You Could Take Home Our Homestead Shack!

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Thank you to everyone who submitted bids! We have contacted the winning bidder – congratulations!

We are auctioning off our homestead shack! With no place to store this amazing piece, it can be yours! The auction is open from February 22 – March 2, closing at 10am. This auction is a blind auction, so make your bids accordingly! The homestead shack is valued at around $3000. Place your bid using the form at the bottom of the page.

If you made it to Frost Regina’s Downtown Hub back in January, or joined us for our presentation of “The Robinson Homestead” lecture, you likely would have seen our homestead shack. The structure is a replica of the original homestead shack built by brothers John and Frank Robinson, using only 1910s-era tools, in honour of their grandparents.

Our incredible volunteers, under the direction of John and Frank, built this replica (using power tools) in just one day! John is an architectural designer, and owner of Robinson Residential in Regina.

Now that Frost is finished, we are auctioning off the homestead shack! This 8 x 10 building would make a fantastic shed, backyard office or hobby-house, or a bunkhouse! The roof of the shack is made of weatherproof, asphalt roll roofing. Eventually, it’s suggested that the shed would have tar paper and/or siding of some kind. (If you have any questions, you can reach us at info@heritageregina.ca.)

The proceeds from the auction will go towards Heritage Regina’s programming and operations. This is used for events such as our winter lecture series and summer walking tours, pop-up exhibits (like this homestead shack!), research and advocacy on behalf of heritage spaces in Regina, and more.

CBC Interview: Cultural Trailways

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Our president Jackie Schmidt joined CBC’s The Morning Edition earlier this week. Listen below to hear her interview and learn more about the new additions to the Cathedral Cultural Trailway, and how Regina residents can get involved:

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-66-the-morning-edition-sask/clip/16019389-heritage-regina-offers-cultural-trailway-residents

New Social Media Associate for Heritage Regina

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Heritage Regina would like to introduce our new Social Media Associate, Nathaniel Hak!

Originally from Regina, Nathaniel is looking forward to learning more about Regina’s cultural and built heritage, and is excited to expand his knowledge of land-based heritage and the ecosystems found in our city. Nathaniel is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology at the University of Regina. This past spring, he completed a diploma in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation at Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alberta, where he managed social media for the School of Environmental Sciences, showcasing his program and the school, and served as a student member on the school’s Board of Governors. Nathaniel spent this past summer with Nature Saskatchewan as a Habitat Stewardship Assistant, engaging with Saskatchewan’s landowners to conserve wildlife habitat on the prairies. During his free time, you can usually find Nathaniel spending time with friends and family, enjoying the outdoors, or daydreaming about his next holiday.

New Executive Director for Heritage Regina

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Heritage Regina would like to introduce our new Executive Director, Sarah Wood!
A headshot of a woman wearing a black suit, gold necklace, and with shoulder length brown hair. She is turned 3/4 towards the camera and is smiling professionally.
Sarah Wood is a Regina-born heritage management professional, with a particular interest in alternative learning and engagement, inclusive history, and ecomuseum models. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours in history and is completing her Masters in history with a focus on Canadian legal history. She recently completed her Certificate in Community Museum Studies with the Museums Association of Saskatchewan. Sarah’s most recent work was with the Legislative Building doing education and heritage management and she has previously worked for the Western Development Museum and other community museums. She is very excited to join Heritage Regina and further its great work bringing history alive and preserving it for the community. You can usually find Sarah with a book in her hands either in her backyard or at Madge Lake with her husband, one-year-old daughter, and their giant orange cat.

Catalogue Homes: ‘Kit Homes’ That Built the Prairies

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Catalogue Homes: ‘Kit Homes’ that Built the Prairies
Credit: John Robinson

A century ago, with our flourishing farms and urban centers, there was a high demand for new homes. Designers and skilled trades people were in short supply. Eaton’s, Sears and Aladdin Homes shipped thousands of homes to the Prairies by rail and they were assembled by local labour.

Similar to the way we order online today, these kit homes could be ordered to exact specifications. Millwork, plumbing fixtures and even furniture could be included with your shipment.

Recorded Lecture – Catalogue Homes

Boom, Bust & Bullets: The History of the GM Plant in Regina

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Boom, Bust and Bullets: The History of the GM Plant in Regina
credit: Dale Johnson

Discover an important piece of Regina’s rich automotive history with Dale Johnson. Adapted from the lecture Boom, Bust and Bullets: The History of the GM Plant in Regina, part of the 2020 Lecture Series held at the Artesian.

LINK: Boom, Bust & Bullets video

When automobiles were used to fight the Spanish flu in 1918

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The first death from Spanish flu in Regina was reported on Oct 7, 1918.

This article was originally published by the Regina Leader-Post on March 20, 2020. It is reprinted here with permission.

By Dale Edward Johnson

At first, people in Saskatchewan showed little interest or concern about reports of a new flu in other parts of the world.

The first cases were reported in Canada in July 1918, and it would be a few more months before cases were reported in Saskatchewan. As health authorities scrambled to try to reduce the number of people stricken, owners of automobiles in Regina were asked to help out. And they did.

As the summer of 1918 turned to autumn, there were more newspaper reports of the Spanish flu in cities in the eastern U.S. and Canada.

For example, on Oct.1, 1918, Regina’s Morning Leader newspaper reported there were 460 new cases in Philadelphia in the previous 48 hours, bringing the city’s total to 2,327 cases and 14 deaths.

By Oct. 3, the Leader reported that the Spanish flu was “rapidly spreading over (the) United States” and was in 43 of the 48 states.

Read more

gee meeyo pimawtshinawnm ( It was a Good Life)

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Year 2 students at the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP) worked with Kristen Catherwood from Heritage Regina to research and publish gee meeyo pimawtshinawnm ( It was a Good Life) – A Living Heritage Project. Read more

SaskPower Substation No. 2

SaskPower Substation No. 2: Making Loss of Local Heritage a Thing of the Past

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It was the end of the line for SaskPower’s Substation No. 2 on the 1900 block of Elphinstone Street. Built in 1930 by the Regina Light and Power Company, the substation made it possible to extend power services to developing neighbourhoods. The building was designed to fit in with its residential environment, a practice that was often used at the time. Read more

Goodbye Lang’s Cafe

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The Stokes Block was Constructed between 1905-1907 and started out as a commercial apartment building.

In 1920 it was succeeded by various Chinese merchants and restaurateurs. One of the most well-known was Yick Lee Lung Company general store, which opened in 1928. and would later become a confectionery until 1974. The building was occupied by Lang’s Cafe until April 4th, 2018 when it caught ablaze and burned to the ground.

It’s always a loss when we lose the tangible essence of our historic past.

This building is significant as a representation of Regina’s multicultural settlement and of the experiences of our Chinese-Canadian communities and how they contributed to our history.

There are countless untold tales and celebrations that lie within our city, buildings and the people that built them that have shaped the course of history in Regina.

With images by The Leader-Post and CTV Regina