Open Collections

Abstract

This thesis is a study of the three legislative buildings in the Canadian Prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. It documents the history of each building, describes the architectural features, and establishes the stylistic prototypes and influences. It further examines the place of these buildings as a group in the North American and European architectural environment of the period 1880 - 1920. The thesis will show how the formation of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan in 19051 and the expansion of the province of Manitoba in 1912, necessitated the construction of legislative buildings to accommodate governmental functions. The significance of such practical, as well as other symbolical, needs on the design and style of each building is examined. Individual factors surrounding each building such as the use of local materials, the nationality and training of the architects, and economic limitations are considered. The thesis will conclude that while the three buildings show a similar architectural style - the Beaux-Arts Style - local influences have combined to produce a more specifically Canadian version, one which is less ornate, less complex, and smaller in scale.