The Protestant Home for Children
Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada
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At a meeting in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1919, the Grand Orange Lodge of Saskatchewan was offered a 26-acre site on the eastern boundary of Indian Head to establish a Protestant orphanage.
On July 12th, that same year, the Indian Head Orange Lodge received $1334.98 in donations to start developing the “Orange Home” to care for dependent children. Architects Storey and Van Egmond designed the buildings. The cornerstone for Pavilion #1 (later the girl’s dormitory), was laid on September 3rd, 1923, near McKay Street. The first children to come to the home were a family of six from Prince Albert. Pavilion #2 for the boys opened in November of 1924 and included the dining room. The home could now house 72 children. In 1930, a laundry was built in Pavilion #1 and, in Pavilion #2, a root cellar needed to store garden produce. In 1949, an underground tunnel was built to connect the pavilions. Pavilion #1 was closed in 1981 and leased as a day care. In 1999, the girl’s dormitory was demolished to make room for Hayes Haven, which opened in 2000, with Aline Railton as first resident. At that time, the tunnel that had led to the gymnasium was filled in. A second (north) wing for Hayes Haven was completed the following year (2001), allowing for a total of 21 units. The Orange Home’s service to youngsters came to an end in June 2006. When Ben Friesen bought property that included the boy’s dorm that same year, he had the remainder of the tunnel sealed up. An auction including chattels and furniture from the former Orange Home was held in 2007. |
Protestant Home for Children in Indian Head, Saskatchewan, circa 1925.
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Where is Indian Head, Saskatchewan?