VIDEO: The Saskatoon Club opens its doors for a glimpse inside

If the walls of The Saskatoon Club could talk, stories and secrets spanning more than a century would be spilled.

The members-only club has been discreetly operating within the heart of the bridge city for 117 years.

The heritage property, located on 21st Street East, recently underwent a renovation, adding a wine cellar to the list of amenities members can access.

650 CKOM was invited in to give the public a glance at the inner workings of the historical guild.

Watch: Inside Saskatoon’s historic members-only club

Since its inception, the club has faced many adversities, including the Great Depression, two World Wars, and a global pandemic.

Through it all, The Saskatoon Club has steadfastly remained.

“We’ve been here for 100 years, and we’ll be here for the next 100,” said Executive Director Sarah Buettner.

An old club in a modern world

When you walk through the front door of The Saskatoon Club today, the air is no longer heavy with lingering cigar smoke, but the aura of opulence and intrigue surrounding the building envelops you as you walk up the grand steps and push the visitors’ doorbell.

The organization is incredibly proud of its headquarters, and takes great care in preserving the building.

“We’ve had to replace carpet, we’ve had to replace a lot of lipstick things, but the structure of the building is almost completely the same,” Buettner said.

The club has undergone a handful of renovations over the years, including the addition of an elevator in 1999 to make the building accessible to all members.

A renovation this year included the addition of The Sanford Cellar, a wine cellar where members can host private tastings and small events. Complete with a sommelier and wine lockers for members, the new space has added another level of grandeur to the club.

The Saskatoon Club, located on 21st Street East in downtown Saskatoon, recently underwent a renovation, adding a wine cellar to the list of amenities members can access. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

Today, the club has 599 members, a huge leap from the 40 it began with in 1907.

The initial entrance fee to join ranges from $750 to $3,000. Monthly dues are between $100 and $220. Access to the athletic facility is available at an additional cost.

Today’s members have a bit more flexibility when it comes to their attire.

“We do still have a dress code in the building, but it’s a lot more lenient than it has historically been,” Buettner said. “We don’t allow hats of ripped jeans, but unscuffered runners are allowed. Tracksuits are allowed now as long as they are clean and pressed.”

Originally constructed in 1911, The Saskatoon Club is a municipal heritage building. (Saskatoon Public Library)

Privacy and code of conduct

While many aspects of the club have evolved over time, one key pillar endures.

“One of the biggest focuses we’ve always had is privacy,” Buettner said. “We have a really clear member code of conduct that says it’s a safe space and that you can have conversations about contracts and things that if people overhear you, it won’t get out. It’s always a place you can count on. Our staff sign pretty clear NDAs and always have. Confidentiality is important, and everybody who works here understands the name of the game.”

That confidentiality has stood the test of time, with staff at the club hesitant to directly comment on significant meetings held or deals made within the establishment.

While Buettner wasn’t willing to name any of the specific politicians or celebrities who have visited the club, she said many recognizable figures have walked through the hallowed halls.

“We used to give an honourary membership to every premier, every mayor, and every prime minister,” Buettner said. “Quite a few of them have visited the club. When you have very important people coming to town that need a safe space where they’re not going to get bugged, people bring them here.”

While the exclusivity and secrecy surrounding the members-only club is part of the mystique, Buettner said they are always happy to open their doors to curious members of the public.

“We’re always approachable. We have people who walk in all the time that are like ‘What is this building?’ And we’ll give them a tour.”

The vision for The Saskatoon Club was based off of British gentleman’s clubs, a centuries old tradition where prominent men — including businessmen, politicians, doctors, and other men with influence — could privately gather. Men would bring their wives into the building through the side door after 4:00 p.m., once the business meetings had wrapped. (Submitted)

The history of The Saskatoon Club

The Saskatoon Club has been around nearly as long as the city itself.

Saskatoon became a city in 1906, and the club was founded the very next year.

The vision for the club was based off of British gentleman’s clubs, a centuries old tradition where prominent men — including businessmen, politicians, doctors, and other men with influence — could privately gather.

The names of several of the founding members would be recognizable to anyone familiar with Saskatoon roadways: Clinkskill, Ashworth, and Sutherland.

The club settled in its current headquarters in 1912.

The group settled in their very first headquarters in July 1907, a property on Spadina Crescent decorated with intricately patterned wallpapers, ornate woodwork, and the most luxurious furnishings available. Two years later, for reasons unknown, the Club moved to a location on 2nd Avenue South, but another move was in the club’s near future. It settled into its current headquarters on 21st Street East in 1912. (Submitted)

While much of the club’s history is grand and illustrious, many stories from members hint at unscrupulous behaviour within the walls of the establishment.

“Judges coming over to the back door and whispering ‘Hey, by the way, there’s a raid coming. Hide all the bootlegged alcohol!'” Buettner said with a laugh, adding that it’s quite well known that the side door of the club was used in a bootlegging operation during prohibition.

In the memoir ‘Angus McClaskey Remembers,’ former Crown Prosecutor Angus McClaskey recalled a defendant in the 1920s who had his sentence reduced for running an illegal gambling house by politely reminding the judge that The Saskatoon Club ran three poker games a week.

The judge, who was a member at the club, fined the defendant one dollar — less than $15 today.

British gentlemen’s clubs were the main inspiration in the design of The Saskatoon Club, and one of the architects even travelled to England to bring back materials. (Saskatoon Public Library)

Women in The Saskatoon Club

For more than 80 years, The Saskatoon Club remained a gentleman’s club. No women were allowed to become members.

While it was publicly known that no dogs were allowed within the club, there was no official rule that women and children were not permitted inside.

As a result, club members would bring their wives and children in through the side door after 4:00 p.m. — once the day’s business meetings had wrapped.

As the decades went by, the debate surrounding female membership became contentious.

The first official vote on whether to allow women to join The Saskatoon Club took place in April 1989. The ballots were counted three times before it was declared a tie: 64 to 64. A second vote was held seven months later, and the motion passed. (Saskatoon Public Library)

The first official vote took place in April 1989. The ballots were counted three times before it was declared a tie: 64 to 64.

The board chose to hold off on another vote — a decision that caused an uproar.

Articles in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix from the time state that a handful of groups, including the City of Saskatoon and the Saskatchewan Medical Association, cancelled their memberships until their female members were permitted to join.

A second vote was held seven months later, and the motion passed.

“The six women who were involved in that board meeting then are all still members now,” Buettner said.

The Saskatoon Club, a club once accused of antiquated attitudes, has since become a hub for members of Saskatoon’s business community regardless of gender.

The first female president of The Saskatoon Club was Shelley Brown in 2004. Since then there have been four other female presidents, and today’s board consists of a 50/50 mix of men and women.

Buettner, who has run the club since 2021, looked around the grand dining room with an air of satisfaction and pride as she reflected on all of the women who came before her, and all of those who will follow.

Sarah Buettner has been the Executive Director of The Saskatoon Club since 2021. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

–With files from 650 CKOM’s Alex Brown