My latest “Canada Shorts” item is centred on Regina, a city I visited a few years ago and quite enjoyed.
One of the things I liked most in Regina was the Farmer’s Market, where there stands selling lemon kombucha and locally made chutneys. There was also a Pride display on a day in mid-June and a stand selling gluten-free ginger snaps. The best thing I sampled were the cakes (some with fresh ginger, pear and lime) from a stand called “The Cake Witch.”
Booker Wills, left, and Luke McWilliams demonstrate the proper way to wear a watermelon on one’s head at a Saskatchewan Roughriders’ game in Regina. – JIM BYERS PHOTO
Crave Kitchen and Wine Bar served up a perfect plate of duck confit when I was in town, and I had some great beers at Rebellion Brewing (they’re rebelling against industrial beer, I was told).
I didn’t know of Regina’s Wascana Park but I took a delightful walk along the river, enjoying excellent views of the Saskatchewan legislative building across the water. It’s one of the most handsome structures I’ve seen in Canada.
A tour of the RCMP Heritage Centre is a popular activity for visitors to Regina, and very educational.
If it’s football season, DO NOT miss a home game of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, perhaps the best (and wackiest) fans of any team in North America. I love those people, and their watermelon helmets rock.
I stayed the night at the Hotel Saskatchewan, a lovely property that’s part of the Marriott Autograph Collection.
The Blue Bird Cafe in marvellous Regina Beach, Saskatchewan. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Located on a large, pretty lake less than an hour from the city, Regina Beach is one of those quintessential North American beach spots that somehow feels like something out of American Graffiti. The beach is nice, with a good-sized playground for kids and pretty white sails bobbing on the water.
Even better to my mind is the little town, where you can rent canoes and such and check out small shops. The BlueBird Café is a classic throwback spot selling burgers, fish and chips and hot dogs. They’re celebrating their 95th year in business in 2023, and you’ll find fantastic old photos on the walls from the days when Regina Beach had floating dance halls for visitors from all over the province and when the café was a pool hall with a barber shop in the basement.
I also highly recommend a short driving trip to the pretty Qu’Appelle Valley.
