Regina, Saskatchewan

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture in Regina}}
Regina has a substantial cultural life in music, theatre and dance, supported by the fine arts constituency at the University of Regina, which has faculties of music, theatre and arts. At various times this has attracted notable artistic talent: the [[Regina Five]] were artists at Regina College (the university's predecessor) who gained national fame in the 1950s. The long-established [[MacKenzie Art Gallery]] once occupied cramped quarters adjacent to Darke Hall on the University of Regina College Avenue Campus; since relocated to a large building at the southwest corner of the provincial government site, at Albert Street near 23rd Avenue. [[Donald M. Kendrick]], [[Robert Boyer (artist)|Bob Boyer]] and [[Joe Fafard]], now with significant international reputations, have been other artists from or once in Regina.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}
[[File:The Conexus Arts Centre, Regina, SK.jpg|thumb|left|[[Conexus Arts Centre]] is a theatre complex and home to the [[Regina Symphony Orchestra]], the oldest continuously performing orchestra in Canada.]]
The Regina Symphony Orchestra, Canada's oldest continuously performing orchestra,<ref>[http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/regina_symphony_orchestra.html Kathleen Wall, "Regina Symphony Orchestra," ''Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112192008/http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/regina_symphony_orchestra.html |date=12 January 2008 }}. Retrieved 17 December 2007.</ref> performs in the [[Conexus Arts Centre|Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts]] (now the Conexus Arts Centre). Concerts and recitals are performed both by local and visiting musicians in the Centre of the Arts and assorted other auditoriums including the [[University of Regina]]. The Regina Conservatory of Music operates in the former girls' residence wing of the Regina College building.

The Regina Little Theatre began in 1926, and performed in Regina College before building its own theatre in 1981.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Saskatchewan |title=Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia |publisher=Canadiantheatre.com |date=15 January 2014 |access-date=14 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923200301/http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Saskatchewan |archive-date=23 September 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> Regina lacked a large concert and live theatre venue for many years after the loss to fire of the Regina Theatre in 1938 and the demolition of the 1906 City Hall in 1964 at a time when preservation of heritage architecture was not yet a fashionable issue. But until the demolition of downtown cinemas which doubled as live theatres the lack was not urgent, and Darke Hall on the Regina College campus of the university provided a small concert and stage venue.
[[File:Old Post Office .jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Prince Edward Building (Regina)|Prince Edward Building]] is home to [[Globe Theatre, Regina|Globe Theatre]], a professional theatre company.]]
Annual festivals in and near Regina through the year include the [[Regina International Film Festival]]; Cathedral Village Arts Festival; the Craven Country Jamboree;<ref>[http://www.cravencountryjamboree.com/ Craven Country Jamboree website.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217010844/http://www.cravencountryjamboree.com/ |date=17 December 2007 }}. Retrieved 20 December 2007.</ref> the [[Regina Folk Festival]];<ref>[http://www.reginafolkfestival.com/concertseries/ Regina Folk Festival website.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220022122/http://www.reginafolkfestival.com/concertseries/ |date=20 December 2007 }}. Retrieved 20 December 2007.</ref> [[Queen City Pride]]; the [[Queer City Cinema]] film festival; the Regina Dragon Boat Festival;<ref>[http://www.dragonboat.regina.sk.ca/ Regina Dragon Boat Festival Homepage.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208034936/http://www.dragonboat.regina.sk.ca/ |date=8 December 2007 }}. Retrieved 20 December 2007.</ref> and Mosaic, mounted by the Regina Multicultural Council,<ref>[http://www.reginamulticulturalcouncil.ca/ Regina Multicultural Council homepage.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060213180819/http://www.reginamulticulturalcouncil.ca/ |date=13 February 2006 }}. Retrieved 20 December 2007.</ref> which earned Heritage Canada's designation of 2004 "Cultural Capital of Canada" (in the over 125,000 population category).<ref>[http://www.reginamulticulturalcouncil.ca/mosaic.htm Regina Multicultural Council: Mosaic.]. Retrieved 17 July 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221054143/http://www.reginamulticulturalcouncil.ca/mosaic.htm |date=21 December 2008 }}</ref> The annual [[Kiwanis]] Music Festival affords rising musical talents the opportunity to achieve nationwide recognition. The city's summer agricultural exhibition was originally established in 1884 as the Assiniboia Agricultural Association, then from the mid-1960s and up until 2009 as Buffalo Days<ref>[http://www.ipscoplace.com/association.aspx?p=history Ipsco Place website, "History."]. Retrieved 11 December 2006. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212175802/http://www.ipscoplace.com/association.aspx?p=history |date=12 December 2007 }}</ref>  then from that time until today, the Queen City Ex.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://leaderpost.com/touch/regina+buffalo+days+gets+name+queen+city/1771934/story.html|title=Regina's Buffalo Days gets a new name: Queen City Ex|last=Maciag|first=Samantha|work=leaderpost.com|access-date=18 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818135126/http://www.leaderpost.com/touch/regina+buffalo+days+gets+name+queen+city/1771934/story.html|archive-date=18 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

This was remedied in 1970 with the construction of the [[Conexus Arts Centre|Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts]] (now the Conexus Arts Centre) as a [[Canadian Centennial]] project, a theatre and concert hall complex overlooking Wascana Lake which is one of the most acoustically perfect concert venues in North America;<ref>[http://www.conexusartscentre.ca/ Conexus Arts Centre ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706173500/http://www.conexusartscentre.ca/ |date=6 July 2011 }}. Retrieved 17 July 2007.</ref> it is home to the Regina Symphony Orchestra (Canada's oldest continuously performing orchestra<ref>[http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/regina_symphony_orchestra.html Kathleen Wall, "Regina Symphony Orchestra," ''Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112192008/http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/regina_symphony_orchestra.html |date=12 January 2008 }}. Retrieved 17 December 2007.</ref>), Opera Saskatchewan and New Dance Horizons, a contemporary dance company.<ref>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/regina ''Encyclopedia of Canada''. "Regina: Cultural Life."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925035435/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/regina/#h3_jump_8 |date=25 September 2017 }}. Retrieved 17 July 2007.</ref> The [[Royal Saskatchewan Museum]] (the present 1955 structure a Saskatchewan Golden Jubilee project<ref name="Stewart">{{cite web| url=http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/royal_saskatchewan_museum.html |author=Iain Stewart |title=Royal Saskatchewan Museum |website=Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007000742/http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/royal_saskatchewan_museum.html |archive-date=October 7, 2017}}</ref>) dates from 1906.<ref name="Stewart" /> The [[Prince Edward Building (Regina)|old Post Office]] at Scarth Street and 11th Avenue, temporarily used as a city hall after the demolition of the 1906 City Hall, is now home to the [[Globe Theatre, Regina|Globe Theatre]], founded in 1966 as "Saskatchewan's first professional theatre since 1927."<ref>[http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/globe_theatre.html Mary Blackstone, "Globe Theatre," ''Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112184621/http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/globe_theatre.html |date=12 January 2008 }}. Retrieved 17 December 2007.</ref> [[Holy Rosary Cathedral (Regina)|Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Cathedral]]<ref>[http://www.uquebec.ca/musique/orgues/canada/hrosaryr.html Thomas Chase, "Casavant, Opus 1409, 1930/1993.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090102233437/http://www.uquebec.ca/musique/orgues/canada/hrosaryr.html |date=2 January 2009 }}. Retrieved 11 December 2007.</ref> and [[Knox-Metropolitan United Church (Regina, Saskatchewan)|Knox-Metropolitan United Church]] have particularly impressive [[Casavant Frères]] pipe organs, maintain substantial musical establishments and are frequently the venues for choral concerts and organ recitals.

The [[Regina Public Library]] is a citywide library system with nine branches. Its facilities include the RPL Film theatre which plays non-mainstream cinema, the Dunlop Art Gallery, special literacy services and a prairie history collection.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.reginalibrary.ca/ |title=Regina Public Library website |publisher=Reginalibrary.ca |access-date=14 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320155646/http://www.reginalibrary.ca/ |archive-date=20 March 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[MacKenzie Art Gallery]] in Wascana Centre and the Dunlop Art Gallery have permanent collections and sponsor travelling exhibitions.<ref>J. William Brennan, [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/regina "Regina,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925035435/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/regina/ |date=25 September 2017 }} ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. Retrieved 19 November 2007.</ref> The Saskatchewan Archives and the Saskatchewan Genealogical Library also offer information for those interested in the people of Saskatchewan.

===Parks and attractions===
Regina has a substantial proportion of its overall area dedicated as parks and green spaces, with biking paths, cross-country skiing venues, and other recreational facilities throughout the city. Wascana Lake, the venue for summer boating activities, is regularly cleared of snow in winter for skating, and there are toboggan runs both in Wascana Centre and downstream on the banks of Wascana Creek. [[Victoria Park, Regina|Victoria Park]] is in the central business district and numerous green spaces throughout the residential subdivisions and subdivisions in the north and west of the city contain large ornamental ponds to add interest to residential precincts such as Rochdale, Lakewood, Lakeridge, Spruce Meadows, and Windsor Park. Older school playing fields throughout the city have also been converted into landscaped parks.<ref>See city map at [http://maps.google.com.au/maps?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tab=wl Google Maps.]. Retrieved 12 December 2007.</ref>
[[File:Buildings in Downtown Regina as seen from Victoria Park.jpg|thumb|left|[[Victoria Park, Regina|Victoria Park]] is a public park located in the centre of Regina's  [[central business district]].]]
The city operates five municipal golf courses, including two in King's Park northeast of the city. Kings Park Recreation facility is also home to ball diamonds, picnic grounds, and stock car racing. Within half an hour's drive are the summer cottage and camping country and winter ski resorts in the [[Qu'Appelle Valley]] with Last Mountain and Buffalo Pound Lakes and the four [[Fishing Lakes]] of Pasqua, Echo, Mission and Katepwa; slightly farther east are Round and Crooked Lakes, also in the Qu'Appelle Valley, and to the southeast the [[Kenosee Lake]] cottage country.

[[Wascana Centre]] is a {{cvt|9.3|km2}} park built around Wascana Lake and designed in 1961 by [[Minoru Yamasaki]] — the Seattle-born architect best known as the designer of the original [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] in New York – in tandem with his starkly [[modernist]] design for the new [[Regina Campus]] of the [[University of Saskatchewan]].<ref>[http://www.nyc-architecture.com/GON/GON001G.htm Fletcher, Tom. "The Work of Minoru Yamasaki," ''New York Architecture Images and Notes''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070317103511/http://www.nyc-architecture.com/GON/GON001G.htm |date=17 March 2007 }}. Retrieved 11 December 2007.</ref> Wascana Lake was created as a "stock watering hole" — for the [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]]'s [[rolling stock]], that is – in 1883 when a dam and bridge were constructed 1½ blocks to the west of the present [[Albert Memorial Bridge (Regina, Saskatchewan)|Albert Street Bridge]]. A new dam and bridge were built in 1908, and Wascana Lake was used as a domestic water source, to cool the city's power plant and, in due course, for the new provincial legislative building.<ref name="Riddell, W. A. 1962">Riddell, W. A. ''The Origin and Development of Wascana Centre''. Regina, 1962.</ref>
[[File:Regina skyline from Wascana Park.jpg|thumb|[[Wascana Centre]] is a {{cvt|9.3|km2}} provincially operated park built around Wascana Lake.]]
By the 1920s, with Boggy Creek as a source of domestic water and wells into the aquifer under Regina, Wascana Lake had ceased to have a utilitarian purpose and had become a primarily recreational facility, with bathing and boating its principal uses. It was drained in the 1930s as part of a government relief project; 2,100 men widened and dredged the lake bed and created two islands using only hand tools and horse-drawn wagons.<ref name="Riddell, W. A. 1962"/>

During the fall and winter of 2003–2004, Wascana Lake was again [[Big Dig (Regina, Saskatchewan)|drained and dredged]] to deepen it while adding a new island, a promenade area beside Albert Street Bridge, water fountains, and a waterfall to help aerate the lake.<ref>[http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/big_dig.html Dagmar Skamlová, "Big Dig," ''Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081225185755/http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/big_dig.html |date=25 December 2008 }}. Retrieved 11 December 2007.</ref>

Downstream from Wascana Lake, Wascana Creek continues to provide a lush parkland on its increasingly intensively developed perimeter; in the northwest quadrant of the city Wascana Creek has a second weir with a smaller reservoir in A.E. Wilson Park.

====Visitor attractions====
{{Main|Visitor attractions in Regina}}
Regina is a travel destination for residents of southeastern Saskatchewan and the immediately adjacent regions of the neighbouring US states of North Dakota and Montana, and an intermediate stopping point for travellers on the Trans-Canada Highway. Tourism is promoted by [[Tourism Regina]]. Attractions for visitors in Regina include:
[[File:Regina Museum (natural history and indigenous persons).jpg|thumb|The [[Royal Saskatchewan Museum]] is a provincial museum and attraction located in Regina.]]
[[File:Casino Regina.jpg|thumb|Located within the former [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] station, [[Casino Regina]] is a casino operated by [[Sask Gaming]].]]
* [[Wascana Centre]], a {{cvt|9.3|km2}} park around Wascana Lake bringing together lands containing government, recreational, cultural, educational and environmental buildings and facilities.
* [[Victoria Park, Regina|Victoria Park]] in downtown Regina offers the Regina Folk Festival and other outdoor festivities including the nearby Farmers Market in the summertime.
* the [[Royal Saskatchewan Museum]] (a museum of natural history);
* the [[Saskatchewan Science Centre]], housed in the 1914 Powerhouse on east Wascana Lake;
* the Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery<ref>[http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/art/galleries-mackenzie.html Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717051133/http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/art/galleries-mackenzie.html |date=17 July 2007 }}. Retrieved 26 December 2007.</ref> and numerous smaller galleries and museums;
* [[Holy Rosary Cathedral (Regina)|the Roman Catholic cathedral]] on 13th Avenue in the West End, but also perhaps to a somewhat lesser extent the [[St. Paul's Cathedral (Regina, Saskatchewan)|Anglican cathedral]] in downtown Regina and the [[Romanian Orthodox]] cathedral on Victoria Avenue in the East End;
* the [[Hotel Saskatchewan]] first opened by the CPR has accommodated royalty on numerous occasions and still maintains the ambiance of a bygone time
* [[Knox-Metropolitan United Church (Regina, Saskatchewan)|Knox-Metropolitan United Church]] on Victoria Park in downtown Regina: the surviving downtown congregation of the United Church (Metropolitan Methodist and the now demolished or closed Knox, Carmichael and St Andrew's United Churches, previously Presbyterian, were its antecedents or now-defunct daughter congregations) with the largest pipe organ in Regina;
* the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] (RCMP) [[RCMP Academy, Depot Division|national training centre]] and the [[RCMP Heritage Centre|museum]];
* [[Government House (Saskatchewan)|Government House]], where regular tours are available, conducted by guides in "period" costume and the [[Lieutenant-Governor]] holds an annual [[New Year's levee|levée]] on New Year's Day;
* [[Casino Regina]], in the old Union Station;
* the [[Globe Theatre, Regina|Globe Theatre]] in the [[Prince Edward Building (Regina)|Old Post Office]] building on the Scarth Street Mall;
* events held at [[Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field|Mosaic Stadium]] sports stadium and the [[Conexus Arts Centre|Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts]];
* REAL District, formerly [[Evraz Group|Evraz]] Place<ref>[http://www.evrazplace.com Evraz Place] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202160428/http://www.evrazplace.com/ |date=2 February 2011 }}. Retrieved 18 March 2009.</ref> (formerly Ipsco Place, previously Regina Exhibition Park), the venue for the annual Queen City Ex (formerly Buffalo Days Exhibition)<ref>[http://www.buffalodays.ca/ Buffalo Days website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015203148/http://www.buffalodays.ca/ |date=15 October 2008 }}. Retrieved 18 March 2009.</ref> summer agricultural fair every August; and
* the [[Canadian Western Agribition]],<ref>[http://www.agribition.com/ Canadian Western Agribition website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202165048/http://agribition.com/ |date=2 February 2011 }}. Retrieved 26 December 2007.</ref> a winter agricultural show and marketplace every November.

The former large-scale Children's Day Parade and Travellers' Day Parade during Fair Week in the summer, which were substantially supported by the [[Freemasonry|Masons]] and [[Shriners]], has become the fair parade as such service clubs have lost vitality; the Regina Exhibition's travelling midway divides its time among other western Canadian and US cities. A [[Santa Claus]] parade is now mounted during the lead-up to Christmas.

===Sports===
[[File:Mosaic Stadium Exterior.jpg|thumb|Located at Evraz Place, [[Mosaic Stadium]] is an open-air stadium that is the home arena for the [[Canadian Football League|CFL]]'s [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]].]]
The [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] of the [[Canadian Football League]] play their home games at [[Mosaic Stadium]] in Regina. Formed in 1910 as the Regina Rugby Club and renamed the Regina Roughriders in 1924 and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1946,<ref>[http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/saskatchewan_roughriders.html Daria Coneghan, "Saskatchewan Roughriders, ''Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723185917/http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/saskatchewan_roughriders.html |date=23 July 2012 }}. Retrieved 17 December 2007.</ref> the "Riders" are a community-owned team with a loyal fan base; out-of-town [[season ticket]] holders often travel {{cvt|300|-|400|km}} or more to attend home games.<ref>[http://www.saskriders.com/modules.php?name=News&file=bleedinggreen&f_subcat=legacy_stories Riderville | The Official site of the 2007 Grey Cup Champions]  
 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070818184211/http://www.saskriders.com/modules.php?name=News&file=bleedinggreen&f_subcat=legacy_stories |date=18 August 2007 }}</ref> The team has won the [[Grey Cup]] on four occasions, in 1966, 1989,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://78mph.com/2015/10/1989-and-the-grey-cup-in-toronto/ |title=Maureen O'Shea, "1989 and the Grey Cup in Toronto" |date=29 October 2015 |access-date=29 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030021153/http://78mph.com/2015/10/1989-and-the-grey-cup-in-toronto/ |archive-date=30 October 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> 2007, and 2013.<ref>Canadian Football League: [https://www.cfl.ca/page/his_greycup Grey Cup Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016154234/http://www.cfl.ca/page/his_greycup |date=16 October 2015 }} Retrieved 4 March 2009</ref> Regina is also home to a successful women's football team, the [[Regina Riot (football)|Regina Riot]] of the [[Western Women's Canadian Football League]]. The Riot have won three league championships, in 2015, 2017, and 2018.

Other sports teams in Regina include the four-time [[Memorial Cup]] champion [[Regina Pats]] of the [[Western Hockey League]], the [[Regina Thunder]] of the [[Canadian Junior Football League]], the [[Saskatchewan Prairie Fire|Prairie Fire]] of the [[Rugby Canada Super League]], the [[Regina Red Sox]] of the [[Western Canadian Baseball League]], and the University of Regina's [[Regina Cougars]]/[[Regina Rams]] of [[U Sports]]. Regina is also where all Water Polo players from Saskatchewan centralize, Regina's team being Water Polo Armada.

Regina's curling teams have distinguished the city for many decades. Richardson Crescent commemorates the [[Ernie Richardson (curler)|Richardson curling]] team of the 1950s. In recent years Olympic Gold medal winner [[Sandra Schmirler]] and her rink occasioned vast civic pride; the Sandra Schmirler Leisure Centre in east Regina commemorates her. Regina held the [[1973 Air Canada Silver Broom|1973]], [[1983 Air Canada Silver Broom|1983]], and [[2011 World Men's Curling Championship]]. The city has two curling clubs: The [[Caledonian Curling Club|Caledonian]] and the [[Highland Curling Club|Highland]].

North-east of the city lies [[Kings Park Speedway]], a ⅓-mile paved oval used for [[stock car racing]] since the late 1960s. Regina hosted the [[Western Canada Summer Games]] in 1975, and again in 1987, as well as being the host city for the 2005 [[Canada Games|Canada Summer Games]]. Regina also held the 2014 [[North American Indigenous Games]].