Regina

I

Introduction

Regina, city, capital of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, second largest city in the province next to Saskatoon. The Latin word regina means “queen,” and the city is sometimes called the Queen City of the Plains because of its location in the heart of Canada’s prairie region. Regina has a severe, dry climate, with cold winters and short summers, but is very well suited to growing wheat. The average daily temperature range in July is 12°C (53°F) to 26°C (79°F); the average January range is -22°C (-8°F) to -11°C (12°F). The average yearly precipitation is 364 mm (14.3 in).

II

People

Regina’s first growth period occurred after 1900, when large numbers of pioneer farmers moved onto the prairies. The city had more than 30,000 people in 1914 but did not experience rapid growth again until Canada’s great period of economic expansion in the 1950s and 1960s. By 1971 Regina’s population had reached 140,000. The city has grown more slowly since then. In 1981 the population was 162,986 for the city proper and 173,226 for the metropolitan area; in 2001 it was 178,225 for the city and 196,800 for the metropolitan area.

Regina has always been predominantly European in its ethnic composition. One-half of the city’s residents have some British ancestry, and about one-half of these (27 percent of the city’s residents) are entirely of British origin. Other large ethnic groups are those of German origin (12 percent) and Ukrainian origin (4 percent). Regina’s residents who belong to indigenous nations make up 7 percent of its population.

Poverty among indigenous people is perhaps Regina’s most urgent problem. Health and housing conditions are often poor, and there is a growing dependence on food banks and other welfare agencies, especially in the inner city where indigenous residents are concentrated. Rates of drug and alcohol addiction and violent crime are high. These problems are serious everywhere in western Canada, and the situation has worsened in recent years as a result of government cutbacks. (See Native Americans of North America.)

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III

City Landscape

Regina is a flat, nearly square city, occupying a land area of 114 sq km (44 sq mi) in a metropolitan land area of 3422 sq km (1321 sq mi). The city was largely shaped by railways, which divided it into three sectors. The northeastern sector is devoted to industry. The northwestern sector is chiefly residential but contains some important public facilities, including Mosaic Stadium, home to the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL; see Canadian Football); Exhibition Park, a large complex of exhibition buildings and sports facilities where Canada Cup Hockey events have been held; and the academy and museum of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), where all RCMP recruits receive their training. The third sector, which grew up around the downtown district, is located south of the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Most of the downtown office buildings date from the 1960s and 1970s, but a number of older buildings have survived and been restored. Among them are the original post office, which now houses the Globe Theatre (Regina’s principal theater company), and Union Station, which was converted into the Casino Regina. Victoria Square is an attractive downtown park.

South of downtown is Regina’s most notable feature, Wascana Centre. This 930-hectare (2,300-acre) area of parks and public buildings surrounds Wascana Lake, which was formed by damming Wascana Creek, Regina’s only natural stream. The Saskatchewan Legislative Building (where the provincial legislature convenes) is located in the centre, as are the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the MacKenzie Art Gallery, and the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts (where the Regina Symphony Orchestra performs). Several educational institutions are also located in the area: the University of Regina (1974), First Nations University of Canada (1976), and Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (1972).

Wascana Park’s recreational facilities, which include a waterfowl park and a bird sanctuary, are among the city’s attractions. The park is also a popular setting for community events, such as Pile O’ Bones Sunday, the opening event of the annual Buffalo Days Exhibition. The exhibition is a festival that includes rodeos, livestock shows, arts and crafts displays, and a parade. A major agricultural exhibition, the Canadian Western Agribition, is held in Regina each November.

IV

Economy

Regina is the principal trade, distribution, and service center for an agricultural region in which wheat and other farm products are grown. The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, a farmers’ cooperative begun in 1924 to help farmers get the best price for their wheat, has its headquarters in the city. The Wheat Pool is now the largest grain-handling firm in Canada. The city grew as a manufacturer of steel pipe and other steel products. Oil fields in the area have made oil refining an important part of the industrial economy. An oil pipeline cuts through the northern part of the city, connecting to the Regina terminal of Interprovincial Pipe Line; another major pipeline, from Edmonton to Montréal, passes just south of the city. Potash and salt are also mined nearby; they are shipped out to be used in the manufacture of fertilizer and other chemical products.

Regina is the primary financial center of the province and the seat of government and public administration. An important transportation center for southern Saskatchewan, Regina is located midway between Winnipeg and Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway and the transcontinental line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. A regional airport serves the city.

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