Who Was St. Chad?

St. Chad, a Celtic Bishop, was first Bishop (669AD - 672AD) of Lichfield, at Mercia. Mercia was one of the supposed seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Great Britain during the early middle ages.

In 669AD, Wulfere, king of Mercia, demanded a bishop for his people and St. Chad was called upon to fulfill this role..

St. Chad established a new diocesan Cathedral and monestary at Lichfield, the site of an early (303AD) Roman massacre of Mercian people and, as such, a spot that St. Chad considered holy. He chose the exact location of the massacre in order to honor those known as the Martyrs of Lichfield and who died at that place.

St. Chad was recognized as being unusually humble and devout. In accordance with Celtic tradition, he at first insisted on travelling across the massive Mercian kingdom on foot. Unwilling to do anything that would place him above the common man, St. Chad refused the insistance of his superior, St. Theodore, to travel on horesback. His refusal continued until, it is told, Theodore "lifted Chad bodily onto the horse himself." During his short time at Lichfield, St. Chad carried out his pastoral and missionary work with zeal and his exploits were well know through all of Mercia. His humble prayers were said to easily result in the cure of disease and spiritual afflictions.

St. Chad died on March 2, 672AD. It is said that his death was foretold to him by angels who, one week earlier, visited him in his rectory. A novice monk, Owini, claimed to have heard the angelic singing coming from the rectory, and begged the Bishop to explain. Owini was told that angels had come to summon Chad to heaven (such was the strength of his short, but exellent service in Mercia) and that they would return for him in seven days time. He was also instructed to tell no one of this until after the Bishop's death.

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St. Chad's Redevelopment Project

Located on the site of the former Anglican Diocesan property, which contained the former Qu'Appelle Diocesan School and Anglican nunnery (with historic St. Chad's Chapel), the property has seen many uses throughout the years. A former theological college, administrative buildings, old people's home and bishop's palace, the property was purchased by the then Church of Engalnd as a mission field of the English Diocese of Lichfield, thus the connection with St. Chad who established a monestary in Lichfield in the early middle ages.

The property is now privately held, and the owners are entertaining various options for redevelopment of the site as possible luxury residences or unique and ideally located commercial space.

Regardless of the form of redevelopment that eventually takes place, the site and structures boast many historic and architecturally interesting features, often of the most unexpected nature. For example this little angle, who appears to have found a quiet place to read, can be found on St. Chad's Tower where it intersects with the sloping roofline of an ajoining structure.


The Saints Mathew Mark Luke John
The tower, chapel and other buildings of the site feature many decorative and symbolic features that wait to be discovered, such as the carved names and symbolic images of the Saints, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Of course, we can't forget St. Chad himself, who greets visitors from the east and west peaks of his chapel.

Such features enhance the unique nature of the property and add greatly to the charm and appeal of the site and buildings regardless of the eventual use.

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Description of Entire Diocese of Qu’Appelle


Statement of Significance

The Diocese of Qu’Appelle is a National Heritage Property occupying an 8.142 Hectare parcel of land at the corner of College Avenue and Broad street in the city of Regina. The designated property includes the grounds and five red brick Collegiate Gothic style buildings, the names of which have changed several times throughout the site’s history. Clergy House/St. Culbert’s House/Synod Office (1912), Secretary’s House/Anson House (1913), St. Chad’s College (1913-1914), Maple Leaf Hostel/Harding House (1925) and Bishop’s Court (1926).

Heritage Value

The Heritage Value of the Diocese of Qu’Appelle lies in its association with the Anglican Church and its educational, administrative, and missionary activities in southern Saskatchewan. In 1912, the Diocese acquired a large parcel of land at the corner of College Avenue and Broad street from the provincial government. Plans for the “College and Cathedral Site” included a seminary, boarding schools, Bishop’s residence and cathedral.

The first building to be constructed was clergy house for the Railway Mission, a program which oversaw the numerous itinerant priests who traveled across southern Saskatchewan by rail helping establish new parishes.

In 1913-14, the Secretary’s House and St. Chad’s College, a theological school for the training of young men for ministry, were constructed on the site. The Qu’Appelle Diocesan School for girls which opened in 1918, was initially located in Clergy House. However, enrolment grew so quickly that they traded places with the theological college and moved into St. Chad’s where the girls remained until it closed in 1970.

In 1925, the Maple leaf Hostel was built to provide accommodation for young British teachers attending at the nearby Normal School. In 1926, a residence for the Bishop was constructed near the north west corner of the property. Although the planned cathedral was never realized, the site remained an important hub for church activities.

The heritage value of the Diocese of Qu’Appelle property also lies in its architecture. Designed by three different firms – Montreal architects Brown and Vallance (clergy House and St. Chad’s), Regina architects Storey and Van Egmond (Secretary’s House) and Francis Portnall, (Maple Leaf House and Bishop’s Court) – the buildings display elements of Collegiate Gothic architecture.

Most often utilized for schools, universities and churches, this style of architecture became popular in Canada in the early 20th century and is evident in the long, low asymmetrical masses, the use of a uniform, dark colored brick trimmed with stone or terra cotta, the Gothic windows with pointed arches, the crenellated towers, the picturesque roofscapes, and the use of representational sculpture elements.

Further heritage value lies in the layout and landscaping of the grounds which was guided by the work of prominent English landscape architects Thomas Mawson and Sons. In 1913, the provincial government hired Mawson’s firm to prepare plans for the grounds of the Legislative Building, the Normal School and the properties set aside for the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches.

Mawson’s plan for the site, which were influenced by the Diocese’s plans for the site, features administrative and residential buildings clustered around a grand cathedral reminiscent of a traditional English “Cathedral Close”. Mawson’s Plan was also influenced by “City Beautiful” concepts, especially the idea that the grand buildings or monuments should be sited so as to become the terminal vistas of long, converging, diagonal axes.

Buildings on the site were strategically placed, terminating the vista of several streets – the Synod Office at the end of St. John Street, the tower of St. Chad’s at the end of Halifax Street, and Bishop’s court at the end of Halifax Street. Other significant vistas include a diagonal vista from the northeast to southwest corner of the property to the dome of the Legislative Building. The architect and site layout was further complemented by elaborate landscape elements including gardens, winding pathways, a copse and common, a maze, a formal drive in front of the Bishop’s Residence, and a Lych gate ( a traditional roofed gateway to the churchyard) constructed of heavy timber on a stone foundation.

Character Defining Elements

The Heritage Value of the Diocese of Qu’Appelle site resides in the following character defining elements:

Significance of The Site as a Whole

Source:
Province of Saskatchewan,
Order Designating Protected Property under the Saskatchewan Heritage Act,
February 11th, 1980.
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