The atomized sealant needs to be applied when the house is empty of workers, and before any interior finishes are installed. Overall, the cost for an Aeroseal Envelope in the building process is quite small and certain home energy efficiency grants may be applicable.
“When we make a home
team is an important aspect of making sure a home is brought to a happy and healthy place at the end of construction.
Meeting Consumer Demand
Tyler has seen growth for Aeroseal Envelope for both rural and urban homes. "Acreage lots are often burdened with a high cost to simply access natural gas service. If a homeowner is able to reduce their heating and cooling costs by improving the air tightness of their home, electric utilities become a much more economical option."
This technology has also been applied successfully to multi-unit homes like townhouses and duplexes. In these builds, the seal can decrease both sound and odours between individual units, along with reducing heating and cooling costs and increasing energy efficiency.
An Investment That Pays
Tyler believes a small investment at the early stages of the build or renovation can pay dividends for a homeowner’s comfort, lower heating and cooling costs and improve a home’s energy efficiency for years.
“We provide the tests for air loss, and the graph so that homeowners can see the data,” he explains. “But when we hear from homeowners that their new home costs less to heat than their older, smaller home we know we’re making a difference.”
Carmen Gilmore
The atomized acrylic caulking thoroughly seals air leaks.
Crossmount is a 55+ aging-in-place community settled into 480 acres of natural prairies. Located 5 km south of Saskatoon on Lorne Avenue (Highway 219), all homes are built on one level, without any stairs, for safe aging-in-place. Health services are available if health needs change and homes are security monitored so residents can travel with peace of mind. Home maintenance, snow removal, garbage and recycling pick-up, and landscaping are taken care of by our considerate staff.
Residents in the Crossmount community can enjoy community gardens, a pet-friendly environment with spaces to walk dogs, numerous activities and clubs, on-site doctors and medical clinic, and lots of fresh air and sunshine. As well, residents have access to our agri-tourism area with a restaurant, creamery, cidery and event venue. This area, known as The Glen, is also open to the public.
A New Beginning is Just Around the Corner
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BY: MAUREEN HADDOCK
MAUREEN’S KITCHEN
Warm Lunches with Fall Soups and Fruit Crisps
Fall presents an abundance of fruits and vegetables, and I become excited about filling my freezer with an assortment of delicious, filling soups and desserts. I often have
homemade broth in my freezer, but in preparation for fall, I also watch for sales on my favourite brands of broth. Good soups begin with good broth.
For me, fall soups bring back a flood of memories with every spoonful. In 1965, my future husband invited me to lunch at his house. It was storming, and his family lived right across the street from our high school. We arrived, unannounced, and his mother immediately added an extra place setting. The kitchen smelled of
Roasted Chicken and Butternut Soup
INGREDIENTS
Part One
1 medium butternut squash (2 ½ pounds)
1 small yellow onion
4 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Part One
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and pepper
Peel, seed and dice the butternut squash. Dice the onion.
In a large bowl, toss chicken thighs, squash, onion and 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil together. Arrange mixture in a single layer on a large, rimmed cookie sheet.
Season the food with coarse salt and pepper. Roast until squash and chicken are cooked through, approximately 30 minutes.
Part Two
Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Transfer the squash and onions to a medium pot and add 4 cups of chicken broth, turkey stock, or water, along with ½ teaspoon of hot sauce.
Bring the squash mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. While the soup is simmering, mash some of the vegetables until the soup is partially thickened but still chunky. Discard the
Part Two 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
½ teaspoon hot sauce
Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
skin and bones from the chicken; cut the meat into small pieces and add it to the soup.
Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; season to taste and serve with a few leaves of parsley. I add ½ teaspoon paprika and ¼ teaspoon ground ginger. You may adjust the seasoning, but do not omit the lemon juice. It is crucial for achieving great taste. Continue simmering for 5–10 minutes, then serve. Leftovers freeze well.
homemade buns and hearty vegetable beef soup. The aroma wrapped around us like a warm hug.
My mother-in-law’s beef vegetable soup recipe calls for beef shanks. I regularly check the price of meat, but this fall, beef shanks are
very expensive. So, I have opted to share my favourite chicken and squash soup. It is important to have a collection of reliable soup recipes. Yes, you can create a soup as you go, adding whatever you have on hand, but once you’ve created a perfectly
amazing flavour, you want to be able to make it again. If you make and enjoy a soup several times, it will forever be seasoned with memories. Always follow a soup meal with a simple dessert. Fruit crisp evokes memories of my childhood. One of the easiest
Easy Fruit Crisp
ways to meet your daily vegetable and fruit quota is to enjoy a regular lunch of soup and crisp.
Maureen Haddock
Whenever we have a bowl of soup for lunch, we follow it with a delicious, nutritious dessert. We love a tart fruit crisp covered in cheese. A fruit crisp can be made from whatever fruit you have on hand. The best fresh cranberries are available at this time of year, so my husband and I enjoy this recipe often.
FRUIT INGREDIENTS
6 cups mixed fresh fruit such as apples, pears and peaches
1 ½ cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
Chop fruit and mix with the other ingredients.
CRUMB TOPPING
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup oat flour or flour of choice
¾ cup quick rolled oats
¼ cup raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup butter
In a bowl, combine sugar, flour, rolled oats, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
ASSEMBLY
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Arrange prepared fruit in a 7-by-11-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the fruit. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the fruit is cooked and the topping is golden brown.
Serve warm or cold. This dessert freezes well.
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HOMEtown Reflections
VARSITY VIEW
As with so many good things in Saskatoon, it starts with the university.
On April 7, 1909, the University Board of Governors awarded the new provincial university to Saskatoon (not Regina!). Now the question was where to put it. Several sites were considered, but the one they picked was a prominent
stretch of riverbank across from the downtown in what was described as “the most picturesque part of the city.”
The real estate folks were quick to capitalize on the decision, and the entirety of what are now Varsity View and Grosvenor Park were quickly surveyed and subdivided and brought to market, with scholarly
names like University View, Varsity Park, College Park and University Annex.
Saskatoon was booming in those days. From a few hundred people in 1903 to 12,000 in 1911, to 28,000 when the university opened in 1912, the city ran rife with predictions of 100,000 people in just a few years. The real estate men who owned
BY: JEFF O’BRIEN
the land south of the new University planned to get rich off it. And some did. Lots that were advertised for $150–250 in 1910 were going for up to $2,000 in 1912. There was money to be made for those who got in early.
Failure to Thrive
But mostly, the dreams of 1912 in Varsity View
Varsity View, 1940.
Photo: City of Saskatoon Archives - HST-019-03
were to be dreams deferred. The new university turned out not to be the draw the speculators had hoped. Maps from 1913 show about 130 homes there, most of them close to Clarence or clustered around Albert School, which opened the year before. In 1914, the boom busted, and within a few years, hundreds of properties in Varsity View had reverted to the city for non-payment of taxes.
Things picked up again for Saskatoon in the late 1920s. The population doubled and thousands of new homes were built. But again, Varsity View was mostly ignored. Looking at old aerial photos, it’s apparent from the trails criss-crossing it that for most people, Varsity View was just something you walked through on your way to campus.
One problem may have been all the surface water. There’s a reason why ads in 1912 included assurances that the lots for sale were “high and dry.” There were two major sloughs in Varsity View and several smaller ones. The biggest, the Nutana Slough as it was sometimes called, straddled several blocks of Cumberland Avenue and was the site of moonlit skating parties in early days. Which makes for a romantic image but it isn’t where you want to build your house. City Council discussed draining the Nutana Slough in 1915, but it was never done, and Varsity View languished.
Post-War Growth
Which was pretty much how things stayed until the 1950s.
In 1950, Saskatoon ended more-or-less at the corner of 8th Street and Clarence. But that was about to change. In the years after the Second
World War, Saskatoon filled to bursting then overflowed into the countryside beyond, riding a wave of prosperity that was sweeping the nation. Development in Varsity
View kicked off starting in 1946 with the construction of more than sixty Wartime Houses, built by the federal government to provide low cost housing for returned
veterans and their families. As the years progressed, the sloughs in Varsity View were drained and the empty spaces soon filled with row after row of new construction.
Higbee’s grocery store on Temperance and Wiggins served the local community, 1950.
The campus community patronized Bell’s lunch counter, a university institution on the corner of College and Cumberland, 1953.
Photos: (top) Local History Room - Saskatoon Public Library - B-2599; (bottom) Local History Room - Saskatoon Public Library - B-15097
Critical to this was the fivefoot diameter, 14th Street storm sewer, which runs fifty feet below the street, from Munroe Avenue to an outfall on the river. Connected to a series of laterals, it drains the entire Varsity View neighbourhood. Crews began tunnelling into the riverbank in the summer of 1951, and at first things went quickly. But in December, they broke into the first of a series of quicksand pockets. The project dragged out interminably.
In the end, “Saskatoon’s biggest engineering headache,” as the newspaper called it, would not be completed until June of 1956. But 1956 was a bad year for spring flooding, and by then the old slough beds in Varsity View had brand-new houses on them. With the storm sewer still
incomplete, city crews and private contractors had to work day and night to set up pumps and build dykes to keep back the flood waters to protect the homes there.
Despite its long history, the present-day Varsity View is actually less than 30 years old. Before 1997, it was two neighbourhoods, Albert and
Brunskill, corresponding to the school districts—Brunskill School, which opened in 1951 and Albert School, built in 1912 (nowadays the Albert Community Centre).
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Albert and Brunskill
Photo: Local History Room - Saskatoon Public Library - D-2304-4
Attentive students listen to the instructor during woodworking class at Albert School, 1955.
2025 Carrier. All Rights Reserved.
A third school, Bishop Murray, opened as an elementary school in 1954 and became a high school in 1995. The Varsity View name had been used since the 1980s by the community association, which also included Grosvenor Park. In 1997, the decision was made to merge Albert and Brunskill and re-name them Varsity View.
People, Places, Parks
The first house in Varsity View was built at 1118 College Drive by a real estate developer named Richard Bottomley. But the oldest house is at 1022 Temperance Street. Built in 1907 as offices for the Saskatoon Board of Trade, it originally stood downtown on First Avenue before being moved in 1920. That year, a Great War veteran named Thomas Simpson opened a little grocery store and lunch counter on the corner of College and Cumberland. That corner has been a commercial centre ever since, home to dozens of different businesses over the years. In 1938, Elmer Bell, a U of S pharmacy grad, operated Bell’s Drugstore and Luncheonette there. “An institution in university life,” the newspaper called it when he sold it in 1953. By then there was also a gas station on the corner and a small grocery store next door on Cumberland. In 1956, “Gordon’s Grill” as Bell’s Luncheonette was called by then, was bought by a store owner from Perdue named Eric Walling. In 1958 it was “tastefully renovated and redecorated” as Walling’s Restaurant, boasting fine food and a country club atmosphere. It’s not clear
Children attend to their lesson at Brunskill School, 1951.
A worker transplants evergreen trees in Murray Park, 1954.
how successful this was, since by the 1970s it was a Smitty’s Pancake House franchise (albeit still using the Walling’s name), and then later the Dairy Queen that’s there today.
Another long-time commercial location in Varsity View is the corner of Temperance and Wiggins, where Ross Higbee first opened a small grocery store in 1948. Another U of S pharmacy grad, A.L. Segal, opened a drugstore next door in 1953, predecessor to the present-day Brunskill Pharmacy, and the location has been home to a variety of businesses ever since.
Other Varsity View landmarks include the Mohyla Institute on Temperance Street, built in 1962, the Agudas Israel synagogue and the striking Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, built in 1963. But the most prominent building in the neighbourhood is the 22-storey Luther Towers seniors’ home. Built on the site of the former Lutheran Theological Seminary and Lutheran Sunset Home, the high-rise proposal was met with considerable pushback when it was unveiled in 1974.
A group of concerned citizens fought a two-year legal battle against it that went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada before finally being defeated. Construction began in the summer of 1976, and the tower officially opened on September 9, 1978.
And of course, there are parks. The oldest is Cumberland Park, created when the area was subdivided in 1912, likely because of the large slough there. The land for President Murray Park, most of which had gone for tax sale by then (and some of which was also slough) was set aside starting in the late 1920s. In 1942, the Parks Board planted almost 1,100 spruce trees there. It’s the only park in Saskatoon planted exclusively with evergreens, leading people nowadays to sometimes wonder if it might not have been a tree farm at one time. Which it was not. In 1953, about 300 of the trees were moved to the outer edges to open up space for a playground. Finally, Raoul Wallenberg Park dates to the 1950s and was originally named for Saskatoon City Clerk and long-time Parks Board secretary James
Photo: City of Saskatoon Archives - 1100-1996-001
Businesses populate the corner at College and Cumberland, 1953.
Fine Coffee & Tea, Gift Baskets, and Home Kitchen Items.
Anderson. In 1965, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) donated money for a paddling pool, baseball diamond and other amenities, and it was renamed Elks Park (Anderson got a new park in Eastview). In 1985, it was re-named to celebrate Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, whose actions during the Second World War saved the lives of thousands of Hungarian Jews.
Varsity View of the Future
As it was in the beginning, Varsity View is still closely connected to the University of Saskatchewan as one of several established communities that make up what the City refers to as The University Sector. Located to the southwest of campus, Varsity View continues to be part of the City’s plans “to provide new opportunities and a diversity of options to live, work and socialize in the context of the vibrant and beautiful USask campus.”
Jeff O’Brien
The distinctive Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church makes a statement on 11th Street East, 1965.
A children’s Easter egg hunt in Murray Park draws a crowd to see singer Jeff “Smokey” Howard, the star of CFQC’s Smokey’s Cabin, 1966.
Photos: (top) Local History Room - Saskatoon Public Library - CP-4175-23; (bottom) Local History Room - Saskatoon Public Library - QC-3833-3
