#JustCurious Did Regina have naturally occurring trees prior to being settled?
Today, the city of Regina has over 500,000 hand planted trees maintained by city staff, but when settlers arrived to the area in the late 1870s, it was bald prairie. Not a tree in sight.
Let’s take you back to 1883. The Provincial Capital Commission which oversees Wascana Park says the lake was first built by the Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian Government, which created a dam.
That move resulted in a 65 hectare reservoir that was a metre-an-a-half deep and was used for stock watering in 1883. Regina wasn’t formally a city until 1903 and Saskatchewan did not yet have a capital city.
Area residents wanted to be the capital so they devised a plan. They knew impressing the Prime Minister at the time, Sir. John A. MacDonald, would be their best play, so, they transplanted all of the flowers that were growing around Wascana Lake to the nearby Union Station to make the city appear more beautiful. Guess what? That move worked. Regina was officially made the capital city in 1905.
In 1913, nearly 11,000 trees and shrubs were planted in Wascana Centre, all carefully positioned and though out. Wascana was on the outskirts of the city until the legislative assembly was completed in 1912.
From there, residents kept planting and planting until we have what you see today.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
Dozens of U.S. deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.