Victoria Park

A square of grass and mature trees sits among the glass towers of Regina's downtown, and it has been a place of rest and ceremony in the city for well over a century. Victoria Park occupies a city block in the commercial core, bounded by busy streets and surrounded by office buildings, banks and shops. The city itself carries the name of royalty. Regina, Latin for queen, was named in 1882 by Princess Louise, the wife of the Governor General, in honour of her mother Queen Victoria, and this park is one of the places that keep that link visible.

The park is open at all hours and free to enter. It has the character of a small urban green, with mown lawns, shade trees, paths and benches arranged for people who want to sit, eat lunch or cross between buildings. Tables allow for a lunch break, and office workers fill the grass on sunny days. The setting is a quiet counterpoint to the traffic around it, and the contrast between the tree canopy and the surrounding glass makes it a pleasant place for a pause.

A war memorial stands in the park, honouring those from Saskatchewan who died in the wars of the 20th century. It is the focus of Remembrance Day ceremonies in the city, when veterans, families and officials gather here on 11 November, and visitors who read the plaques and inscriptions around it learn something of the province's contribution. Panels and markers elsewhere in the park offer short accounts of Saskatchewan history, and the park is a convenient place to read them and to look around.

Victoria Park is also a venue. It is the home of the Regina Folk Festival in August, when stages, tents and a crowd on tarps replace the quiet of ordinary days, and other community events and markets are held here through the year. Visitors will find that, because it sits in the middle of the city, the park is near the Cornwall Centre, restaurants and downtown hotels, and the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, while Wascana Centre, with its lake and the Legislative Building, is a short walk or bus ride south.

While the area is generally safe and busy by day, it is also well lit in the evening. Facilities are basic, so bring water if you plan a long stay. A visit takes only a short time, and it is best treated as a stop on a wider walk through downtown Regina.