Partners & Resources from Family Tree 101

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Government House on March 7 for Family Tree 101! We were overwhelmed by the interest, and will definitely be taking feedback about expanding any future genealogical events!

In the meantime, we’ve compiled a list of the genealogical resources that our partner organizations showcased at the event. These are great places to get started with your genealogical research.

 

Regina Public Library

With your library card, you can access several resources on their website here: https://www.reginalibrary.ca/digitalservices/genealogy

Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan

The Provincial Archives have a webpage dedicated to family history research: https://www.saskarchives.com/using-the-archives/family-history-research. You can search archival records online, or visit them in-person during the week and have one of their friendly archival specialists help you get started!

Saskatchewan Genealogical Society

This organization has a selection of resources on their website https://saskgenealogy.com/, and offers a research service for a fee. You can find information about the service here: https://saskgenealogy.com/research-services/.

 

Keep an eye on our website and social media so that you’re the first to know about any upcoming events!

 

In the News: Progressive Architecture

Our board member John Robinson, who is presenting Progressive Architecture at Darke Hall on Saturday, March 2, joined CBC’s Shauna Powers this weekend to chat about the lecture. You can give it a listen here:

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-205-saskatchewan-weekend/clip/16044866-progressive-heritage-past-future

 

Pour nos amis/amies bilingues ou francophones, nous avons parlé avec Doris Labrie de “Pour Faire Un Monde” à Radio-Canada sur le sujet du conférence Progressive Architecture. Vous pouvez en écouter ici: https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/pour-faire-un-monde/segments/rattrapage/480791/heritage-regina-nathaniel-hak-architecture-archives

 

Don’t miss Progressive Architecture on Saturday, March 2, at 7:00 PM at Darke Hall! For more information, visit our events calendar or Darke Hall’s website: https://darkehall.ca/events/progressive-architecture-our-past-is-our-future

We’re Hiring a Summer Heritage Assistant!

Heritage Regina is accepting applications for a Summer Heritage Assistant!

Term position is dependent on Young Canada Works (YCW) funding. Successful applicants must be eligible under the YCW Guidelines.

Purpose: Under the direction of the Executive Director, assist with research, program/project tasks, and administrative tasks as assigned to support the functioning of Heritage Regina.

Accountability: Reporting to the Executive Director (ED).

Duties & Competencies:

  1. Archival research, particularly photographs, for social media and programming;
  2. Maintain a database of archival photographs for Heritage Regina use, including logs of use;
  3. Assist in development of Regina Industrial School Cemetery walking tour, in coordination with the Executive Director, Indigenous Liaison, and others;
  4. Assist with grant applications and sponsorship outreach as assigned, including compiling grant information, drafting, and maintaining a database of past and future funding opportunities;
  5. Compiling lists of relevant historical dates, anniversaries, and events for future social media and programming focus;
  6. Program and advocacy tasks as assigned. For example, gathering items for interpretive panelling, drafting program or advocacy pieces, or on-site program assistance;
  7. Respond to public inquiries as required;
  8. Administrative tasks as assigned.
  9. French bilingualism, and/or familiarity with WordPress web design and Canva are assets.

Expectations:

  1. To carry out the above duties in a professional manner.
  2. To maintain a high degree of academic integrity on research and programming items.
  3. Work cooperatively with the Heritage Regina organization, volunteers, partners and any other community members that engage with the organization.
  4. This is a remote position, with set maximum hours, but no set/standard work hours. Successful applicant must be able to self-motivate, accurately log hours and work progress, and have an appropriate remote work space.
  5. While this is a primarily remote position, it is expected that the heritage assistant attend and assist with Heritage Regina programming and activities as possible. Residence in or around Regina is necessary.

Heritage Regina is a an equal-opportunity employer and strives to be an ally to minority groups in its work and hiring. We welcome applications from folks within Indigenous, Métis, disabled, 2SLGBTQ+, and other minority communities.

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to Sarah Wood, Executive Director, at sarahw@heritageregina.ca. Applications are due Monday, March 18, 2024 at 11:59 PM (CST).

You Could Take Home Our Homestead Shack!

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.

Regina’s First Cross-Country Air Service

A newspaper clipping with the heading "Trans-Canada Airlines' Services from Regina Airport, with a photo of an aircraft cabin, a TCA plane, and the schedule.

A Leader-Post ad from February 1940 advertising TCA’s new service to the Queen City.

By Tom Fuzesy

Sunday, April 2, 1939: It is a chilly night, just after midnight. Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA) flight 2 pierces the night sky and lands at the Regina Municipal Airport, arriving after a two-hour flight from Lethbridge. The aircraft is a 10-passenger Lockheed Electra 10A on its eastbound flight across Canada, from Vancouver to Montreal. It is the very first cross-country passenger flight ever to service the Queen City.

Prior to commercial air travel, trains were the primary mode of long-distance travel. Trains were important for connecting the east and west provinces across Canada’s vast distances. Regina’s newcomer boom in the 1880s was possible only though the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway across the country, and through Regina.

The twentieth century saw the popularity of cars increasing, and more people were replacing their horse-driven conveyances. Long-distance motoring, however, came with many challenges, including the state of the roads, which were often impassable in wet or snowy weather. In Regina, inter-city bus service began in the late 1920s with a local taxi company. Checker Taxi provided scheduled service from Regina to Milestone and Moose Jaw. In the early 1930s, Greyhound Bus Lines began providing inter-provincial bus service, connecting Saskatchewan to its prairie neighbours, Alberta and Manitoba.

A picture of an old bus with the caption "New Regina-Moose Jaw Bus" as seen in the Regina Leader-Post on June 18, 1931.

The new Checker Stage bus service between Regina and Moose Jaw, as seen in the Leader-Post on June 18, 1931.

In Regina, on that chilly April night in 1939, three passengers deplane and an equal number board. A brief ceremony takes place with mayor Alban Ellison, who puts the city’s seal onto a parchment scroll, commemorating Regina as one of the stops on this historic flight. Soon, the plane takes off into the darkness, continuing its journey east towards Winnipeg.

The first westbound flight, TCA flight 1, arrives in Regina about six hours later from Winnipeg. After a 10-minute stop, it continues westbound to Lethbridge, ultimately bound for Vancouver. One of the TCA route’s selling points was the speed of air travel, with the schedule promising to get passengers from Regina to Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal in time for lunch.  At the time, Lethbridge was TCA’s Alberta hub. Today, of course, Calgary and Edmonton’s International Airports have eclipsed Lethbridge’s humble trans-Canada beginnings.

For these early cross-Canada flights, weather was a constant concern and schedules were always at the whim of Mother Nature. The first eastbound flight was grounded in Ottawa when snow prevented the onward flight to Montreal—passengers had to take a train instead into Quebec. Bad weather over British Columbia grounded the first two westbound flights in Lethbridge, as well as the second eastbound flight in Vancouver. It was, therefore, remarkable that the first east and westbound flights through Regina were (for the most part) on time.

Although this was the first cross-country passenger air service for Regina, it was not the first passenger service overall. In the late 1920s, a Winnipeg-based airline called Western Canada Airways started an air mail service from Winnipeg to Banff, with stops in Regina. These mail routes sometimes carried up to four passengers. On August 4, 1938, Prairie Airways started a passenger service connecting Regina with other Saskatchewan cities. Using a seven-passenger Beechcraft plane, it flew a daily circuit of Regina, Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and North Battleford. Even after TCA began cross-country service in Regina, these routes allowed passengers from throughout Saskatchewan to connect to TCA flights in Regina. TCA began routes through Saskatoon as well in 1947.

At the beginning of trans-Canada air service, only the wealthiest could afford to fly. Fares were initially priced at 6 cents per mile, with a 10% reduction for round trip fares. That meant that a round-trip airfare from Regina to Vancouver was $90.25, which would be around $2,000 in today’s prices. A return trip to Ottawa was $158.20, or $3,500 today. In comparison, a round-trip train ticket from Regina to Vancouver in 1939 was $25.10 — $512 today, and $65 cheaper than flying.

Regina’s airport was built in 1930 and was considered one of Canada’s best airports. It was notable for its large hangar, rainproof runways, and dedication to safer night flying with lights and beacons illuminating the runways at night. What Regina’s airport didn’t have, however, was a terminal building able to handle increasing numbers of air passengers. When significant commercial air service started in 1938, a makeshift waiting room was created. It was a small, heated space in the southeast corner of the hangar, furnished with sofas and chairs, enough to accommodate the handful of passengers on any given day. However, additional flights and larger planes meant that a new terminal was required. Within a year of the start of TCA’s service, a new terminal, called the Administration Building, was built, opening in February 1940.  It served Regina for 20 years.

Today, nearly 85 years later, the Regina International Airport continues to connect the city with the rest of North America, moving a pre-pandemic average of 1.2 million passengers per year. Having grown substantially since the first cross-country TCA service in 1939, the airport boasts a modern terminal serving several commercial airlines – including TCA, who you might know as Air Canada (the name was changed in 1965).

 

Tom Fuzesy is a volunteer for Heritage Regina and is an avid sports fan, researcher, and local historian.

CBC Interview: Homesteading in a Winter Deep Freeze

Heritage Regina board member John Robinson joined CBC’s The Morning Edition this weekend. Hear about how John and his brother, Frank, kept warm in their hand-built homestead shack during the extreme temperatures that gripped the prairies last week: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-205-saskatchewan-weekend/clip/16036698-why-two-brothers-spent-weekend-extreme-cold-homestead

The accompanying article can be found here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/homestead-shack-1.7090109

To hear about how John, Frank, and their team built the homestead shack, be sure to join us on January 27 for John’s lectures, and see our on-site homestead replica and interactive tool demonstrations! For more information see our events calendar: https://heritageregina.ca/event/the-robinson-homestead-2024-lecture-series/

Heritage Regina’s 2024 Lecture Series

The Robinson Homestead

Saturday, January 27 | 2:00 and 5:00 PM

John Robinson shares the project of a lifetime: building a homestead shack in three days using tools and craftmanship of his ancestors.  

Featuring a homestead shack on-site, and an interactive tool demonstration.

FROST Downtown Hub | Big White Tent on 12th Avenue  

In partnership with the Downtown Business Improvement District. 

 

Serving the Crown: Reflections from Saskatchewan’s First Indigenous Lieutenant Governor

Thursday, February 15 | 7:00 PM 

His Honour Russ Mirasty, 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, discusses Indigeneity and service to the Crown.    

A meet-and-greet reception with the Lieutenant Governor will follow.

Government House (Sir Richard Lake Ballroom) | 4607 Dewdney Avenue 

 

Progressive Architecture: Our Past is Our Future

Saturday, March 2 | 7:00 PM

Using an extensive collection of historic photos, architectural designer John Robinson features the amazing structures that Regina has lost, restoration success stories and buildings currently at risk. 

Darke Hall | 2255 College Avenue 

 

Threads That Bind: The Connection Between Society, Art & Architecture

Thursday, March 21 | 7:00 PM 

Architect James Youck examines the relationship between art, architecture and historical context through western civilization, including examples from Regina. 

Online Lecture | Link via Heritage Regina Facebook Page 

 

The 1935 Regina Riot & the Death of Nick Schaack

Thursday, April 11 | 7:00 PM 

Historian Bill Waiser returns for a captivating look at the On-to-Ottawa Trek, the resulting Regina Riot and a second, forgotten fatality. 

The Artesian | 2627 13th Avenue  

 

Admission to all lectures is free of charge, however a $10 donation per group is recommended to support our programming.

Heritage Regina is grateful to our partners at the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District, Government House and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Darke Hall and The Artesian for helping us make our Lecture Series possible.

Meet the Speakers

Read more

Remembering George Reed: His Story

George Reed: October 2, 1939 – October 1, 2023

 

Photo: Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame

By Tom Fuzesy

George Reed was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on October 2, 1939. Reed played college football at Washington State University (alongside future Saskatchewan Roughrider star receiver Hugh Campbell!). Undersized for the NFL, and with CFL salaries as good (if not better) than NFL salaries at the time, he signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a running back in 1963. Reed made an immediate impact as a powerful fullback and was an instant fan favourite: he was voted Most Popular Player in his first year.

In a two-game total point Western Semi Final against Calgary, the Riders first lost 35-9. In the second game, however, they came back, scoring 39-12, and won the series at 48-47, a coup which has been called “The Little Miracle of Taylor Field”. George Reed was the hero of this game, scoring the winning touchdown from 10 yards out with only three minutes left.

Reed kept improving, too: in 1963 he rushed 751 yards on 173 carries. In 1964 it was 1,012 years on 185 carries, and in 1965 it was 1,768 yards on 274 carries for an amazing 6.5 yards a carry. He averaged 111 yards on 17 carries per game. On Oct 24, 1965, Reed rushed for 268 yards in a Rider 30-14 victory over BC, clinching a playoff spot. It was the CFL’s second-best rushing performance in a single game (behind Ron Stewart’s 287 yards in 1960). Reed was the first Roughrider to win the Schenley Award for Most Outstanding Player in the CFL in 1965.

After making it to, but not through, the playoffs four years in a row, in 1966 the Roughriders defeated Winnipeg in two straight games, putting them in the Grey Cup game for the first time since 1951. Their final hurdle was the Ottawa Rough Riders.

Ottawa scored the first touchdown, but Saskatchewan came back to tie the game. In the 4th quarter, SK scored two touchdowns, winning the game 29-14. Saskatchewan’s first Grey Cup win! George Reed, of course, scored the last touchdown on a 31-yard run. In total, he rushed 23 times, for 133 yards. He was voted MVP that game.

1967-1969 were very successful times for George Reed and the Riders. Reed rushed for well over 1,000 yards every year through 1969, was named to the CFL all-star team every year from 1965-1969 and was runner-up to the league’s Most Outstanding Player award in 1968 and 1969. Saskatchewan, and Canada, loved the man with the heart and the talent.

The Riders had 37 wins, 10 losses and one tie from 1967-1969. In the 1967 Grey Cup, they lost 24-1 against Hamilton. In the leadup to that game, the Riders had played four playoff games, including three in eight days for the ‘best of three’ Western conference final, while Hamilton had only played two playoff games in the Eastern conference final, resulting in a tired Riders lineup. In 1969, they lost the Grey Cup once again, 29-11 against Ottawa – Ottawa had simply outplayed them in that game.

1969 marked the eighth consecutive year of making the playoffs, and making the Grey Cup for three out of the previous four years. Their success was a team success but George Reed was a very critical component. His powerful running style made him the best fullback in the CFL.

As the 1970s dawned, George Reed and the Saskatchewan Roughriders were achieving a significant amount of success, having won at least 12 games out of 16 in each of their previous three seasons. The future certainly looked bright, and they won 14 of 16 games in their 1970 season.

Unfortunately, Reed suffered a knee injury in Ottawa on Aug 11, 1970. Initially diagnosed as a bad bruise, he was only out for a single game. As he continued playing, however, it became clear that his knee was not getting better, and it was X-rayed. Two months after the initial injury, Reed discovered he had fractured his tibia — and played eight games on a broken leg. Doctors put him in a cast, and he was put on a 30-day injury list.

Reed returned to play for the best of three western final playoffs against Calgary. Although the Riders went in with a 14-2 season, they lost twice to Calgary. The deciding game was lost 14-12 on a bitterly cold day in Regina. Reed, still rehabilitating his knee, was not in top form.

In 1971, Reed returned with a healthy knee and continued his scorching pace, becoming a CFL all-star once again and retaining the honour through 1974.  In 1972, he became president of the CFL Players Association—the first American to hold the title. One of his first goals was to increase the number of Canadians playing in the CFL.

1972 was also George Reed’s final Grey Cup appearance. The Riders got there with a heart-stopping, last-second field goal giving them a 27-24 come-back win over Winnipeg in the western final. Without a doubt, Reed’s 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns helped the Riders storm back after being down 24-7 in the 3rd quarter.

The Grey Cup was a less stellar affair for Reed: Hamilton won 13-10 in a snooze of a game.

Reed’s 1973 season was particularly memorable. In an August 20th game against Ottawa, he rushed 81 yards, helping bring Saskatchewan an 18-12 victory. More importantly, those 81 yards secured him the pro-football all-time rushing record, beating the previous record holder (Jim Brown, of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns) by a single yard. With 12,312 rushing yards to his name, George Reed was now the record holder.

1973 also saw Reed celebrated at home. On October 7, during a BC-SK game, the City of Regina proclaimed October 7 as George Reed Day. He was joined on the field at halftime by his wife, Angie, children Keith, Vicky and Georgette, his mother, and six sisters. The ceremony included a heart-shaped Snowbirds flyover. Reed certainly lived up to the day by scoring three 4th-quarter touchdowns for a 24-9 Saskatchewan victory.

After months of speculation, George Reed announced his athletic retirement on May 31, 1976. After 13 years with the Roughriders, he ended his career with multiple rushing and scoring records to his name, including 16,116 rushing yards and 137 touchdowns. Reed’s fantastic career was honoured at Taylor Field on October 24th during halftime in a game against Winnipeg. A crowd of 22,508 gave Reed, to this day an iconic symbol of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, a thunderous standing ovation.

While Reed’s highs in Saskatchewan were sky-high, there were lows as well. He faced a lot of racism when he first arrived: in 1963, he had to stay in a hotel for two years, because no landlord would rent an apartment to him. Landlords would quickly tell Reed that an apartment was already rented when he came to look at a place, only for the same rental to be available to any of his friends who called and inquired. Only once he became famous after earning his Most Outstanding Player Award was he able to rent his own apartment. He discovered that there was a rule that capped the number of Black players on each CFL team. He even noticed that some of his teammates refused to shower at the same time as him. He noted in his 2011 autobiography that “I realized [Regina] wasn’t as tolerant as people made it out to be”. Despite all of this, George chose to make Regina home, and the fans embraced him. He gave back enormously to the community.

While George is celebrated for his athleticism and career, he is equally celebrated for his philanthropy and dedication to his community. Throughout his CFL career, Reed was a strong advocate for children with disabilities, working with the Special Olympics and the Saskatchewan Council for Crippled Children and Adults since the late 1960s. In 1975, he formed the George Reed Foundation, a charity focused on supporting programs for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities. His legacy lives on in his foundation, which continues to be a financial supporter and resource for those in need today.

Tom Fuzesy is a volunteer for Heritage Regina, and an avid sports fan, researcher, and local sports historian.

CBC Interview: Cultural Trailways

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

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.