In September 1922, the big oak doors of Heritage Hall opened to students for the first time. To celebrate the 100th birthday of the iconic Heritage Hall building, we have created a dynamic and intriguing eight-episode audio series called, "If These Halls Could Talk". Listen as historians, your fellow alumni and friends of SAIT discuss the creation of the castle on the hill, its vital role in Canadian military history, and how careers were launched from its walls. Take a journey through history with us starting at the beginning starting on March 17, 2022.
Namesakes of Heritage Hall: The gift of giving back
Heritage Hall is one of the most identifiable buildings in Calgary — and the embodiment of SAIT’s history as a global leader in applied education. This episode explores the vital role volunteering, generosity and giving back have played in establishing Calgary as a world-class city, and in elevating SAIT as an institution. From the excitement of the 1988 Winter Olympics to corporate gifts to serving on the SAIT Board of Governors, philanthropy has transformed SAIT in countless ways. Join Bria...
16 Mar 2022
Better together: Preserving Heritage Hall and making room for the future
Heritage Hall has been at the heart of SAIT’s campus since 1922 — in fact, it was called the Main Building for six decades. It’s hard to imagine the void there would be without it — but in the 1980s, there was serious talk of tearing it down. In this episode, explore how this central gathering place for countless students, administrators and teachers became both a provincial and a national historic site — and living proof that some things are worth preserving. Join architect Alan Gardner, Pow...
16 Mar 2022
A place and platform for students: Saitsa turns 100
1922 marked not only the opening of Heritage Hall, but also the creation of the Students’ Association (today’s Saitsa) which was originally housed within that building. It began as an initiative to bring some levity to student life outside the workshops and classrooms by offering social, literary and athletic activities. Still going strong 100 years later, Saitsa has accomplished that and so much more for the many thousands of students it represents. From lobbying government to student ...
16 Mar 2022
Masters of murals: Establishing Calgary's art scene
Calgary’s first public art project was by students from the Art Department of the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art (PITA, as SAIT was known at the time). Their murals can still be seen and admired on the walls of Heritage Hall today. The ambitious program was created by the head of the department, Illingworth “Buck” Kerr, in 1949 and included works by nearly a dozen students including Gertrude Hudson, Ron (Gyo-Zo) Spickett, Roy Kiyooka and Ted Godwin. Discover the vital role PITA’s ...
16 Mar 2022
Growing Up in Heritage Hall: The University Demonstration School
After the Second World War, the Calgary Normal School (a training school for primary and secondary school teachers) returned to the west wing of Heritage Hall as the Calgary Branch of the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education University Demonstration School (UDS). Until 1955, youngsters from all around the area came to elementary school in the grand building, where they would not only learn lessons in mathematics, English and science, but also what happens when you stick your tongue on...
16 Mar 2022
No. 2 Wireless School at Heritage Hall: Heroes in training
In less than one week at the start of the Second World War, the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art (PITA, as SAIT was known then) moved all of its students to temporary classrooms throughout the city. Why? So that the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan could open its No. 2 Wireless School in PITA’s Main Building. Now known as Heritage Hall, the building welcomed thousands of air force pilots and crew members from Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Learn more about the Wirele...
16 Mar 2022
Architecture of a Queen: A monument for the future
The future looked incredibly bright for Calgary in the early 1920s, and the construction of a majestic new home for the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art (PITA) was a testament to that. Taking shape high above the bustling city, and built in the Collegiate Gothic style, the school’s castle-like qualities were unlike anything anyone had seen in these parts before. A century later, Heritage Hall remains a crown jewel on the crest of the North Hill. Join Heritage Calgary CEO, Josh Trapt...
16 Mar 2022
The Castle on the Hill: Third-place prize to first-class institute
SAIT’s roots are as old as the famous Calgary/Edmonton rivalry. After Alberta became a province in 1905, its newly formed government gave Edmonton both the provincial legislature building and the province’s first university. After determined campaigning by Calgarians, the city was awarded the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art (PITA, as SAIT was formerly known) in 1916 . In this episode, Calgary historian and author David Finch and the CEO of Heritage Calgary, Josh Traptow (AIM...
10 Mar 2022
Trailer: "If These Halls Could Talk"
To celebrate the 100th birthday of the iconic Heritage Hall building, a dynamic and intriguing eight-episode audio series called, If These Halls Could Talk, was created. Listen as historians, your fellow alumni and friends of SAIT discuss the creation of the castle on the hill, its vital role in Canadian military history, and how careers were launched from within its walls. Listen to the series all at once or at your own pace starting Thursday, March 17, 2022.
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