This fall, Saskatchewan celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina.
This monumental edifice was built between 1908 and 1912 in the Beaux Arts style according to a design by Edward and William Sutherland Maxwell of the firm of Edward and W.S. Maxwell, the largest architectural firm in the country prior to World War I. As the lead architects, Edward and William Sutherland Maxwell also supervised the construction of the building.
In 1912, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, who was serving as the governor general, inaugurated the building, and in 2005, the legislative building and its grounds were designated a National Historic Site of Canada.
As part of the celebration, the organizing committee called for stories about community connections to the building. The Baha’i community of Regina submitted a short article about the “unique and proud connection” of Canadian Baha’is to the Saskatchewan Legislative Building: William Sutherland Maxwell, along with his spouse, May Maxwell, played a significant role in the birth of the Bahá’í Community of Canada.
William Sutherland Maxwell and his brother designed many Canadian landmarks, including the Palliser Hotel in Calgary; the central tower of the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec; the Art Gallery, Church of the Messiah, and the Nurses’ Wing of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montréal; as well as many other public edifices and private homes.