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Welcome to

Regina, SK

The Queen City

Runners, you have arrived in Regina, SK.

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Although it’s not the biggest city (that would be Saskatoon), it’s the cultural and commercial centre for Southern Saskatchewan. It is located right on the Trans-Canada Highway, making it the perfect stop on a Canada road trip.

Regina is in the heart of productive agricultural land, which requires lots of sunshine, so it was a natural choice when selecting between Regina and other Saskatchewan locales for the distinction of being named the capital city.

It originated as a hunters’ camp and was known as Pile O’Bones for the heaps of bones left after skinning and cutting buffalo. Capt. John Palliser, the explorer, visited the site in 1857 and called it Wascana (derived from its Cree Indian name, Oskana); with the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1882, it was renamed Regina that means “Queen” in Latin, in honor of Queen Victoria).

Regina is home to beautiful museums, historic districts, strong indigenous culture, a vibrant food scene, and of course, the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Saskatchewan is known for being the most passionate fans in the Canadian Football League.

Curling was named Saskatchewan’s official sport in 2001. Regina, in particular, has nurtured some of the greatest curlers of all time, including the Richardson brothers (they won four Canadian and World men’s championships in the late 1950s and early 1960s) and the iconic Sandra Schmirler.

One of the focal points of the city is Wascana Lake, the focal point of Wascana Centre. This beautiful area is a wonderful place to go for a walk, jog, or bike ride, featuring water fountains, bridges, trails, and tree cover. Additionally, it’s also home to some of the best things to do and see in Regina, including the Provincial Legislative Building, the University of Regina, the First Nations University of Canada, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the Regina Conservatory, the Saskatchewan Science Centre, the Mackenzie Art Gallery, and the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts.
The park is a world record holder. At 2,300 acres, Regina’s Wascana Centre park is bigger than Vancouver’s Stanley Park, and Central Park in New York City combined. Plus, it’s home to the world’s most giant Western Painted Turtle. Her name is Olga, and in 2015 her hard shell was measured to be a record-setting 10.47 inches long. And then there’s the Albert Street Memorial Bridge, on the western edge of the lake, said to be the longest bridge over the shortest span of water in the world.
For 132 years, Regina has been the location of Depot Division, the training facility where every single RCMP cadet goes to learn how to be a “Mountie.” You can even visit the training grounds and watch their incredible sunset ceremony during the summer months. Besides, right across the street is the RCMP Heritage Centre. The onsite RCMP Heritage Centre opened in 2007 to celebrate and commemorate Canada’s most prominent institutions by sharing the history and stories of the Mounties. The museum showcases many exhibits featuring various collections of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They’ve done a fantastic job incorporating artifacts, information, and interactive displays to please anyone from kids to adults. Some of the favourite exhibits include a police car simulator, and the “solve a crime” room.

The Regina Farmers’ Market was around way before locally sourced food was cool. Since 1975, local farmers have been selling their goods in town through the harvest season. Today, the market operates 10 months out of the year. More than 125 vendors are carefully selected to participate after completing a meticulous application process.

Regina seems like the perfect stop on The Big Canada Run to reset and recharge. Grab your badge, log your kilometers, and keep running!

Photo credits: Instagram @tourism_regina @skgoaway @nadiantoinette11@javajack @wascanacentre @jaredmjones @cdntourism

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