Mawson Plan Digital
Artifact
Accession Number:
2018.001.0002
Description
Commissioned in May 1913 by the provincial Department of Public Works, the “Mawson Plan as it came to be known in Regina exemplified the excitement and spirit of opportunity on the Canadian prairies in the early 20th Century. The provincial and municipal governments embarked on a planning strategy that would establish Regina not only as a centre for administration and commerce, but also as a beautiful city. Upon arrival in Regina, Thomas Mawson remarked, “the greatest drawback from which Regina has had to suffer…has been the practically unvarying monotony of the Prairie on which it stands.” Therefore, the ambitious and imaginative plan called for the construction of a massive Civic Centre on College Avenue at Smith Street, spacious tree-lined streets with grand boulevards, and a detailed road plan that superimposed diagonal roadways over the existing gridiron layout. The plan integrated the Legislative Building, Wascana Lake, park landscaping, and residential plans for a future imagined population of 120,000. Mawson further proposed development of a lavish new residence for the Lieutenant Governor to be located east of the Legislative Building across Wascana Lake. His plan included special piers at both the Legislative Building and Government House so the Lieutenant Governor could travel by royal barge from the residence to the Legislature for the opening of a new session. The blueprints were virtually completed by 1914, but the outbreak of World War I saw the plans shelved for the duration of the war as the clients’ focus shifted to more pressing matters. The City of Regina didn’t officially accept and release the plan to the public until 1922. By this time however, the collapse of the post-war boom and worsening economic conditions cooled enthusiasm for so-called ‘City Beautiful’ concepts. Implementation plans were postponed and later shelved indefinitely. Only the landscaping plans for the legislative grounds were implemented; the rest of the Mawson Plan was soon forgotten.
Category
Reprint