Regina 1

I don't care what the numbers say, Regina is bigger than Saskatoon.The Toon population must include every blade of grass and certainly they have counted the 30,000 U Sask students across the river. Regina feels like a city with the gravitas of the provincial capital and the business hub.
We've been here a week and have been exploring as usual.
Our first stop was the RCMP Heritage Centre adjacent to Depot Division, the training centre for every member of the RCMP. The date was Thursday, September 6, 2018 and at 3:00 on the parade ground we witnessed the installation of the first female commissioner, Brenda Lucki. Lucky were we to be there and we just kind of wandered over to a good spot, surrounded by red serge and invited guests!

bad cropping but you get the gist

We also may have solved the mystery of how Betsy's and my great uncle Jack got from the North West Mounted Police, to the Bloemfontein Constabulary in South Africa, to eventually be killed in WWI. I've always described him as a "rolling stone" but these story boards say, maybe not. It seems the NWMP were in demand as a well trained and disciplined force as are the RCMP now. 

Downtown Regina has a large public gathering space just off Victoria Park, City Square Plaza, with a couple of blocks of pedestrian only traffic radiating from it. It's going to have to be warmer than today's 6 degrees to get me to the farmers' market there tomorrow! Oh yeah, I brought long johns and a down vest!
All over the province we've been seeing laser cut metal art pieces for signs and decorative purposes.

at the RCMP Heritage Centre

a 3 layer one in City Square Plaza, Regina

a more traditional style, a HUGE grasshopper in Ogema