About
McFarland House
1911
Arnold Gray McFarland, Auditor for the CPR, purchased the property. His father, from New Brunswick, began building this house for Arnold and his bride, Helen G. Bowser, from Victoria Corner, New Brunswick.
1912
Building was completed, but not before a tornado ripped off the roof of the building and deposited it in what was to become the schoolyard of City Park Collegiate.
1912
Reginald Bowser McFarland was born in this house – the first of seven children raised in this house by the McFarlands.
Other interesting side-notes about Reginald:
McFarland Place in Arbor Creek, was named in his honour. He passed away Nov. 10, 2002 at age 90. He retired in June 1980 from his position as Professor of Music. He and his first wife Lucille contributed greatly to the U of S and musicals, as well as to the Saskatoon Symphony. Reginald later married Alice Turner, after whom a Saskatoon library was named.
1959
The Arnold McFarlands retired to Victoria and sold the house to John E. Barton, a retired farmer.
1976
After John Barton’s death in 1974, his wife, Eleanor (nee Perry), an American business woman (from Georgia or Virginia), sold the house to Hub City Agencies Ltd. and moved to Venice, Florida.
1976 – 2004
Hub City Agencies Ltd. operated their real estate company from this location until the retirement of the company owner.
April 2004
The property was sold to Deborah Black who restored the main floor and renovated the second floor for the use of her communications company, dblack.communications.
2006
Deborah Black received a Heritage Award from the City of Saskatoon for the restoration of the main floor and adaptive reuse of the second floor of the building
2011
The basement of the property was completely renovated and reinforced, and heated with radiant heat flooring. The facility was beautifully transformed into a centre for health and wellness, including Meditation, Breath work, and Yoga.
In recognition of its 100th anniversary, the property was named McFarland House, in honour of its first family.
Prairie Hospice Society also began at McFarland House in 2011; an initiative led by Deborah Black, Jennifer Keane, and Sharon Fyke. This Saskatoon community organization is committed to enhancing the quality of life of those facing advancing illness, death, and bereavement. Its mission is to ensure access to high quality end-of-life support and is modelled after a “hospice without walls” concept, providing trained volunteers to assist clients at the end of their life’s journey. The organization began to expand and relocated to the Community Service Village in 2021.
2022
Rooms were established on the second floor for practitioner spaces.
The Queen St Health Collective began operation after Covid as a way to support whole person health. Clients and students are encouraged to re-engage in community activities, social interaction, and to reconnect their minds with their bodies in healing ways. All three floors of the building are used to support this important work.