The A.L. Cole Pumphouse is one of the most iconic buildings in Saskatoon.
Built in 1911, it is the last surviving remnant of the Saskatoon Power Plant. The pumphouse used the river's water to cool the power plant generators.
According to Jeff O'Brien, the city's archivist:
“It's the only octagonal tower in all of Saskatchewan and probably one of the oldest industrial structures in all of Saskatchewan."
Heritage Value
Once the Queen Elizabeth Power Station was built, the A.L. Cole Power Plant provided back-up electricity for the city until 1983. After that time the plant was decommissioned and subsequently demolished. The A.L. Cole Pumphouse however, was spared. Inside the Pumphouse, a spiral staircase leads to the pump floor, where two large pumps once operated from the ground level gallery. A large opening in the gallery floor allowed for ventilation and the installation of the pumps.
Recently, the A.L. Cole Pumphouse was renovated to highlight its unique industrial history and provide for future commercial opportunities. Work completed included the removal of some of the equipment, repairs to the exterior brickwork, replacement of windows, and heat and electrical servicing. The renovation work was undertaken to celebrate the heritage aspects and interpretive opportunities of this building and site, while providing usable tenant space for future commercial activity on the riverfront. The building received an honorable mention for restoration of its exterior under the City's Heritage Awards Program in 2014.
Source: City of Saskatoon Built Heritage Database
I had the pleasure of stepping inside this pumphouse in 2019 when I attended Doors Open Saskatoon.
What is Doors Open Saskatoon you ask? Buildings of architectural and historical significance, many of which are not normally open to the public, open their doors to visitors for a day.
Logging requirements:
To log this as a find you must meet the following criteria:
- Go to the posted co-ordinates.
- Take a memorable photo on the upper or lower level.
- Post this photo in your log. DO NOT send it to me in a private message.
- The photo should show proof that you were here. This could be for example your GPS, name-tag, personal token, personally written note, etc.
- Enjoy!
Logs that do not meet the above requirements may be deleted.
Yes! That is my picture! (Dec. 7, 2017)
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.