Airport expands into larger station in 1953 in Saskatoon

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Every Thursday, we feature an image from the StarPhoenix archives, curated by the City of Saskatoon Archives. Today, we see expansions to the Saskatoon airport, including the officers’ mess seen here, as it developed into a larger station from Dec. 12, 1953. (City of Saskatoon Archives StarPhoenix Collection S-SP-B2292-8)

From the StarPhoenix archives:

Taking advantage of one of the mildest Novembers on record, Wells Construction Company pushed work on the Saskatoon Airport’s $550,000 administration building to the structural steel stage in 20 working days.

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With 90 men working two and sometimes three shifts (on pouring days), the estimated 500 cubic yards of concrete to complete the foundation up to the height required for structural steel was in place by December 2. Excavation on the project was started November 10.

The concrete pouring operation included floor slabs for both the basement and the heating tunnel which surrounds the side walls of the structure.

A winter mix of concrete was used on the job and a steam boiler kept water, sand and stone at good working temperatures on the cooler days. There was a twofold purpose in pushing through the work in the shortest time possible.

Taking advantage of the unseasonably mild weather to get in as much concrete as possible was a simple matter of economics. There was no certainty when the weather would break and bring a cold snap which would slow things down.

For every good day on which crews stayed on the job around the clock, the possible number of bad days on which they might be forced to work was cut by two to three days. As it was the weather held until the foundation work was completed.

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And the contractors are now in a position to insist that structural steel be on the building site in plenty of time for work to go ahead on the main body of the building. Present plans call for starting the steel work in March of next year.

The building is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 1954.

Throwback Thursday is a weekly StarPhoenix series where we revisit photos from Saskatoon’s past.

Check out our entire collection here.

What moment in Saskatoon’s history from December would you like us to revisit next? Send suggestions to [email protected].

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