~ Photo: Midtown Plaza after expansion, November, 1992. Local History Room - Saskatoon Public Library - CP-10146-1
CHARMING, COLOURFUL AND STEEPED IN HISTORY
It’s one of those character houses that gives ‘character’ true meaning. For one local artist, living in an eclectic art gallery is just a brightly hued way of life.
~ Photo Scott Prokop
39 MAUREEN’S KITCHEN
~ Photo Chantelle Fourney ON
Pick-a-Poultry Salads
43 FLOWER POWER
Selling Seeds from Garden to Market
HOME FRONT
Welcome to the Summer issue of Saskatoon HOME magazine.
Long, warm days are finally here, and with them comes a fresh wave of inspiration for how we live, create and enjoy our spaces. In this issue, we’re embracing the spirit of creativity, sustainability and easy living—all perfectly suited to a Saskatoon summer.
Imagine a yard where you can relax without the worry and expense of endless mowing and watering. Our feature on zeromaintenance yards proves that beautiful landscapes don’t have to come with a to-do list. Take a tour through the streets of Saskatoon as we visit some of the folks who have made this dream a reality, all in their own unique ways.
Inside, we also visit a truly unique home where art isn’t just on the walls—it’s in every corner. A house transformed into a living gallery, creating a vibrant, personal space that blurs the lines between home and exhibition. If you have lived in Saskatoon long enough, surely you have driven by or walked past this riverfront beauty. If you’re like us, you must have wondered, "What’s the story?"
And if summer has you itching for a project, don’t miss our look at the art of upcycling. We dive into how old furniture can be reimagined with creativity and care, giving worn pieces new life and fresh style. Old becomes new again as you add some personality to salvaged home décor.
As always, this issue is packed with ideas and reflective stories that celebrate the amazing creativity right here in Saskatoon. Here’s to a summer full of beauty, inspiration and time well spent in the spaces we love.
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 70, Summer 2025
ISSN 1916-2324
info@saskatoon-home.ca
Publishers
Amanda Soulodre
Rob Soulodre
Editor
Karin Melberg Schwier
Contributors
Julie Barnes
Chantelle Fourney
Carmen Gilmor
Maureen Haddock
Kelley Henkleman
Scott Prokop
Karin Melberg Schwier
Jeff O’Brien
The booking deadline for advertising in the Fall 2025 issue is July 18, 2025 Contact Amanda for more information. Email: amanda@saskatoon-home.ca Phone: 306-373-1833
Text: 306-717-0663
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CHARMING, COLOURFUL AND STEEPED IN HISTORY Exploring a Century-Old Riversdale Residence
308 Spadina Crescent West might just be one of the most photographed houses in Saskatoon.
Nestled beneath a canopy of mature elms, the candycoloured Queen Anne Revival style house overlooks Victoria Park and the South Saskatchewan River.
“People walk by all the time and take pictures,” says
owner Cecilia Elizabeth. She often invites them to explore the yard—and if they’re really curious, she’ll give them a tour inside.
Now known as the Riverhouse Gallery, the home has a long and colourful history. Cecilia is the fourth artist to live here. The main level houses her art gallery, studio and gift shop, while
she and her husband, William “Dusty” Dustin, live on the second and third floors.
Historic Significance
The house is a living archive of Saskatoon’s past, thanks to Cecilia’s meticulous record keeping. She’s compiled scrapbooks of correspondence from previous owners and tenants,
BY: JULIE BARNES
renovation finds, land titles, newspaper clippings and even scraps of old wallpaper and flooring.
The stately home was built for local alderman Jacob Archibald in 1908— two years after Saskatoon was incorporated as a city. It’s often referred to by the City as the Lawton House, in honour of its architect.
PHOTOS: SCOTT PROKOP
A photocopied 1908 article from The Phoenix Harvest Number lists the home’s value as $5,000, calling it one of the city’s “handsome new residences.”
Max Adilman was one of the earlier residents, says Cecilia. Max and his family owned and operated Adilman’s Department Store, once a popular shopping destination on 20th Street and Avenue B (now the home
of Anthology). “People came from all over Saskatchewan to shop there,” says Cecilia. Years later, 308 Spadina Crescent West became known as “the Women’s House,” as it was more often owned by women—Cecilia is the sixth to hold the title.
By the early 1970s, the house had been divided into four separate suites. When Cecilia and Dusty purchased it in 1997,
Scraps of old flooring (left) and wallpaper (right) the couple removed when refinishing the floors and walls of the house.
Cecilia and Dusty’s home appears as house #9 in the bottom right corner of the 1908 edition of The Phoenix Harvest Number.
Photos: Julie Barnes
Gardening fuels Cecilia’s creativity—her flowers often appear as subjects in her art.
Cecilia painted the veranda’s window trim to complement the room’s sunflower theme.
they began the process of converting it back into a single-family residence. They also had it rezoned as “commercial with a family dwelling” to accommodate Cecilia’s gallery.
A year after moving in, the couple celebrated their wedding in the home.
Cecilia credits Dusty with tackling “99 per cent” of the renovations. “He’s happy to do a renovation as long as it’s not major,” she says. They refurbished the floors, repainted the walls— removing seven layers of wallpaper and paint—and updated the trim, all while maintaining the original spirit of the home.
“We have not modernized it,” says Cecilia. “We haven’t
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put Gyprock everywhere. It’s still lath and plaster.”
If a fire breaks out, “I figure we have eight seconds to go over the balcony,” she says with a laugh.
Originally painted white when the couple purchased it, the home’s exterior is now brightened with blue, red and yellow trim—a playful touch that undoubtably encourages so many people to stop and snap photos.
Landscape Murals Going “Back to Nature”
Large landscape murals flank the east and west sides of the house, with a third adorning the back of the garage. They were painted in 1995 for Centre Mall’s new underground link
One of the landscape murals Cecilia originally painted for Centre Mall now graces the east side of the house.
beneath Acadia Drive. Cecilia, along with nine other local artists, painted the panels as part of a series titled Prairie Panorama.
After 20 years in the mall, the artworks were returned to the artists ahead of a renovation. Though not designed for outdoor display, Cecilia decided to give them new life on her home’s exterior.
“They’re going to live their life out on the house. They’re going back to nature,” she says. Rather than restore them, she plans to let nature take its course.
“That’s already 20 years at the mall, and the last 10 years here,” she says. “By the time we’re done with them, they’ll probably be 40 years old. What can you expect?”
Artistic Influences
Inside, Cecilia’s creativity extends to the home’s doors.
During COVID, she began painting a series of stylized women on the bathroom doors, inspired by the artistic style of Alphonse Mucha—who became famous for his Art Nouveau illustrations during the turn of the 19th century.
Emily Carr is another artistic influence. A quote of Carr’s is framed on Cecilia’s studio wall: “Climbing and striving for something always beyond.”
“That’s my goal,” she says.
Joining “The Real World”
Cecilia’s art career began right after high school. She and a close friend were considering joining a convent, but decided instead to “join the real world for awhile,” she says. That decision led her to study commercial art in Brandon, Manitoba.
The ornate oval mirror in the ensuite was chosen “to match the era of the house,” says Cecilia.
Cecilia used her time during COVID to paint her bathroom doors in the Art Nouveau style of Alphonse Mucha.
She later worked for sign shops, ad agencies and a screen printer, eventually turning to teaching art in 1994. The nunnery was not to be.
Today, her own art practice is inspired by nature and “the play of light and reflections.” Her subjects include a mix of lakeside landscapes and flowers—often based on photos from her own garden.
One of her next projects will be en plein air—art on a neighbour’s new fence.
“It’s just a big, huge canvas for me,” she says.
Cecilia continues to teach watercolour and acrylic classes from her home studio, and has no plans to stop.
“I cannot retire because it’s a lifestyle,” she says. “I’ll always be an artist, and I always have been.”
From the third-floor balcony—what she calls the “best view in town”— Cecilia reflects on the house’s legacy. Though she once considered pursuing heritage designation, the red tape and renovation restrictions made her reconsider. Instead, she plans to install a plaque acknowledging the home’s historic significance.
“We are totally happy here…there’s a feeling of peace and joy,” she says. “I feel honoured to be able to live in this house and be its steward.”
Julie Barnes
Once a bedroom, the living room was opened up to connect seamlessly with the kitchen and dining space.
The stairwell and main floor hallway display Cecilia’s artworks, reflecting her passion for flowers and lakeside landscapes.
The artist at work on a watercolour in her sun-filled studio.
511-45th
GIVING UP ON GRASS
Inspiration to Think Beyond the Traditional Lawn
With rising water costs and climate change, people are turning over a new leaf. Or, more specifically, a blade of grass, to ditch the traditional front yard. Perennials, vegetables, fruit trees (for curb a peel?), clover, mulch, rock, stone, artificial turf (love it or hate it?).
People like these are kicking the grass habit in favour of more out-of-theordinary front yards.
1) 50 Seasonal Perennials, Curved Drive
Almost four years ago, the homeowners at a Grosvenor Park mid-century modern
property tore out all existing grass. They credit their inspiration to neighbourhood perennial yards and the Saskatoon Perennial Society.
The north-facing curved front, their own design, softens a sweeping concrete driveway. A berm in the sunny mulched centre and
at the edges of the property features over 50 Zone Three plants selected for hardiness, colours and textures.
“The berm has drip line and we water the sides by hand. We conserved the large pine trees and designed curves to accommodate them and shrubs like
STORY AND PHOTOS BY: KARIN MELBERG SCHWIER
CLEVER CLOVER A legume, it’s low maintenance, droughttolerant, fertilizes the soil and attracts pollinators like bees. It grows well in shade and stays cool underfoot, though it doesn’t stand up well to traffic. The thick root network discourages weeds. Only occasional mowing is required.
WATERLESS WHIMSY Ches Burns and Lise Kossick-Kouri enjoy their “not so much grassless, but biodiverse” Temperance Avenue frontage. Some potted annuals and a raised bed for native plants soften a weathered bench bracketed by granite boulders. The ‘lawn’ is brick save for a gnarled tree stump and the property’s hallmark: a nine-foot metal giraffe fashioned out of “previously whole objects.”
SOUVENIR PATCHWORK Brian and Judy Storey’s Albert Avenue 32’ frontage hasn’t seen grass in years. Mulch keeps weeds down and moisture in. To augment perennial ground cover, hostas, spirea and fescue, the couple festoons the property with souvenirs from travels. “Wherever we go, I always seem to have a rock or two stowed in my suitcase on the way home,” Brian says. “It’s a planned design but we do keep adding to it when something catches our eye.”
hydrangeas,” the homeowner explains. “We brought in mature trees, a Thunderchild crab and a Ming cherry, so we could enjoy larger trees sooner.”
The best part? “We never have to bring the lawnmower out ever again.”
2) Lansdowne Contemporary, Minimalist Frontage
Daphne and Gerry Lagimodiere lived on a half acre with a huge yard that needed plenty of water “and a lot of work.” When they moved to the city, a fiveyear-old infill with 30-foot frontage offered relief from lawn upkeep.
“We stayed with original owners’ concept,” Gerry explains. “Hostas, ferns, flagstones with groundcover like creeping thyme, stonecrop, a few unknowns.” They added creeping sorrel, hen and chicks, phlox, hydrangea, tulips and some cedar. With striking annuals, “it’s all so much more manageable and droughtresistant.”
The backyard is a low maintenance work in progress, but they admit to adding a small area of lawn “so grandchildren can play on real grass.”
3) Hardscapes Softened by Curves, Textures
Rick Strobl cut grass since he was 12, thanks to his father’s work travel. He and Maria bought their Adelaide/ Churchill neighbourhood property in 1996, with a spruce and crab apple tree, which “smothered the bad grass with fallen apples each fall.” When an old patio walkway was torn out, Maria suggested nixing the lawn. Rick was thrilled. After 44 years, he was done.
A simple front yard with flagstone and groundcover means less water and less work.
When an old patio was torn out, the blocks were broken up with a sledgehammer to create a meandering puzzle piece pathway.
4
Maria removed turf and soil in the path area. Mounded under the crab apple, it made the garden higher and more interesting than one level.
“A curvy meandering path balances out the straight lines in the house, driveway, fence and street.” Maria collected bricks from a building demo, and repurposed the old patio blocks, breaking them with a sledgehammer. She created a ‘puzzle piece’ walkway filled in with pea gravel.
“It’s similar to an artist repairing an old painting, only I was ‘painting’ with plants, brick, gravel and perennials.”
4) Sask Crescent Eschews Water with Synthetic Turf
Keeping a pristine lawn on a 60-foot lot meant pouring “considerable water on it to keep it looking the best,” says Nancy Chappell. When they bought in 2008, Nancy and Greg Hahn removed a huge spruce tree. A friend in Palm Springs suggested a lawn alternative. In 2011, out came the grass in favour of artificial turf.
“You have to do minimal maintenance to keep it looking good,” says Nancy. “The odd weed sneaks in lending to the authenticity.” It’s important to get good quality “to avoid the sterile indoor-outdoor carpet look. Silica sand top dressing tones that down.” The turf was “refreshed” by a local lawn care company. “They restretched and leveled it and essentially brought it back to its original appearance.”
“Xeriscaping affords the flexibility of a condo and we still have the luxury of enjoying outdoor space,” says Nancy. “We travel a lot and never have to worry about yard maintenance.”
Artificial turf and xeriscaping means minimal upkeep and less worry for homeowners who travel.
“Something beachy” was the goal for a front yard on Spadina Crescent East overlooking the river.
5) Arid Spadina Crescent East Landscape
“We’re water people,” says George Mueller. He and wife Joanne own The Diving Centre and are often on or under the water as scuba divers and instructors. It’s ironic the Muellers’ front yard is the antithesis of H20. When the couple bought the Spadina Crescent East
wartime house, the 50’ frontage included old lawn and a crabapple.
“The plan when we built was a front yard without a blade of grass,” says George. “We didn’t want the fuss of watering, mowing, herbicides, pesticides. Because we overlook the river, we wanted something beachy.” A landscaper
brought in sand and rock, leaving unintended moguls.
“But that gave the area some visual interest.”
George’s mother once donated an often-divided Siberian iris for their former home in Mayfair; it was transplanted at the new property. They added Karl Foerster and fescue grasses. What’s planted doesn’t get babied.
“We’re not gardeners,” but the couple on 12th Street reap a bounty from their once grassy front lawn.
“You need to think about rock placement and arrangements of materials so it doesn’t end up looking like a gravel pit.”
6) New Build with
‘Established’ Forest
When Mike and Kristi built on a University Drive corner lot, they fulfilled a dream to live in the neighbourhood. A stone’s throw from the
was planted along the property edge shared with the neighbour, and Peter designed a stone river bed to shed rainfall away from the foundation.
Low maintenance native plants, mulch and shade creates the forested feel, and the cedar mulch “smells fantastic after a rain. Our new home sits in the neighbourhood like it’s been here for some time. The landscaping captures our connection to nature with a tranquil, welcoming doorway to our home.”
7) Make Yourself Useful
Used to be when something different showed up on the block, people noticed. Farmers transplanted from the countryside—and the Old Country—often dispensed with grass in favour of proudly planted vegetables. Sometimes amused neighbours would look on as Baba hilled her front yard potatoes. A sin, she insisted, to “waste” arable land.
Bob Stucky and Linda Demeria have lived in their 12th Street East home for 30 years. Linda felt the yard could be a “productive space for food instead of wasting water and money to maintain lawn.” Grass and large pine tree out; garden beds and mulch in.
riverbank, they wanted their 60’ by 140’ lot to look like natural landscape. Peter Martin of Dieter Martin Construction and Landscape was the idea man.
“By varying the heights of soil, incorporating curves, sourcing Rundle boulders and selecting particular plants and trees,” says Kristi, “he created a peaceful and harmonious yard.” Clover
“We plant a variety of each year just to see what happens,” says Bob. “We’re not gardeners by any means but cucumbers, tomatoes and squash do well.” Not only is food produced, but there’s a bounty of passersby who stop to admire a garden far more interesting than just grass.
Karin Melberg Schwier
A couple wanted their new University Drive home and yard to look like it belonged in the established neighbourhood.
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Before After
FURNITURE FLIP
BY: CARMEN GILMORE PHOTOS: KELLEY HENKELMAN
Upcycling for Style and Sustainability
Kelley Henkelman has always been a creative soul, drawn to DIY projects. During the pandemic, she restored a travel camper, replacing the floors and cabinets. The camper has since been sold but having a vision and taking a do-it-yourself risk launched Kelley into the creative world of furniture upcycling. She found herself happily sanding and painting furniture pieces
that caught her eye on Facebook Marketplace. As the furniture projects piled up, her hobby soon filled the family garage. In 2022 she launched Attic & Oak to showcase her transformed pieces, and give them new homes and a new life.
Creativity Unleashed
Kelley remembers the many weekends she helped
her dad with home repair projects. That grounding meant she isn’t afraid to pick up tools or stride into a hardware store with confidence, knowing what she needs. An educator for many years, Kelley is a lifelong learner, and upcycling furniture has filled a creative niche.
“I love taking an ugly, outdated piece of furniture
and see it come to life again. I feel satisfied when I reveal the completed piece that was hiding beneath. It’s truly trash to treasure!”
Kelley is drawn to furniture from the 1940s–1970s, though mid-century modern is her favourite style. “Earlier generations built everything with wood, so upcycling these pieces is all about appreciating
Before After
that history, understanding how that furniture was constructed and taking the finish or paint down to its base. There is trial and error to the process, but I can see the beautiful bones of the piece and its potential.”
Echoes of Owners Past
Each piece Kelley restores has a story to tell. The furniture is sourced locally from Facebook Marketplace, estate sales and online
auctions. Although she’s found old newspapers in drawers, the only mystery to literally fall into her lap was a small gold band. Despite her diligent efforts, she was not able to re-unite the ring with its owner.
“I always remind people to thoroughly clean out furniture they are getting rid of, check all the corners and crevices. But who knows, maybe the ring was meant to come to me.”
Kelley’s creative eye always begs one question. What could this piece become? The ones she chooses reflect changing styles over the decades and how outdated items can be repurposed.
“You get what you pay for. There are these treasured pieces that are battered after serving a family for years and they look like trash. But once I start sanding them, the dings or scratches disappear, and I start to see
the piece emerge.”
Kelley is also drawn to one-of-a-kind pieces that draw her back for a second look.
“Buyers are often looking for a focal point or conversation piece. They want something that stands out. Those are the pieces I scout for.”
Tackling a First Project Kelley’s key piece of advice for novice DIY’ers interested in upcycling furniture is to start small.
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“Choose an end table or bedside table. You’ll be surprised by the number of hours needed to sand and prime and paint. If you choose a small project, you’ll finish it and want to do another. Furniture is designed for a purpose, and finding the right product to refinish a piece can be a bit of trial and error.”
Kelley’s children are often in her garage workshop, so she is adamant about safety and working in a dedicated area. “No project ever goes exactly as planned. If you think a project will take a weekend, have a backup plan. If you’ve set up your workspace in your living room, realize that weekend project might end up taking two weeks or longer.”
Often using sanders, paint strippers and primers, Kelley insists that DIY’ers must consider ventilation. “If you don’t have a dedicated workspace, wait until spring when you can sand outside. Make sure you wear appropriate safety gear.” Masks to prevent DIY’ers from inhaling harmful particulates and
fumes, and safety glasses for eye protection are a must.
Less is More
“Modern families are interested in minimalist pieces and in being able to tidy away clutter.”
Even though family china and heirlooms are not displayed the same way as past generations did it, those big wall-sized china cabinets can be separated.
Kelley knows those two-piece cabinets have fallen out of style. But by taking a second look, they can be repurposed.
“You see an old china cabinet; I see a re-purposed and upcycled coffee bar. Part of the magic is not only figuring out how to restore a piece, but how it will work in a modern home without a dining room. You have to work around floor to ceiling windows so you don’t block the view or light.”
There is a sustainability ethos in Kelley’s work. She is passionate about walnut, oak and teak furniture made in Canada from the 1940s onward.
C USTOM H OMES AND R ENOVATIONS
Work with our experienced team to breathe new life into your tired home or let us help you connect to your ultimate vision and build your dream home from the ground up. Contact us today to talk about how we can help your project become a reality.
Fine Coffee & Tea, Gift Baskets, and Home Kitchen Items.
“Those solid pieces have multiple lives in them. Upcycling keeps these old pieces, sold for a song, out of the landfill. They just need a second chance.” Many of the pieces Kelley upcycles were made in Ontario in decades past, brought west as family treasures and now reflect a long history of Canadian selfsufficiency and pride in taking care of quality possessions.
Kelley is part of a large online community of furniture upcyclers based in North America, most of
whom are women. Supported by her husband and two teenage boys, she models entrepreneurship and skill with power tools.
A furniture flipper through and through, Kelley is always on the lookout for the next piece waiting in the wings for its own metamorphosis.
Kelley’s transformations can be seen online: @attic_&_oak.
Carmen Gilmore
The red and yellow tones favoured in past decades don’t meet buyer’s expectations. Stripping a piece down and re-staining creates a modern interpretation of a classic piece.
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COMMUNITY BUILDER
A DEVELOPER WHO LEFT SASKATOON WITH BIGGER DREAMS
In 2023, local buzz was that a young family was putting down roots and putting up a stately contemporary home in Nutana. Neighbours watched the progress on the 800 block of tree-lined University Drive. There was excitement about the newcomers and the bold statement their build was making in the established neighbourhood.
Making Homes
New to the Drive maybe, but well known in Nutana and the larger city, Karl and Sashawna Miller loved Saskatoon. Karl started Nu-Urban Developments in his 20s with a fresh U of S degree in urban planning. His builds and renos began dotting the Nutana neighbourhood. Decades later, armed with
an additional commerce degree, he was an active builder and developer in the city with a different company, determined to make his mark with what many call visionary projects.
Married in 2014, Karl and Sashawna, a registered nurse, looked forward to moving from their Lansdowne Avenue house—one he built himself—to their “forever
BY: KARIN MELBERG SCHWIER
home” on University Drive with seven-year-old Kalani and five-year-old Kaiden, who attended nearby Brunskill School. They designed every space inside and out to suit their family. It was not to be.
On October 15, 2023, the family enjoyed a Sunday outing to the corn maze near Rosthern. On their way home via the Clarkboro
ferry, Karl, 47, Sashawna, 37, and the children were killed when their car was in a collision with another vehicle near Aberdeen.
The tragedy took the lives of a much-loved family. It also cast into memory decades of residential building accomplishments in Saskatoon and altered what might have been for the city’s future residential landscape.
A Distinctive Mark
For Karl, friends and colleagues say, blending thoughtful architecture and community was an abiding value in all his developments.
“He always loved Nutana and wanted to be proud of what he built there,” says Bev Miller, Karl’s mother.
Karl’s younger brother Adam recalls Karl always noticed different examples of architecture and design while on holidays or business trips. He wasn’t interested in “just the same sort of thing others were doing, but looked at how he might bring new ideas to the city.”
“What you build affects the entire community,” Karl said when he received the U of S Alumni Achievement Award in 2012 for his contributions as an entrepreneur and businessman. Karl, says Adam, was acutely aware of the importance of sustainable construction rather than just knocking buildings down, and wherever possible, he looked for ways to salvage, renovate and repurpose. He was doing it well before builders were thinking along those lines.
“I think because he studied urban planning, he understood the impact of buildings and developments on the wider community,” says Adam. “Some of his
bigger projects were in Nutana and he wanted them to enhance the neighbourhood.”
Developer and Neighbour
Karl wanted a process where “we’re not pitting residents against developers,” he told the Star Phoenix in January 2019.
Charlie Clark, Saskatoon mayor from 2016 to 2024, was a city councillor when development guidelines called Broadway 360 were created.
“Over about two years, Karl boldly participated in establishing guidelines that put some regulations on developments to ensure new buildings on Broadway fit in with the character and scale of our beloved historic district,” says Charlie. “He recognized the intimate relationship between a building and its surroundings. I saw Karl’s willingness to sit down with concerned residents, city planners, heritage advocates and other developers to come up with a new approach. Those guidelines would not have gotten through Council without Karl’s advocacy.”
Karl was frustrated with the length of time the rezoning took, recalls Charlie, “and he was looking for ways to create more predictability in the process,” he adds. “The City learned a lot that was very influential in establishing the development corridors we have today, to allow more density but concentrate it closer to busy streets and services, and try to make sure it fits in.”
Home at the Heart
Mark Kelleher of BlackRock Developments was Karl’s best friend since university days.
“Karl looked at things in
a different way than most people. He could see past all the difficult challenges and envision the final project,” he recalls. “He was always very passionate about Saskatoon and all the homes he built here. He spent a lot of time with city leadership sharing his ideas on how to improve our city. He was happy to share his thoughts with others in the building industry with a genuine intention to make real forward-looking changes.”
Creating homes that he would be happy to live in and building community in every sense of the word were the values Karl lived by, agrees brother Adam. A comfortable, well-built home—whether a single-family house, a multifamily complex, a condo development or a home away from home like Ronald McDonald House (his charity of choice)—all deserved the same attention to thoughtful design, an awareness of how each fit where it was built and an appreciation of how people feel in the space, Adam explains.
“Back when he was building with Nu-Urban, he built a single-family house over on Avenue F North. He was about 26. I remember him being so happy when he learned the people who bought it got married in the back yard. To him, it wasn’t just a matter of putting up a building. It was important to him to build places where people would enjoy living their lives.”
Six months before his death, Karl was a speaker at the Saskatchewan Real Estate Forum in Regina. He spoke about the predicted GDP growth for the province, land values for 2023 and beyond, the outlook for housing demand and how Saskatoon and Regina
markets are preparing for immigration and a national housing shortfall. His profile in the forum program described a man who “never thought about a project out of context, but believed the key to a successful community is in its regeneration, building developments that flow seamlessly with their surroundings.”
The Loss of Possibility
“He would have done so many more amazing things,” insists Adam. “Karl loved creating a more vibrant Saskatoon residential landscape. For him, it was about melding and balancing architecture and urban planning, business and family, development and community, profits and quality, change and preservation, boss and friend.”
In February 2024, the Saskatoon & Region Home Builders Association posthumously awarded Karl the Ambassador Award, recognizing his significant contributions to the housing industry. He would have been humbled, says Bev.
“He was proud of what he did, but never boastful,” she says. “He wanted the projects to speak for themselves and stand the test of time. He wanted them to last so years from now, his children could say, ‘My dad built that.’”
The University Drive house will be sold to fulfill a dream for a new family. But for now it—and so many other of Karl’s creations—stand not only as a reminder of the ephemeral nature of life, but of the longlasting legacy one builder can leave behind.
Karin Melberg Schwier
HOW KARL AND HIS FAMILY CONTRIBUTED TO THE COMMUNITY
Friends, family and colleagues who knew the Millers well share their thoughts.
FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND BUSINESS ARE DEEPLY CONNECTED—WHEN ONE THRIVES, THE OTHERS DO TOO. KARL UNDERSTOOD THIS AND SHOWED ME THAT WE EACH HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR UNIQUE TALENTS. HIS QUIET LEADERSHIP AND GENEROUS SPIRIT MADE US ALL BETTER—AND WE WERE TRULY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HIM AS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.”
- CHRISTIAN BRAID
“Karl was prolific when it came to creating homes in our neighbourhoods. His notable work is scattered throughout Saskatoon and are examples of how pride and passion improve our communities.”
- MARK KELLEHER
“Karl was a remarkable businessman and visionary. He pushed the city to embrace change and to think bigger. Saskatoon would not be the vibrant city it is today without Karl’s forward thinking approach. Professional achievements aside, the true lucky ones are those who had the privilege of knowing Karl, Sash, Kalani, and Kaiden on a personal level. They brought light to our lives, and the loss of this beautiful family has left a void in all our hearts.”
- LACY WATSON
KARL AND SASH’S UNWAVERING LOVE, KINDNESS, AND FRIENDSHIP WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. KARL’S PASSION AND INNOVATIVE DESIGN HELPED SHAPE
SASKATOON, WHILE SASH’S WARMTH AND JOYFUL LAUGHTER UPLIFTED EVERYONE WHO KNEW HER. THEIR LEGACY LIVES ON. ‘FAMILY FIRST’.”
- STACY DYVIG
“Karl and Sash taught us that family and community are the most important things in life. Their family legacy in Saskatoon was one of tireless love and care of their family, friends and neighbours. We can all take a page out of their playbook.”
- AARON LORAAS
“KARL WASN’T JUST AN ENTREPRENEUR—HE WAS A BUILDER OF SASKATOON’S SKYLINE AND SPIRIT, TAKING RISKS OTHERS WOULDN’T TO CREATE LANDMARKS THAT SHAPED THE CITY. HE REMINDED ME, EVEN IN SMALL MOMENTS, TO BE PROUD OF WHERE WE COME FROM, AND HE NEVER WAVERED IN HIS LOVE FOR THIS COMMUNITY. SASKATOON WASN’T JUST WHERE HE LIVED—IT WAS HIS FOREVER HOME AND HE CONSTANTLY ELEVATED OUR CITY TO THE WORLD.”
- ANDREW BABEY
“Karl and his family served homecooked meals at the Ronald McDonald House, which helps sustain families for their journey with their medically compromised children. One of the most important programs is the meal program, helping families survive while they deal with medical uncertainties. Being generous with resources, Karl and his family showed compassion, care, consideration and love for families in this province.”
- TAMMY FORRESTER CEO, RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE - SK
Karl showed me that it’s possible to be both a skilled developer and a great neighbour. He was deeply passionate about both, and his work reflected that commitment. His projects were always innovative, of the highest quality, and truly inspiring. I miss our lively discussions about creating a city where people genuinely want to live.”
- CYNTHIA BLOCK
“The 2024 Saskatchewan & Region Home Builders’ Ambassador of the Year Award was a way for our board, staff and members to honour Karl’s legacy. It’s a celebration of his life, his work and everything he did, not just for the association but for the industry as a whole. To say he was a trailblazer is an understatement. His legacy lives on in the many projects that he built throughout Saskatoon.”
- NICOLE BURGESS CEO, SRHBA
“Their love for people and their community was evidenced in everything they did. As a developer, Karl worked diligently to make Saskatoon a prestigious city with his elegant building designs. He was also instrumental in helping many build their careers. As a nurse, Sashawna dedicated her life to the service of others, providing gentle and nurturing care to patients, family, friends and even strangers. She was a beacon of light and hope to everyone she met.” - NICKEISHA MORGRAIDGE
HOMEtown Reflections
BY: JEFF O’BRIEN
SHOPPING MALLS
The suburban shopping mall is one of the most iconic symbols of the 1980s. But the idea of a central shopping district with different merchants sharing a common space, is as old as trade itself. The bazaars and souks of Asia and Africa, the agora of ancient Greece, medieval markets and the town squares of colonial North America were all places not only to find goods and services, but to meet and greet, to debate and discuss and to share the news of the day. Colourful, lively and dynamic, these places
were at the heart of urban society, both physically and culturally, and it is from them that the suburban shopping mall derives its inspiration.
The father of the modern shopping mall is an American architect named Victor Gruen. Cities had changed enormously in the years after the Second World War. Writing in 1960, Gruen envisaged the suburban mall as a resurrection of those markets and town squares of old; a way to restore “community coherence” to cities suffering from automobile-driven suburban sprawl. The mall,
he argued, shouldn’t just be a conveniently-located, well-stocked shopping area with lots of free parking. It should also be a social space, providing the same opportunities for social life, recreation and participation in community that were afforded by the markets of old.
“An Existential Threat to Downtown”
Saskatoon’s first modern shopping centre is the Churchill Plaza strip mall on the corner of Taylor and Clarence, which opened in 1957. It was modest as
shopping centres go, with a grocery store, a barber shop, a bank, drug and hardware stores, a clothing store, a dry cleaners, a restaurant and a service station. But the newspaper heralded it as “the unfolding of a new era in Saskatoon.” Others soon followed, built to serve Saskatoon’s rapidly growing suburbs. Avalon in 1959, and the Grosvenor Park Shopping Centre in 1960, followed by Westgate Plaza in 1963, way out at the end of 22nd Street. In the central business district, there was concern that these suburban upstarts
Churchill Plaza, on the corner of Taylor Street and Clarence Avenue—Saskatoon's first shopping centre, 1957.
Photo: City of Saskatoon Archives
would steal business from the downtown merchants. There had always been regional shopping districts in Saskatoon—on Broadway, west of the tracks on 20th and 33rd Streets and out in Sutherland. But they were limited in what they offered, and existed primarily to accommodate foot traffic from their local areas. Saskatoon’s Shopping Mecca was downtown, with its department stores and supermarkets, and the small shops strung out one after another along the avenues. It helped that we were a compact city, making downtown accessible to nearly everyone. The railway even got into the act, laying on special excursion trains to bring weekend shoppers into downtown from the surrounding towns and villages. But the suburban mall posed an existential threat to downtown businesses. How do we keep downtown vibrant and healthy against the promise of air-conditioned interiors and endless free parking, they asked.
Here, as elsewhere, the downtowns fought back. One idea was to turn downtown streets into “pedestrian malls”—closed entirely to vehicles, like
Sparks Street in Ottawa, or Regina’s Scarth Street Mall. In 1978, Saskatoon considered but ultimately rejected a proposal to turn sections of both 21st and 23rd
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Photos: (top) City of Saskatoon Archives - HST-190-001; (bottom) City of Saskatoon Archives - HST-190-003
Market Mall interior concept drawing, 1965.
Streets into pedestrian malls.
A sort-of pedestrian mall concept had actually been discussed here in 1963. Downtown merchants had been concerned that a proposed jay-walking bylaw would discourage shopping there by making it inconvenient for downtown shoppers to cross the street. Of course, getting run over
by a car is also inconvenient for downtown shoppers.
The solution proposed by the Board of Trade was to reduce the speed limit on Second and Third Avenues so that people could dodge traffic more easily.
Sadly, this innovative solution to Saskatoon’s downtown shopping woes was ignored. But by then,
enclosed shopping centre with an attached auditorium and a huge multi-storey parking garage, surrounding a wide, open-air plaza and office tower. There were also plans for a high-rise apartment building and a 200-room motor hotel.
Were we excited? You better believe it.
When Midtown Plaza opened on July 30, 1970, it included a 900-seat movie theatre, three anchors: Simpson’s, Eaton’s and a Dominion grocery store, 54 retail stores and 1,700 underground parking stalls. It was immense, and the price reflected that—a whopping $17 million.
But Midtown had competition. In 1965, plans were announced for an enclosed shopping centre at Preston Avenue and Louise Street, boasting 100,000 square feet of suburban shopping comfort and acres of free parking.
Here Come the Malls
plans were already in the works for the Big Daddy of Saskatoon shopping malls, the Midtown Plaza, to be built on the site of the old downtown railway yards.
The Midtown Plaza—
The Big Deal
Unveiled in early 1964, the original concept drawings for Midtown showed an
Saskatoon was expanding on all sides in the 1970s, and with new residential developments came new malls. In 1973, the city’s third indoor mall, Confederation Park Plaza, opened on the western fringe. Costing more than $5 million to build, it was intended by city planners to be the first phase of a much larger service centre for the rapidly-growing area, eventually to include a library, recreational facilities, schools and other amenities.
On the east side, County Fair Plaza at Circle and 8th was a relatively modest strip mall when it first opened in 1970, with a Safeway, a Zellers and a handful of smaller stores.
Midtown Plaza site, 1966.
Wildwood Mall grand opening, April 25, 1977.
Photos: (top) City of Saskatoon Archives - HST-032-005; (bottom) Local History Room - Saskatoon Public Library - CP-7436-10
In 1977, the much grander Wildwood Mall opened next door, across Acadia Drive. An enclosed mall, it included a Woolco, a Dominion grocery store (the largest food store in Saskatoon at the time) and 28 other retail outlets. This was followed by the Mall at Lawson Heights, in 1980, Saskatoon’s biggest suburban mall at the time, which included the city’s first enclosed food court with seven kiosks and seating for 150 people.
Lawson Heights didn’t stay the biggest for long. In the 1980s, County Fair Plaza underwent a massive expansion. Re-branded as the Circle Park Mall when it re-opened in the summer of 1986, it was now an enclosed shopping centre, with a food court, 70 stores, an amusement centre (the “Odyssey 3000”) as well as 400 underground parking spaces and a third anchor tenant: the largest Canadian Tire store in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Altogether, it would be the largest suburban mall in Saskatchewan, and its grand opening on August 6 kicked off four days of in-mall festivities, attracting crowds that filled the massive parking lot and caused traffic jams on 8th Street.
Competition drove further expansion. Market Mall has undergone four major expansions since first opening in 1966. Downtown, Midtown Plaza added a second level in 1990 and re-did the façade above its 21st Street entrance to mimic the railway station that had once stood there. That year, Lawson Heights nearly doubled in size. Confederation Park also added new space in 1994,
and the following year, Circle Park and Wildwood were connected by an underpass under Acadia Drive.
“All the Senses Should be Rewarded”
Shopping should be fun. According to Victor Gruen, a well-designed shopping centre should be, “busy, colourful, exciting and stimulating, full of variety and interest.” There should be trees and flowers, music and fountains. Sculptures and murals, and spaces for public entertainment and education. Places to eat, and places to observe and contemplate. “All the senses should be rewarded,” he said. If the mall was to function as an expression of community, then it couldn’t simply be about the stores.
In Saskatoon we took that to heart, adding movie theatres and video arcades, building wide concourses that readily lent themselves to concerts, fashion shows and other entertainments. We had public art and sculpture, just like the man said. There were things to do. Who hasn’t played mini-golf at Market Mall? (What? You haven’t? Shame on you. Go now. Take a small child.) And of course, the food court, the heart of the mall as a social space, where we went to meet and greet, to watch and be watched. Here in 2025, it’s easy to dismiss the suburban mall phenomenon as the ultimate expression of 1980s consumer excess. But in those days, we were all mallrats.
The Future of the Mall
Everywhere you look today, suburban shopping malls are in decline. In
the 1990s, 140 new malls were being built in the US every year. By 2008, Newsweek magazine was declaring that this “most quintessential of American institutions” was in its death throes. Hammered by the rise of the Big Box “power centres” and ravaged by COVID and Amazon, more and more of them lie empty and abandoned every year. Ironically, our long Canadian winters have helped preserve our enclosed shopping malls. But even so, they are struggling. And yet, they’re also surviving. They may not be as lively as we remember them. Strolling through the city’s malls on a Saturday in April, one can see the empty storefronts, the hopeful “pop-up” stores and the diminished crowds. But there are still cars in the parking lots and plenty of stores to wander into—and out of—and things to do. And perhaps most importantly, there are people in the food courts, meeting to discuss the problems of the day, to share news and to express opinions, just as Victor Gruen imagined them doing all those years ago.
Jeff O’Brien
Photos: (top) Local History Room - Saskatoon Public Library - PH-2008-25; (middle) City of Saskatoon Archives - 1112-24-003; (bottom) Local History Room - Saskatoon Public Library - CP-10146-1
Midtown Plaza interior, ca. 1980.
Midtown Plaza—not just for shopping, 1990s.
Midtown Plaza after expansion, November, 1992.
Big Things Are Coming!
Crossmount is a 55+ aging-inplace 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 our first neighbourhood of independent homes can enjoy two 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.
We are excited to be in the pre-development stage of our next neighbourhood!
Our first neighbourhood of independent homes is sold out. Want to be the first to know about our plans for our exciting new neighbourhood? Sign up to receive updates and join our list by emailing info@crossmount.ca or connect through our website.
BY: MAUREEN HADDOCK
MAUREEN’S KITCHEN
Pick-a-Poultry Salads
My mother-in-law and I were good friends, and as long as she lived, we enjoyed having lunch or going for coffee together. There was a Zellers store
near her condo, and we loved visiting the cafeteria for a simple lunch. I grew fond of the small, toasted chicken salad sandwiches they served with fries. This
light lunch also included coleslaw presented in a tiny cup. It was perfect. This may be why I enjoy a chilled chicken salad in the summer or anytime.
There are many ingredient combinations for making a pick-a-poultry salad. All you need is a good supply of frozen, chopped chicken or turkey, and you can
No Ordinary Turkey or Chicken Salad
My husband enjoys discovering new flavours with each bite of this delicious, elevated chicken salad. He is thrilled when I serve it in a bowl alongside home-baked bread sticks. Within a week of having it, he eagerly asks me when we will enjoy the salad again. The recipe for my breadsticks can be found in the 2024 summer issue of Prairies North Magazine.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, chopped
1 tart apple, peeled and chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
DRESSING
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream (I use 5%)
1/4 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1/2 cup pecans or nut of choice, chopped
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, toss together poultry of choice, apricots, apple pieces, celery and pecans.
In another bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients until smooth.
Pour the dressing over the turkey mixture and stir until combined.
Serve or refrigerate for later.
quickly prepare a delightful lunch to enjoy on the patio. Each time you roast a turkey, cut the leftovers into 3-cup portions for the freezer. You can also poach
turkey or chicken breasts to chop for these recipes. Buying a grocery store rotisserie chicken to use in a salad is also acceptable. When I make lunch for one, I combine cranberry sauce, chopped turkey and a dash of mayonnaise. A few olives, carrot sticks and potato chips turn this into a feast. When my husband or other family members join me, I use one of these recipes.
Chicken Salad Supper
Maureen Haddock
When is a salad a meal? When it contains rice, chicken and vegetables and is followed by a fabulous dessert. This recipe is light but filling. Serve it with Pecan Crust Ice Cream Pie with Caramel Sauce or Chilled Lemon Meringue Pie. For these recipes, go to www.getabiggerwagon.com.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, chopped
DRESSING
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
INSTRUCTIONS
1 cup red or green peppers, chopped
3 cups cooked white rice, warm
4 sweet yum-yum sandwich pickle slices, chopped
Combine chicken, peppers, rice, lettuce, nuts and eggs in a bowl. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard and seasonings. Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the rice and chicken mixture and toss lightly. Serve or refrigerate until ready to eat.
TIPS FOR POACHING POULTRY
Place thin slices of boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breast in a cold skillet. Add a bay leaf, your choice of seasonings and a few sliced carrots,
3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1/4 cup nuts of choice, chopped
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
shallots and mushrooms. Add broth to barely cover the poultry. Set the skillet on a burner, turn the element to medium and bring to a gentle boil. Then, reduce the heat and cover with a lid or foil. Simmer until the poultry reaches 170° F. Remove the chicken from the pan. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a bowl for later use. The delicious broth can be thickened for gravy or stored for use in another recipe. Chop and chill the turkey or chicken to make a salad.
FLOWER POWER
BY: JULIE BARNES PHOTOS:
Selling Seeds from Garden to Market
Forest Fourney picks up a spent marigold bloom and gently removes the thin, spiky seeds tucked inside the papery petals. Each pin-like seed looks like it’s been dipped in black ink.
“They are only going to work if they have black on the
bottom,” he says, explaining that without the black tip, the seeds aren’t viable.
At just 10 years old, Forest already has a good grasp on gardening—a skill he’s cultivated thanks to his mom, Chantelle Fourney, the owner of City Girl Flower Farm.
The Fourneys moved to their acreage when Forest was two, and he’s been getting his hands dirty in the soil ever since. Two summers ago, he discovered a way to monetize his green thumb, says Chantelle.
“I would collect seeds in
small amounts to sow and use in our garden so I didn’t have to buy them, and Forest would help me collect them,” she says.
Forest asked her why they didn’t gather all the seeds, and after explaining that they didn’t need them all, Forest
suggested they save the extras and sell them.
“I collected them for about a year and then we had our first market, and I made $200.50 exactly,” he says.
It was enough for Forest to buy a Nintendo 3DS gaming console and a few Nintendo Switch games—and it was all the convincing he needed to keep collecting those leftover seeds.
Today, Forest sells his seed packages alongside his mom at local events throughout the city, including the Prairie Flower Markets and the Spring Market at the Barn at Wind’s Edge.
Seeds That Pass the Test
When Chantelle asks Forest how they determine the quality of their seeds, he enthusiastically responds: “Germination!”
He explains the process. “We get a wet paper towel and then we would put 10 seeds on it. If you want a better rate, you put 100 seeds on it. We wait a week, and let’s say nine out of 10 sprout, that would make our germination rate 90 per cent. That’s a good rate.”
During that week of germination, the seeds in the damp paper towel are sealed in a plastic bag. Some varieties need cold stratification—a period of chilling in the fridge or outdoors—before they’ll sprout. Others need grow lights or complete darkness to get going.
Those with good germination rates are packaged up for sale—often with help from Forest’s two older brothers, Fletcher and Foster.
The seed packets come in various sizes—25 seeds for dahlias, 50 for marigolds
Before their seeds can be collected and packaged, flowers are laid out on trays to dry.
STARTING SUCCESSFUL VEGETABLE, FLOWER SEEDS
“Starting seeds in Saskatchewan comes with some unique challenges due to the short growing season and colder climate,” says Chantelle. With over an acre of brilliant blooms—75 per cent of which were started from seed—she shares her top five tips for seed-starting success.
1. START SEEDS INDOORS EARLY
With Saskatchewan’s last frost typically in late May to early June, gardeners can start their seeds indoors 6–10 weeks before transplanting (March through April). “Use a seed starting calendar specific to your zone,” says Chantelle. Saskatoon is zone 3b.
2. USE A GROW LIGHT
Natural light is limited in early spring, so investing in a full-spectrum LED grow light will give your seedlings that extra boost they need. Providing 12–16 hours of daily light prevents leggy, weak growth, Chantelle says.
3. SELECT COLD-HARDY AND FASTMATURING VARIETIES
Chantelle advises looking for seeds labelled “short season,” “early maturity” or “coldtolerant.” When it comes to planting vegetable crops from seed, kale, peas, spinach, carrots and bush beans perform well, she says. “Tomatoes and peppers need more time, so start those even earlier, indoors.”
4. HARDEN OFF PROPERLY
Before transplanting, seeds should be hardened off by gradually introducing them to outdoor conditions for 7–10 days. Start the seedlings in a sheltered area for 1–2 hours and increase the exposure daily, says Chantelle.
and 100 for feverfew mix. Instead of counting each one by hand, Forest explains how they use spoons to measure the approximate quantities.
“We have different spoons that hold the right amount of seeds, like little teaspoons,” he says. For delicate varieties like Frosted Explosion (common name is Witchgrass), they’d use an eighth of a teaspoon, adds Forest. “And some of the bigger seeds, it’s a full teaspoon.”
Having passed the germination tests, Forest’s current lineup includes bunny tail, scabiosa, marigold, Frosted Explosion, feverfew, Love-in-a-puff, nigella and his bestseller—dahlias.
The white dahlias are Forest’s personal favourite.
“They smell good and they feel like silk,” he says.
Starting Small, Supporting Local
For now, Chantelle says
5. EXTEND THE SEASON
Chantelle recommends using row covers, cold frames or cloches to protect young plants from late frosts and to extend the growing season into the fall.
they’re keeping the seed selection intentionally small.
“We know what we’re good at, and we could grow to different kinds of seeds in the future,” she says.
When asked for tips for new gardeners, Forest doesn’t miss a beat.
“Buy seeds from me,” he says with a grin. Or at the very least, “buy something locally first.”
Forest’s Seeds can be found on instagram @forestsseeds.
Julie Barnes
The family cat, Franz, keeps watch over Forest’s seed packages.
