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Although Regina may be known as the Queen City since it was named after
Queen Victoria, it may also have received that nickname because you feel
like you're getting the royal welcome every time you visit the city. Located
in the heart of the world's biggest breadbasket, Regina offers relaxed
rural charm and genuine hospitality that makes us famous throughout the
country.
Founded in 1882, Regina was once home to the Plains Indians, who used
this site as one of the most productive buffalo kill sites of the treeless
southern plains. Over the years, the city has grown and prospered and
today Regina is a cosmopolitan centre of business, industry and government.
The city is a testament to the tireless efforts of the pioneers who envisioned
a great, green oasis on the prairies. These pioneers handplanted every
tree in the city and now residents have to drive well beyond the city
limits to remind themselves that they live on the prairies.
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It doesn't matter how you arrive in Regina, your reception will always
be the same. Fun. Friendly. Festive. We take pride in the way we meet
and greet visitors. Our hotel and restaurant service is first class. Volunteers
are readily available to help with any phase of a major meeting or event.
In fact, we're the volunteer capital of Canada - one of every two residents
in the province is a volunteer! |
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No other city in Canada can lay claim to being the Home of the world-famous
Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The RCMP brought law and order to the West
and won the respect of a nation. The history of our city parallels the
history of the RCMP. Recruits from across the country still conduct their
training here and their museum is one of the top tourist attractions in
Canada. |
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Perhaps a quiet walk is more to your liking. Then how does 2,300 acres
of green, tree-lined park with miles of pathways, surrounded by some of
the city's most famous buildings sound? It's called Wascana Centre and
it offers all kinds of sports, leisure and entertainment opportunities.
In fact it is home to some of the top attractions in the province such
as Waskimo Winter Festival, Regina International Children's Festival,
and the Dragon Boat Races. It can also serve as a great meeting venue
with private meetings on Willow Island, barbecue sites and playground
equipment.
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Regina is also the home of a vibrant cultural community. The Regina Symphony
Orchestra is the oldest continuously performing orchestra in Canada, and
it makes its home in one of the country's most acoustically perfect theatres
- the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts. The Trial of Louis Riel, held annually
at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, is one of the longest running dramas in
North America. You can also choose from live theatre, jazz concerts, and
the broadest array of native and ethnic cultural programs anywhere.
If it's shopping you're interested in, you've come to the right place.
We have all the major retailers and hundreds of smaller shops offering
all kinds of unique merchandise and services. Don't forget to stroll by
Regina's Farmers Market during the summer and pick up a fresh loaf of
bread or apple pie. And if you're really interested in discovering where
you can find those one-of-a-kind gifts, take a walk along 13th Avenue
in the city's Cathedral district, where you'll find everything from antiques
to bagels to glass wheat sheaves.
The number of dining establishments in Regina is probably our best kept
secret. With more than 300 outlets, you're sure to find whatever pleases
your palate. And if you're looking for nightlife, we've got it all - theatre,
dancing, cabarets, country or any other kind of nightlife to make your
stay enjoyable.
For the sport fans, take in a game with "the world's
greatest fans" at Taylor Field and the Saskatchewan Roughriders football
club. Watch end-to-end hockey action with the Regina Pats in the Agridome.
As well, there many golf courses, an Olympic-sized pool at the Sportplex,
courts for all net games, biking and hiking trails and darts and pool
halls.
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Although Regina has grown, it has not forgotten its heritage. Make sure
you visit the splendour of Government House, the original home of the
Lieutenant Governor and often referred to as "a symbol of the Empire".
Take a tour of the breathtaking Legislative Building, or witness the birth
of the city in the Regina Plains Museum, located in the Old Post Office
Building. Visit the stately residences and university buildings along
College Avenue. Explore the pioneer home of the former Prime Minister
John Diefenbaker and don't miss a visit to our fabulous art galleries
and shopping centres.
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In the days when huge herds of buffalo roamed the northern plains, a
place in what was to become Saskatchewan had gained fame among the First
Nations hunters. The place was ideally suited for construction of a buffalo
"pound" - a large corral into which buffalo were herded to be
killed. The site also had an abundance of water and level ground for drying
the buffalo meat.
The Cree Indians, who came to this place to hunt buffalo, believed that
buffalo would not leave the bones of other dead buffalo. As long as there
were bones there, buffalo would be plentiful and the hunting good. Therefore,
the Cree piled buffalo bones in a huge pile, six feet high and 40 feet
in diameter.
The site and the surrounding area became famous for these
bones. The Cree Indians called it Oskana ka-asateki "the bones that
are piled together." The first settlement at the site was called
"Pile O' Bones," though other names for the area, such as Bone
Creek and Manybones, were also used. In 1857 the explorer Captain James
Palliser heard the Cree word for the region and named the creek "Wascana,"
as it is still known.
Several names, including "Leopold," were proposed for the new
town. The name was originally suggested by Princess Louise, wife of the
Governor General. She chose the name "Regina" to honour her
mother, Queen Victoria, who was reigning at the time.
On March 27, 1883, the Governer General issued an order-in-council moving
the territorial capital from Battleford to Regina.
Construction of the headquarters of the North West Mounted Police barracks
started in 1882. At that time it has been ten years since the force was
formed. The Mounted Police had been preoccupied by Sitting Bull's presence
in the Cypress Hills and had headquarters located at Fort Walsh. As more
people moved into the west with the railways, strong policing became more
important. The headquarters was moved to Regina after problems with Sitting
Bull and the whisky traders ended.
The North West Mounted Police became the Royoal Canadian Mounted Police,
the world's most recognized and respected police force. Their headquarters
moved to Ottawa in 1920, but the RCMP training academy is still in Regina
and Recruits from across Canada aer taught modern police methods. The
RCMP Centennial Museum at the Academy draws thousands of visitors each
year. There they learn the proud history of the force. Regina's oldest
existing building, the RCMP Chapel was built in 1882 as The Mess Hall
and features attractive commemorative stained glass windows.
The RCMP continues to be a vital force in the community. In 1996 the
training academy name was returned to its historic designation - "
Depot Devision." The Division now trains police from other countries,
such as Haiti. As well, a new forensic laboratory opened in 1996. |
Plains Indians are credited with originating the name Saskatchewan. Their
word was "kisiskatchewan" - meaning the river that flows swiftly
- in reference to the most important waterway running through their territory.
Saskatchewan covers 651,900 square kilometres - more than a quarter million
square miles. Half the province is covered by forest, one third is farmland
and one-eighth is fresh water.
Saskatchewan is home to a million people, many with family roots in Europe,
Russia, Scandinavia and the British Isles'. Although the province is depedent
on the farm economy, two-thirds of its people live in cities and towns.
Saskatchewan is located in the heart of North America, neighbouring the
provinces of Manitoba and Alberta. To the south it borders the American
states of Montana and North Dakota.
Just over one
million residents
Regina - Population: approximately
300,000
Cypress Hills - 1,392m
(4,566 ft) above sea level
North and South Saskatchewan,
Assiniboine, Churchill - all empty into Hudson Bay
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