Public engagement for the design of Saskatoon’s new central library begins early this year, and the goal is to include as many people from as many different walks of life as possible to encapsulate what the spirit of Saskatoon is.
That’s according to the leader of the design team and President of Formline Architecture, Alfred Waugh.
Waugh, through his mother, is registered with the Fond Du Lac First Nation in northern Saskatchewan.
His dream is to build an inclusive place that brings the community together and sheds those boundaries.
He realizes not many buildings can do that, which Waugh says is why he is so excited about this project.
Waugh hopes the new library will be pivotal in transforming the downtown core.
After opportunities for public engagement this year, design development will begin in 2022 followed by construction bids, and then it’s expected work on site at 321 2nd Avenue North will begin in the spring of 2023 with the doors open in 2026.

Waugh says Formline is one of only Indigenous architectural firms in the country.
The other two companies involved in this team are Chevalier Morales Architectes based out of Montreal and Architecture 49, which is a national firm.