Regina

The first European settlers referred to the locality as “Pile O’Bones” after the similarly named Cree Indians’ designation. First Nations hunters produced enormous mounds of buffalo bones believing the animals would not leave an area containing the remains of their ancestors.

Regina obtained its more regal name in honour of Queen Victoria in 1882. The city’s first park also bears her name. Regina is fondly referred to as the Queen City. Becoming a town in 1883 and obtaining city status 20 years later, its designation as Saskatchewan’s capital city occurred in 1906. Regina thus retained the capital title it formerly held when the region was still a part of the Northwest Territories.

Growth was impressive from 1882 when the Canadian Pacific Railway first made its way through town until the depression of the 1930s. Prosperity returned in the 1950s and towers started sprouting up through the 1970s and 1980s.

Construction is currently underway to fulfil plans of unprecedented growth at the University of Regina. While agriculture and natural resources continue to hold a prime role in the region’s economy, emphasis on encouraging newer technologies from telecommunications to biotechnology are meant to ensure Regina remains diversified and vital.