Former Prince Albert City Hall National Historic Site of Canada

The former Prince Albert City Hall was designated a national historic site in 1984 because:

— this building is one the few 19th-century town halls still standing on the prairies; and — its substantial size, brick-clad exterior and bell tower reflected the town’s pride in its status as an important territorial centre and its faith in a prosperous future.

Incorporated as a town in 1885, the Prince Albert civic council hired Hamilton architect F. J. Rastrick and Son to design the building. A local contracting firm, A. and W.B. Goodfellow, used brick and lumber manufactured locally in the construction. The lot was raised from the street, a common practice to enhance its perceived size, with a yard planted in trees and shrubs. The building’s grand scale and formal detailing offset the restrained design of the exterior. Little of the interior remains beyond the layout of the front entry and some of the door and window trim. The opera house space has been reconfigured into two floors, while the main staircase and council chambers room across the front are more intact.