Thomas H. McLeod, dean of Commerce, stands in front of Commerce students seated at desks in a classroom in the Hangar Building.

Bio/Historical Note: The Hangar Building was originally constructed as an air force training facility at Dafoe, Saskatchewan during World War II. It was dismantled and completely reassembled on campus by January 1947 for $156,560, and was intended to provide temporary teaching space for the Department of Household Science. The shingle clad wooden structure was built of post and beam construction on a concrete slab base, and many part-time students participated in its construction. It contained lecture rooms with seating space for 300, 200, 150, 125, 25 and 25 persons respectively, as well as three laboratories. Eight offices were also built for administrative staff so that offices on the ground floors of Qu’Appelle Hall and Saskatchewan Hall could be made available as residence space for returning veterans. While the Hangar Building had been designed to house the Department of Household Science the building was eventually occupied by the College of Commerce, while Household Science was relocated to the Physics Annex. Original intentions were to convert the building into a student curling rink after approximately five years. However such plans were abandoned by the mid-1950s in favour of a new curling facility located near Rutherford Rink, where it could share the existing ice-making plant. In 1967 the College of Commerce vacated the building to occupy the new Law-Commerce Complex, and the Department of Drama moved in. The Hangar Building thus became home to the Greystone Theatre. In September 1993 the Drama Department vacated the building to move into the recently renovated John Mitchell Building. The Hangar Building then remained unoccupied until its demolition in May 1994.

Image of Dr. Frederick Edell, Department of Drama, standing outside Hangar Building.

Bio/Historical Note: Dr. Frederick Edell earned a BA in English and Psychology from Hobart and William Smith colleges in Geneva, New York (1957), and an MFA in Theatre from Yale University (1960). He did post-graduate studies in Theatre, Education, and Asian Theatre at New York University (1963). Dr. Edell continued with further graduate studies In Film at the University of Bristol, England. Dr. Edell served as assistant professor in the Drama Department of the University of Victoria (1966-1970), and was associate professor and director of the Film and Theatre Programme at the University of Manitoba (1970-1975). He spent a year as associate professor and acting head of the Drama Department at the University of Winnipeg (1975-1976), and the following year as associate professor and director of the Acting and Directing Program in the Theatre Department at Brock University (1976-1977). Dr. Edell served as professor and director of the Drama Programme at Acadia University (1977-1990). He joined the Department of Drama at the University of Saskatchewan in 1990. Dr. Edell has written on film for various Canadian and American publications and has broadcast film criticism for CBC in Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Halifax. He has also directed numerous theatre productions in Canada, the United States and Sweden. Upon retirement in July 2000, Dr. Edell became Professor Emeritus.

Seventeen photographs of the demolition of the Hangar Building taken from several angles over a period of days.

Bio/Historical Note: The Hangar Building was originally constructed as a World War II Royal Canadian Air Force training facility at Dafoe, Saskatchewan. At a cost of $156,560, the hangar was dismantled and completely reassembled on campus by January 1947. It was intended to provide temporary teaching space for the Department of Household Science. The shingle clad wooden structure was built of post and beam construction on a concrete slab base, and many part-time students participated in its construction. It contained lecture rooms with seating space for 300, 200, 150, 125, 25 and 25 persons respectively, as well as three laboratories. Eight offices were also built for administrative staff so that offices on the ground floors of Qu’Appelle Hall and Saskatchewan Hall could be made available as residence space for returning veterans. While the Hangar Building had been designed to house the Department of Household Science the building was eventually occupied by the College of Commerce, while Household Science was relocated to the Physics Annex. Original intentions were to convert the building into a student curling rink after approximately five years. However such plans were abandoned by the mid-1950s in favour of a new curling facility located near Rutherford Rink, where it could share the existing ice-making plant. In 1967 the College of Commerce vacated the building to occupy the new Law-Commerce Complex, and the Department of Drama moved in. The Hangar Building thus became home to the Greystone Theatre. In September 1993 the Drama Department vacated the building to move into the recently renovated John Mitchell Building. The Hangar Building then remained unoccupied until its demolition in May 1994.

Image of main doors of the Hangar Building. Sign among weeds and brush in foreground.

Bio/Historical Note: The Hangar Building was originally constructed as a World War II Royal Canadian Air Force training facility at Dafoe, Saskatchewan. At a cost of $156,560, the hangar was dismantled and completely reassembled on campus by January 1947. It was intended to provide temporary teaching space for the Department of Household Science. The shingle clad wooden structure was built of post and beam construction on a concrete slab base, and many part-time students participated in its construction. It contained lecture rooms with seating space for 300, 200, 150, 125, 25 and 25 persons respectively, as well as three laboratories. Eight offices were also built for administrative staff so that offices on the ground floors of Qu’Appelle Hall and Saskatchewan Hall could be made available as residence space for returning veterans. While the Hangar Building had been designed to house the Department of Household Science the building was eventually occupied by the College of Commerce, while Household Science was relocated to the Physics Annex. Original intentions were to convert the building into a student curling rink after approximately five years. However such plans were abandoned by the mid-1950s in favour of a new curling facility located near Rutherford Rink, where it could share the existing ice-making plant. In 1967 the College of Commerce vacated the building to occupy the new Law-Commerce Complex, and the Department of Drama moved in. The Hangar Building thus became home to the Greystone Theatre. In September 1993 the Drama Department vacated the building to move into the recently renovated John Mitchell Building. The Hangar Building then remained unoccupied until its demolition in May 1994.

View of exterior of the Hangar Building.

Bio/Historical Note: The Hangar Building was originally constructed as a World War II Royal Canadian Air Force training facility at Dafoe, Saskatchewan. At a cost of $156,560, the hangar was dismantled and completely reassembled on campus by January 1947. It was intended to provide temporary teaching space for the Department of Household Science. The shingle clad wooden structure was built of post and beam construction on a concrete slab base, and many part-time students participated in its construction. It contained lecture rooms with seating space for 300, 200, 150, 125, 25 and 25 persons respectively, as well as three laboratories. Eight offices were also built for administrative staff so that offices on the ground floors of Qu’Appelle Hall and Saskatchewan Hall could be made available as residence space for returning veterans. While the Hangar Building had been designed to house the Department of Household Science the building was eventually occupied by the College of Commerce, while Household Science was relocated to the Physics Annex. Original intentions were to convert the building into a student curling rink after approximately five years. However such plans were abandoned by the mid-1950s in favour of a new curling facility located near Rutherford Rink, where it could share the existing ice-making plant. In 1967 the College of Commerce vacated the building to occupy the new Law-Commerce Complex, and the Department of Drama moved in. The Hangar Building thus became home to the Greystone Theatre. In September 1993 the Drama Department vacated the building to move into the recently renovated John Mitchell Building. The Hangar Building then remained unoccupied until its demolition in May 1994.

View looking northwest of the Hangar Building.

Bio/Historical Note: The Hangar Building was originally constructed as a World War II Royal Canadian Air Force training facility at Dafoe, Saskatchewan. At a cost of $156,560, the hangar was dismantled and completely reassembled on campus by January 1947. It was intended to provide temporary teaching space for the Department of Household Science. The shingle clad wooden structure was built of post and beam construction on a concrete slab base, and many part-time students participated in its construction. It contained lecture rooms with seating space for 300, 200, 150, 125, 25 and 25 persons respectively, as well as three laboratories. Eight offices were also built for administrative staff so that offices on the ground floors of Qu’Appelle Hall and Saskatchewan Hall could be made available as residence space for returning veterans. While the Hangar Building had been designed to house the Department of Household Science the building was eventually occupied by the College of Commerce, while Household Science was relocated to the Physics Annex. Original intentions were to convert the building into a student curling rink after approximately five years. However such plans were abandoned by the mid-1950s in favour of a new curling facility located near Rutherford Rink, where it could share the existing ice-making plant. In 1967 the College of Commerce vacated the building to occupy the new Law-Commerce Complex, and the Department of Drama moved in. The Hangar Building thus became home to the Greystone Theatre. In September 1993 the Drama Department vacated the building to move into the recently renovated John Mitchell Building. The Hangar Building then remained unoccupied until its demolition in May 1994.

Hallway in the flooded basement of the Hangar Building. One man is standing up to his knees in water.

Bio/Historical Note: Image found in The Green and White, June 1951, pg. 11.

Students loading filing cabinet drawers into a canoe, standing knee deep in water in the Hangar Building.

Bio/Historical Note: Image found in The Green and White, June 1951, pg. 11.

View of interior of Greystone Theatre, showing stage area in background. Wooden chairs with backs facing camera.

Unidentified male athlete clearing the bar at Griffiths Stadium. Spectators and trees in background; Hangar Building at right.