Regina stands out like an oasis in the middle of the Canadian prairie desert. The capital city of the province of Saskatchewan has 180,000 of the province’s 968,000 residents. The other major cities on the Canadian prairies include Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, and Lloydminster have their attractions, but Regina seems unusually forested and green for a prairie town.
If you’ve never been to the prairies of the Great Northwest, it can be described as flat, very flat. Big sky country is a term often coined for the prairies since you can see from horizon to horizon. The tallest things that might block your view are the few grain elevators that store the region’s major agricultural product – grain.
You might wonder why settlers would come to this area of North America. In the last two centuries various governments offered land and other incentives to draw people from Ontario. Hungry for land they came to places such as Saskatoon and Regina. Although population growth isn’t as high as in oil rich Calgary and Edmonton, it is a common belief that the quality of life is higher in Saskatchewan. Many new residents are coming from Alberta.
Oil in Saskatchewan?
Saskatchewan has traditionally been known for grain farming and potash production. What’s not well known is that Saskatchewan is second only to Alberta in oil production. Crude oil extraction occurs in the western and southern parts of the province and the economy is doing very well today.
If smaller communities without the big city problems appeals to you, you may want to visit Regina and see whether this might be a good choice for your next home. It’s also a good vacation destination in the summer.
Early settlers to the area were forward thinking and set about planting a lot of trees. Today there is an estimated 300,000 trees within the city. Regina contains more than 100 city parks including the Wascana Centre, a 2300 acre park where you’ll find Regina’s top attractions, including the Legislative Building, Conexux Arts Centre, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Royal Saskatchewan Museum, and Saskatchewan Science Centre. Wascana Lake is the largest man made lake in Canada is a bird and wildlife sanctuary.
Downtown Regina
Downtown Regina is a 24-block area offering more that 700 retail stores, hotels, services, restaurants and other attractions. Victoria Square Mall offers plenty of shopping and you’ll find Casino Regina a fun night out. The city offers every cultural, sporting, and recreational opportunity you would expect in a major city yet without the big city problems of congestion, crime, and rude behaviour. You can arrive here via the TransCanada highway or the Regina International Airport and you’ll find hotels near the airport or downtown.
Rodeo, professional football, golf, and walking and biking trails will provide plenty of entertainment and leisure. There are 45 golf courses in the Regina area. Catch a Rough Riders football game if you’re in town. The Canadian game is fun to watch and Regina fans love their football team. They are perhaps the most enthusiastic fans of the Canadian Football League.
Side trips from Regina include the Great Sand Hills near Saskatoon, which is a desert region of 750 square miles near the South Saskatchewan River. It is an area of sand dunes that looks like any desert you might see in the US southwest or in the Middle East. Blackstrap mountain is another interesting man made recreational area which offers downhill skiing in the winter and mountain biking in the summer.
Canada’s prairie cities are growing in leaps and bounds, and Regina may be the city of choice for living and a relaxing holiday.
Canadian travel destinations is the focus for Gord Collins travel articles that help vacationers find the right Canadian Hotels, Saskatoon hotels and other accommodations across Canada. Gord operates a Toronto internet marketing consulting firm.
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