It was great to reconnect again with my best friend from elementary school during our recent trip home to Regina, Canada. After taking us out for an afternoon at JoyLab, a view over the city, and a delicious Houston Pizza, 0n our final night in town, she surprised us with some souvenirs to bring back with us from her area of work….. The Regina Warehouse District.
The Regina Warehouse District is one of Regina’s oldest areas and after decades of decline, it’s once again being rejuvenated, which is great to see, as it holds a lot of little treasures within it. I quite like the area as it wasn’t too far from home and for a couple of years in the early ’90s I worked in the area. It was also a hub for night clubs in the ’90s and some of the pubs that were thriving back then are still going strong now it would be an easy place to do a pub crawl these days.
There is, of course, a lot more to the area than night life, with quirky shops, great architecture, and a whole lot of history!
Speaking of history, I’m loving the book, “Pioneers! O Pioneers!” Regina’s Warehouse District Bricks and Mortar – Pride and Passion; I’ve learned a lot about the history of many places while traveling, but the history of Regina, the place I spent my first 29 years, isn’t always so easy to come by. Now I can wander through the history of Regina’s Warehouse District whenever I’m missing home and learn more about it. I’m going to share some of the stories contained within this book with my children and husband, too.
The bags that contained all our goodies were super-cool, having been upcycled and crafted from brewery grain bags. They will be used for taking lunches to eat down by the sea, or out in the woods, and no doubt they’ll also be used for carrying ‘treasures’ around the house when the children are playing! They’ve been patient waiting for me to get photos before they broke them in.
There were some great t-shirts in our bags. Regina Warehouse District shirts, classic Regina Boxing Club shirts, that are now a piece of history themselves, as sadly, the club has now closed. The children also had Fresh shirts in their bags; I love the colours of these!
I remember seeing my first live boxing match in Weyburn, Saskatchewan with members of the Regina Boxing Club. Funnily enough, I came across that program sheet when I was cleaning up the attic last week!
Instead of a third shirt in my bag, I received a couple of candles unique to Warehouse. One was a sample that hadn’t yet been labelled, and the other was “A Whiff of Warehouse”in a Dewdney Strip scent. These will be great for using in our newly renovated bathroom to relax, or to take outside and enjoy on the table during one of the romantic meals Kallista likes to make for Phil and I.
If you know me, you’ll know I’m never without paper – and I’m loving the Warehouse paper pad. And the kids think the woodworking pencils are the coolest thing ever!
When one mentions the Warehouse District, I immediately think of all the brick buildings in the area that have been there for over a century. In our bags we received a pack of 4 little building bricks that are just great! I’m mulling over in my head ow I can put them to use in a crafty way. If I become stressed with that, I can use the stress brick and squeeze the daylights out of it!
And that’s not all! There was also a lapel pin, which I’ll wear on my backpack with pride. And the children will add the stickers into the scrapbook were making about our trip to the Queen City.
Now that Leasa’s involved in the Regina Warehouse District Business Improvement District program, it’s sure to improve by leaps and bounds in the near future, as did the downtown area when she was working on that project. I know I certainly noticed a huge difference in the seven years between our trips to Regina.
If you’re in Regina, be sure to stop by the Warehouse District and see what’s shaking; take a stroll through and admire the brickwork, read about the history, and stop and have a drink or a meal and enjoy the atmosphere (I can personally recommend the nachos).
