Regina
YQR
Regina was originally called Wascana, after the Cree name oskana kâ-asastêki (where the bones are piled) – an unexpectedly apt name, given that the world’s largest T. Rex ever discovered is a local. Meet the 65-million-year-old Scotty at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, or explore the city’s slightly more modern diversions, like the breweries and live-music venues on the Dewdney Strip in the Warehouse District.
Eat & Drink
Avenue
The chef-bartender team behind Ayden in Saskatoon touches down in a city-centre heritage building. Date-nighters and large groups of co-workers order cocktails like the eight-ingredient pinot-noir-based I Heard It Through the Grapevine from a barman so exacting, he’s launched his own bitters company. Tender seared Diefenbaker trout preens on a creamy bed of fresh peas, asparagus and three-grain risotto; raspberry soufflé tastes of ripe fruit transformed into a passing cloud. Listed in the Top 10 of Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2018.
Malty National Brewing
This microbrewery specializing in small-batch IPAs, stouts and unusual ales is a family-friendly neighbourhood hub where furry friends are also welcome. Playfully named beers are released regularly, so ask the staff for a sample of seasonal creations, such as the fruity Cactus Joose New England IPA. Or opt for a pint of smooth, citrusy ale called Sports – the ideal companion to a heated game of cribbage.
Naked Bean Espresso Bar and Café
Get your daily java fix with locally roasted beans from Caliber Coffee Roasters. Order a creamy cold brew prepared with dark-roast coffee and coconut milk poured over ice. Then treat yourself to homemade cookies and gooey cinnamon buns. Watch the chalkboard menu for specials like the fall favourite Pumpkin Chai Tea Fog.
Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar
Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar’s cassoulet brings the richness of the region’s soil to the fore with local lentils, chickpea fritters and Prairie cherry vinaigrette. Slather some Saskatoon-berry mustard on the house-cured charcuterie.
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What to Do
Wascana Centre
Sweat out a six-kilometre run around Wascana Lake, the centrepiece of this immense park, passing colourful wildlife (red-winged blackbirds, western painted turtles) and a historic totem pole nestled among the willows and walnuts of the park’s forest. The less athletically inclined might prefer marvelling at the beaux-arts Legislative Building before culture-hunting inside the Royal Saskatchewan Museum and MacKenzie Art Gallery.
Hillberg & Berk
In 2013, Queen Elizabeth II was given a tourmaline brooch by homegrown designer Rachel Mielke, and now you can have your own majestic moment at the jeweller’s flagship store. Working with 150 precious-stone varieties, Mielke has created a jewellery line that’s nearly as ubiquitous in Regina as green football jerseys. Go for the H&B sparkle-ball earrings from the Roughriders collection to truly fit in.
Traditions Hand Craft Gallery
Glass artist Jacqueline Berting’s famous wheat sheaves (individual crystal stalks inspired by her 14,000-sheaf installation) can be found at this boutique gallery, where every piece of glass, ceramic and wood has been crafted in Saskatchewan. Gift your friends back home the grain-elevator-shaped beeswax candle, but keep a Rodney Peterson lathe-turned, boreal-forest-inspired birch vase for yourself.
RCMP Heritage Centre
Arrive for the 12:45 parade to witness an irascible sergeant major inspect the cadets’ uniforms; then, at the museum, learn how the iconic red serge has evolved over the years. Discover the Force’s history at the barracks, where Mounties have trained since the 1885 inception of a mounted police force. Interactive videos from the Arctic reveal a snowmobile-riding, fur-laden officer that few have seen before.
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