Description of Historic Place

The Doctor’s Residence and Clinic in Wasagaming, also known as Building C5, is a simple, milled-lumber frame building with domestic character, which occupies spacious landscaped grounds. Its symmetrical design features a central hipped roof dormer and small entrance portico. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Doctor’s Residence and Clinic is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value:
The Doctor’s Residence and Clinic illustrates the 1946 decision to establish medical facilities at both Riding Mountain and Prince Albert National Park. Arrangements were made with the Department of National Health and Welfare and provincial medical associations to obtain the services of a resident physician for each park during the months of operation.

Architectural Value:
The Doctor’s Residence and Clinic’s architectural value resides in its domestic character with its simple box-like form, symmetrical design and gable roof. It also exhibits good quality craftsmanship. Constructed to a standard plan prepared for the Soldier Settlement and Veteran’s Land Act agency, it reflects a general move away from a consistent design policy in the National Parks that had begun in 1936-1937.

Environmental Value:
The Doctor’s Residence and Clinic is located on an unchanged spacious site, with mature trees and simply landscaped grounds. It is compatible with its residential setting and a well-known facility in the townsite.

Sources:Edward Mills, Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, Federal Heritage Building Review Office Building Report, 85-054; Doctor’s Residence and Clinic, Wasagaming, Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, Heritage Character Statement, 85-054.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Doctor’s Residence and Clinic should be respected.

Its domestic character, standard plan, and good quality craftsmanship, for example: the simple, box-like form, symmetrical design and gable-roof of the one-and-a-half storey building; the milled frame construction with wood cove siding; the prominent hipped-roof dormer; the small entrance portico; the balanced arrangement of the sash windows and the doors; the exposed rafter tails at the eaves, the geometrical design of the portico balustrade, and; the surviving interior plan.

The manner in which the Doctor’s Residence and Clinic maintains an unchanged historical relationship with its site and is compatible with its residential setting, and is a familiar landmark as evidenced by: the ongoing relationship between the building and its large spacious site that consists of simply landscaped grounds with mature trees; the building’s simple form and domestic character that is compatible with its residential setting, and; the building’s status as a well-known facility in the town site owing to its long-time function.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

The Doctor's Residence and Clinic in Riding Mountain National Park was constructed in 1948 to a standard plan prepared for the Soldier Settlement and Veteran's Land Act agency by architect W.K. Humphrys. The building is vacant at present (1994). Parks Canada is the custodian. See FHBRO Building Report 85-54.

Reasons for designation
The Doctor's Residence was designated Recognized because of its environmental qualities and architectural significance.

Located on a spacious site enhanced by mature trees and simply landscaped grounds, the Doctor's Residence complements its setting, and is a well known facility in the townsite because of its long-time function. Architecturally, it reflects a general move away from a consistent design policy in the National Parks that had begun in 1936-37. As a result, this building is visually distinct from earlier parks buildings in the townsite, but is compatible with the residential cottage building types in the vicinity.

Character Defining Elements
The heritage character of the Doctor's Residence resides in its massing, building materials and details, domestic "cottage" scale, and simply landscaped setting.

The building is a modest one and one-half storey building of milled frame construction, sheathed with cove siding. The medium pitch gable roof was originally covered in wood shingles. The simple box-like form and symmetrical design are distinguished by the prominent hipped-roof dormer, the small central entrance portico, and the balanced disposition of windows and doors. Texture and visual interest are added by the wood cove siding, the exposed rafter tails at the eaves, the geometrical design of the portico balustrade, the intended wood shingle roof finish, and the horizontal muntin bars in the sash windows. All of these features are integral to the style and character of the building and should not be altered. Any repairs must be predicated on maximum retention of original material, and the same level of craftsmanship and care taken as is evident in the original work.

The interior plan, which varied from the standard plan in order to accommodate waiting and consulting rooms, should be respected as a reflection of the building's original use. Any surviving early finishes or hardware should be retaineThe simple, residential character of the site, and the buffer zone created by mature trees and green space between this and adjacent buildings, should be protected. Any modification of the landscape should be in keeping with the intended simple formality of the grounds.