REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN

A BRIEF HISTORY

Pile O' Bones

Long ago huge herds of bison roamed the plains. The Plains Indians and Metis people hunted the bison and used nearly all of the animal for their food, shelter and clothing. They camped on the banks of a creek where they killed many of the bison. The bones were stacked in a large pile. So the site became known as Pile O' Bones.

Building the railroad

In the late 1800s a railroad was built across Canada so the country could be connected from east to west. The first train came to Pile O' Bones in 1882. The site was just a tiny village. It was renamed Regina in honor of Queen Victoria. Regina means "queen".

Settlement

People came to Regina from England, France, Germany, the Ukraine and many other countries. Regina was surrounded by very good farmland . Homesteaders claimed land nearby for farming. More people arrived and started businesses. At first they had to live in tents, sod houses or little shacks. In 1882 The North West Mounted Police also came to Regina. The city became the home of their training centre.



By 1903 there were 3000 people living in Regina and it officially became a city. In 1905 the province of Saskatchewan was formed and Regina was named the capital city. A beautiful Legislative building was constructed as the home for the provincial government. A man-made lake and a park (Wascana Park) were built around the Legislative Building. Over 350,000 trees were planted in the city.

MORE HISTORY of REGINA