Saskatoon, considered by many to be a charmingly scenic but sleepy ?community, was for most of its existence overshadowed by the country?s more glamorous urban centres. But times are changing for this prairie city of 270,000, with an economic reversal of fortune that has enticed both former residents to return and newcomers to settle, attracting substantial ?investment from outside the province. In fact, Saskatoon is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, supporting a flourishing entrepreneurial culture that has spawned the typical hallmarks of big-city sophistication such as boutique hotels and locavore-inspired restaurants and cafés.
Part of this story of transformation is the remarkable Remai Modern, which officially opened to the public on October 21, 2017. Saskatoon?s new civic art gallery replaces its much-loved but much-smaller predecessor, the Mendel Art Gallery, and occupies another waterfront site further down the South Saskatchewan River. It is the latest addition to River Landing, ?a phased development that takes into account Raymond Moriyama?s Meewasin River Valley 100-year conceptual master plan of 1978, which sought to balance conservation and development along 80 square kilometres ?of riverbank in Saskatoon and surrounding area. The unfortunate demolition of a number of historically significant buildings began as early ?as 1989, but did eventually pave the way for a revitalized South Downtown precinct with new office, retail and cultural facilities, a...