Varsity View

Established in the early 1900s, Varsity View is a long-standing and dynamic neighbourhood located in central Saskatoon. It offers an incredible location, a population of about 3,600, and an average home price of over $514,000.

Development was spurred by the establishment of the University of Saskatchewan in 1907. The land for the Varsity View neighbourhood was annexed by the city in 1911; it was among the first parcels of land annexed after Saskatoon's incorporation five years earlier.

In 1911, the school board purchased the block in which the Albert School would be constructed; it opened in 1912 at 610 Clarence Avenue South. Besides serving as an educational centre, Albert School played a big role in city sports, especially lacrosse and hockey. It was also used for other purposes, such as English classes for large numbers of Ukrainians in 1916.

According to a 1913 map, the current neighbourhood encompasses a collection of registered subdivisions that were originally named University Annex, Bottomley Addition, Varsity Park and College Park. College Drive and Elliott Street were not substantially developed until the late 1920s while neighbouring Osler Street had to wait for residential construction until the early 1950s.

The majority of the housing stock was built between 1946 and 1960. The oldest homes are located at the neighbourhood's north and west ends, as development progressed from the university campus and Nutana's eastern edge. Two more schools, Brunskill and Bishop Murray, opened in the 1950s.

After more than seventy years, a drop in enrollments brought the closing of Albert School in 1978, after which it served as the centre for l'Ecole Francaise de Saskatoon. It became the Albert Community Centre in 1982, sparing it from the wrecking ball. It was officially designated a municipal heritage property on October 11, 1983.