HISTORY
A lot has changed since the formation of SAIT’s first Students’ Association in 1922. Enrolment was 811 students when the original SA was formed for the purpose of “promoting intellectual and physical improvement and a better social intercourse among the student body.” The eight governing members of the Association, including a President, Vice-President and Secretary, fulfilled their mandate by organizing a literary society, an athletic association and by hosting biweekly debates for students. The annual association fee was $2.

In 1926 the SA established The Emery Weal, a monthly publication that sold for five cents a copy.

In the years that followed, the Association toiled through financial losses during the Great Depression and temporary relocation to the Stampede Grounds during the Second World War when the government took over the campus as a wireless training base.

As new tensions developed between students and administration, SAIT’s first Students’ Council was formed in 1967 with representatives from each of the academic departments.
It was Council’s job to enhance communication between students and administration and to bolster school spirit alongside their Students’ Association co-workers.
Today, SAITSA is comprised of four elected executives, student councillors from each department and a diverse staff.

Through your Students’ Association fees, we offer services like Campus Safewalk and the Student Resource Centre; provide retail services at The Station Market, The Station Express and SAITSA Seconds used bookstore; publish the weekly campus newspaper, The Weal, yearbook and survival guide; operate The Gateway Restaurant and Bar; and organize and host events such as Welcome Week and a speaker’s series. Most importantly, the Students’ Association is here to make your experience at SAIT more enjoyable. We want to hear your concerns and your suggestions – our doors are always open to you.

ONLINE ARCHIVES
From 2010-2011, SAITSA undertook a project to compile a ‘wiki’ featuring information and photos from over the course of our long history. We consulted old yearbooks and archives of our student newspaper, The Weal, and picked out what we thought were the best bits. We welcome you to take a look through it and see how far we’ve come!