University of Saskatchewan Campus

The University of Saskatchewan campus is one of the handsomest in Canada, a landscape of grey stone buildings, mature trees and lawns on the east bank of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon. The university was founded in 1907, just two years after Saskatchewan became a province, and its founders made a deliberate choice to build in a grand, collegiate style. The first buildings, including the College Building completed in 1912, were designed in the Collegiate Gothic manner and faced with greystone quarried locally, a warm, pale material that gives the older part of the campus a distinctive look. A grassy open space known as the Bowl forms the centre of the old campus, and the main buildings frame it.

The campus is a good place for a walk. Tree-lined paths run between historic halls and modern research buildings, with views down to the river. The Meewasin Valley Trail runs along the riverbank below, linking the campus with the city's other parks and bridges. Spring brings flowering trees, and in autumn the leaves turn gold before the long winter.

Several places on campus welcome visitors. The Diefenbaker Canada Centre commemorates John G. Diefenbaker, the Saskatchewan lawyer who served as Prime Minister of Canada from 1957 to 1963, and holds a replica of his Parliament Hill office and archives. He is buried on the grounds nearby. The USask Art Galleries show student and professional work through the year. The Museum of Natural Sciences, at 114 Science Place, offers free drop-in admission and explores the history of the Earth, from skeleton replicas and fossils to minerals and living plants and animals in a central atrium. Its walls are faced with Tyndall Stone, a limestone full of fossils. The campus is also home to the Canadian Light Source, the national synchrotron facility, which is a major centre for scientific research and sometimes runs public tours.

The University Library, with multiple locations, offers extensive resources, and cafés and bookstores serve students and visitors. Campus events, lectures, sporting fixtures and performances at venues such as the Greystone Theatre are open to the public at various times.

Parking is available on campus, though it can be limited during term, and buses link the campus to downtown. Check opening hours, which vary by building, season and holidays, before visiting. The campus suits architecture fans, families and anyone curious about the university's role in Saskatchewan.