
Regina is Latin for “Queen” which explains why the nickname for Saskatchewan’s capital city The Queen City, which was named after Queen Victoria.
Home to Canada’s oldest continuously performing orchestra the Regina Symphony Orchestra, the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina is one of the most acoustically perfect concert venues in North America.
Although Regina is situated on a broad and flat plain, the city does have many parks and greenspaces with hand-planted trees, shrubs and other plants.
Popular sites attracting attendance in downtown Regina are the Globe Theatre found in the Post Office building, Casino Regina with its entertainment lounge in the former CPR train station, and the Cornwall Centre shopping mall.
Regina is vulnerable to extreme fluctuations in temperature with an all-time low of -58 degrees Fahrenheit (-50 degrees Celsius) contrasting with the historic high of 111 degrees Fahrenheit (43.9 degrees Celsius).
Research website numbeo ranks Regina in the bottom 48% compared to the 250 cities evaluated on its overall quality of life index at June 2020. Regina scored poorly on index factors such as climate (worst rating), safety (bottom 20%) and cost of living (most expensive 44%). On the positive side, Regina rates relatively well for traffic commute time (number one fastest), property price to income ratio (lowest 24%) and health care (upper 49%).
Guinness World Records recognizes Regina as where Prairie Cat Productions Inc. conducted the longest indoor hockey marathon ever, lasting just over 62 hours. Twenty-four participants achieved this world record from July 29 to 31, 2016, with the goal of generating community excitement surrounding hockey–among Regina’s most beloved pastimes.
Regina serves as headquarters for five of Canada’s 500 largest corporations by revenue.
- Crown Investments Corp. of Saskatchewan
- Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority
- Saskatchewan Auto Fund
- Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation
- Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board
Each of the above Regina-based entities are Crown Corporations, government-owned enterprises that undertake or manage commercial activities on behalf of the government.
From an international trade perspective, Saskatchewan shipped C$29.6 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2019. Its most valuable exports include wheat (24.9% of Saskatchewan’s global total), fertilizers (22.3%), wheat (8%), vegetables (6.6%), animal or vegetable fats and oils (5.9%), machinery and electrical equipment (2.5%), wood including woodpulp (1.8%), and chemicals other than fertilizers (0.6%) according to the Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database.
Regina’s unemployment rate was 5.1% in 2020 the same percentage as one year earlier.
Capital Facts for Regina, Canada: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Conexus Arts Centre, Co-Operators Centre, Government House, Kings Park Speedway, Legislative Building and Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field,
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Regina, Canada.
- Ben Hebert, Olympic curling gold medalist (born Mar. 16, 1983)
- Ryan Getzlaf, NHL hockey all-star (born May 10, 1985)
- Lucas Markian Makowsky, Olympic speed skating gold medalist (born May 30, 1987)
- Jordan Eberle, NHL hockey all-star (born May 15, 1990)
- Justin Warsylewicz, Olympic speed skating silver medalist (born Oct. 19, 1985)
- Elyse Levesque, actress (born Sep. 10, 1985)
- Mark McMorris, X-Games snowboarding champion (born Dec. 9, 1993)
- Atina Ford, Olympic curling gold medalist (born Oct. 12, 1971)
- Julia Voth, actress & model (born May 16, 1985)
- Jan Betker, Olympic curling gold medalist (born Jul. 19, 1960)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches of published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Regina resident: Reginan
Population: 266,000 (Regina) in 2020
Density: 3,827 people per square mile (1,487 per square kilometer)
Population: 1,181,987 (Saskatchewan) at June 2020
Density: 5 people per square mile (2 per square kilometer)
Financial
Real GDP: US$81.54 billion in 2019 (Saskatchewan)
Real GDP per person: $69,181
Note: The above GDP metrics are based in Canadian 2007 chained dollars.
Official currency used in Regina: Canadian dollars
Research
Research Sources:
Economic Development Regina, Economic Indicators including population.
Fortune, Global 500 2016.
Guinness World Records, Longest marathon playing indoor hockey.
Numbeo, Quality of Life Index by City.
National Post, The FP500.
Official Government Website, City of Regina official website.
Statistics Canada, Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database.
Statistics Canada, Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database.
Statistics Canada, Labour force characteristics, unadjusted, by census metropolitan area.
Statistics Canada, Population estimates, quarterly.
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags.
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Regina, Saskatchewan.
Wikipedia, Saskatchewan.
Reginans celebrate Canada Day as a national holiday each July 1.
Regina occupies 69.5 square miles (179.97 square kilometers). The provincial capital city’s population was an estimated 266,000 people for 2020.
At the provincial level, Saskatchewan is home to 1.2 million dwellers at June 2020 living over a land area measuring 228,450 square miles (591,670 square kilometers).
Regina’s population density averages 3,827 residents per square mile (1,487 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to Saskatchewan’s overall land boundaries, population density dilutes to an average 5 inhabitants per square mile (2 per square kilometer).