'You can't put a price on memories': Regina's Shumiatcher residence listed for sale

The "Shumiatcher residence," located on the corner of College Avenue and McIntyre Street, has been listed for sale.

The property is located at 2520 College Ave. Originally built as two separate houses 3ft apart, one home in 1911 and the other in 1920, amalgamated into one by the Shumiatchers in the early 80’s.

“[The main home] was purchased in the 50’s,” said real estate agent Murray Dollard. “When the property came up on the corner, the Shumiatchers bought that. They combined the two together and had two living quarters.”

The Shumiatchers were prominent members of the Regina community for decades.

Morris and Jacqueline “Jacqui” Shumiatcher were supporters the arts, notably of the Norman MacKenzie Art Gallery, Globe Theatre, and the Regina Symphony Orchestra. They also supported numerous individual artists and students through scholarships.

Jacqui was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2017 and received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 2001.

Morris Shumiatcher passed away in 2004 and Jacqui in February of 2021.

“They were just great people,” lifelong friend Noela Bamford told CTV News. “They had a lot to give to the community.”

Bamford rented what is known as ‘second home’ from the Shumiatchers before the combination. She credited herself with the idea to build the current go-between walkway to connect the homes when the original plan was to connect through a closet wall.

“But on the other side, they had Inuit carvings and they would have had to destroy the wall that displayed a lot of them in the bigger house,” she recalled.

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The Regina heritage book said ‘main home’ was one of the first constructed on the street. The structure itself is straight out of a storybook.

“You have a shaped roof that is rolled, you just don’t see that anymore,” said Dollard. “Some of the stained glass in here is from the 1800’s.”

Scaling over 4,000 square feet, each room has its own identity.

“Main home is a two storey with grand front entry, impressive living room with ceiling beams, Tyndal stone fireplace, tile flooring, wall bench overlooking front yard and a wall of shelving and cabinets,” the listing outlined. “Beautiful dining room with ceiling beams, loads of storage and a gorgeous window overlooking the backyard.”

Three wood fireplaces exist, although central heating and cooling has been retrofitted into the property.

“Second home is a bungalow with loads of character. Enter into the beautiful living room with brick fireplace and impressive built-in shelving. Bright sun room off living area,” the listed described.

Shelves that once held sculptures from around the world and walls with paintings hung on every inch possible are now bare. Rooms that hosted princes, governors and numerous dinner parties of distinguished guests, now empty.

But for Bamford, it is the little moments she remembers best.

“We would always help clean up after her dinner parties,” she said. “We would spend more time at the sink just looking out the window. It was wonderful.”

The home is listed for $1.295 million. But the friendship created in it is invaluable, according to Bamford.

“I feel really privileged having been a part of their lives,” she said. “They were such great friends. I really, really miss her.

“You can’t put a price on memories. To me, there no monetary value I could put on the friendship I had with Jacqui and Shumy,” she added.

Advocates for the property have been attempting to grant the home heritage status.

The property has been on the Heritage Regina Holding Bylaw list since 1989.