With over 100 years of history, the University of Saskatchewan is rich in curious and cozy corners just waiting for you to discover. Let the Sheaf take you on a trip around the lesser known areas of campus.

The Observatory

One of the oldest buildings on campus, the little Observatory has just turned 90 years old this past April. The little stone building houses a telescope inside the covered dome. Every Saturday night, the roof opens up when darkness settles over the campus. You can view the stars and planets or tour around the displays and learn a little something about the vast universe.

The view from the fifth floor agriculture

We all know the towering views of the Agriculture Building, a six-story giant with hundreds of windows. The natural light that filters in the building’s hallways are magical. Find a bench that faces the Bowl on the fifth floor and take a minute to have a birds-eye view of the campus. Find your way to the top on the unique pod-like elevators that allow you to watch your ascent. 

The bench behind the Biology Building

Next time you are walking through the Bowl, take the fork in the road that’s between the Thorvaldson and the Biology Building. A tiny oasis can be found nestled in a little patch of greenery behind the glass windows of the Museum of Natural Sciences. There is a bench, a large cascading tree that blossoms in early May and lots of green shrubbery that magpies like to nest in.

The oddities in the vet med building

You may have never set foot in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine that’s tucked behind the Agriculture Building. Built in the 1960s, vet med was part of an educational partnership that spanned several provinces. The building itself has its architectural quirks, including a long pedestrian ramp and a spiral staircase. 

But the best part of the building might be the curiosities and oddities that are scattered throughout the halls. You can find the skeletons of a horse, a goat and a cow in still repose, and cabinets  full of specimens of veterinary pathology — including a two-headed calf.

History in the Peter MacKinnon Building

The Peter MacKinnon Building has been called many things over its 106 years — the College Building, the Administration Building — while accumulating a lot of history along the way. If you take a minute to wander around the building, you will find names and dates engraved on the walls ranging from the influenza pandemic of 1918 to the war memorials of WWI. The old staircases have grooves worn into it from the feet of students that have climbed the steps over the past century.

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Erin Matthews / Opinions Editor

Photos: Erin Matthews / Opinions Editor