Regina is a friendly, bustling city and the capital of Saskatchewan. The city was named for Queen Victoria by her daughter, Princess Louise, who was married to the Governor General of Canada. Regina was established in 1882 after starting life as a tent settlement called Pile O’Bones. This is a derivation of “oskana” (a Cree word meaning buffalo bones), from the piles of bones left behind after hunting.

Today, Regina is a thriving modern city whose highrise skyline contrasts with the 350,000 trees of the man-made Wascana Centre, a 930-ha (2,298-acre) urban park containing a vast man-made lake. The lake’s Willow Island is a popular site for picnics and can be reached by ferry. The park is also a haven for some 60 species of waterfowl, including Canada geese. The Royal Saskatchewan Museum  is housed in the park and focuses on the story of the area’s First Nations peoples from earliest times to the present day. There are lectures by tribal elders on the land and its precious resources, as well as murals, sculptures, and paintings by contemporary Saskatchewan native and non-native artists. The original headquarters for the North West Mounted Police lies west of the city center.

Today, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Barracks trains all Canada’s Mounties and is also the site of the RCMP Heritage Centre . Here, the story of the Mounties is told from their beginnings following the Cyprus Hills Massacre in 1873. Among the highlights are the ceremonies and drills that are regularly performed by special trained groups of Mounties, including the Sergeant Major’s Parade, the Musical Ride, and Sunset Retreat Ceremonies.