We recently visited Saskatchewan, marking our first time in this Canadian province! While we only had a couple days to explore this new-to-us province, we made the most of it, beginning with a morning in the capital city of Regina.
Our first stop was Wascana Centre, where we found ample parking off Wascana Drive near the bridge that cuts through the middle of Wascana Lake, a man-made lake completed in the 1880s.
Wascana Centre is internationally known as a beautifully landscaped park surrounding a 150-hectare lake located in the heart of Regina. It was established in 1962 to be a place for recreation and beauty… Wascana Centre is home to 8.7 kilometres of paved pathways and 5.6 kilometres of natural paths, recreation and play area as well as the Habitat Conservation Area with a marsh ecosystem, promoting healthy active lifestyles for families and community.
We decided to walk the paved loop trail west so we could catch views of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building across the lake before arriving in front of it and the Queen Elizabeth II Gardens. From there, we continued on through Lakeshore Park before crossing the bridge back over to our motorcycle.
There were quite a few individuals and families enjoying the trail – biking, jogging, pushing strollers, and more. There were also groups heading out on canoes and kayaks to explore the water.
It was a very relaxing stroll, and I really enjoyed spotting tons of new-born goslings along the way.
We timed our loop almost perfectly to arrive back at our motorcycle just as nearby Bar Willow Eatery was opening for lunch. This chill spot has both indoor and outdoor seating with impressive views of Wascana Lake and the legislative building.
Most people were sitting inside so we had the patio almost entirely to ourselves. We ordered a couple small plates to share, including duck fat popcorn, cucumber dill salad, and the standout – lamb kefta.
I’d definitely dine here again!
After our early lunch we had time for one more stop before we needed to continue north. We made the right choice opting to explore the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Heritage Museum.
I cannot convey how much I learned during this visit. Suffice it to say my prior knowledge of the RCMP was derived almost exclusively from old Hollywood films and – surprise! – those portrayals are sorely outdated, mostly inaccurate, and romanticized at best.
Visit our galleries to explore over a century of RCMP history, from the formation of the North-West Mounted Police in 1873, to the modern-day Mountie. Guests of the RCMP Heritage Centre can experience both the historical and modern-day stories of the RCMP through a variety of traditional and informative exhibits, virtual and augmented reality experiences, and live events.
The onsite RCMP Academy across the parking area from the museum is where Mounties have trained since 1885. The museum is in another building on the property and includes multiple exhibit halls and a theater where we watched a film about how the Academy trains Mounties today.
I was fascinated to learn about the transition from the initial North-West Mounted Police to the force that operates today. We learned about the initial formation of the North-West Mounted Police, their work maintaining law and order in the Canadian west and north, the transition to serving all of Canada, and the traditions they continue today.
Among other things, I was surprised to learn that while the RCMP trains select individuals to ride horses in parades and at ceremonial events, they discontinued mandatory equestrian training for the force in 1966. They maintain ‘mounted’ in their name primarily to honor the traditions of their early beginnings as today’s force does not operate on horseback (with the exception of a handful of individuals units who maintain small (<8 horses) mounted teams).
It was a whirlwind morning in Regina but definitely gave me a sense for Saskatchewan’s capital and a significantly updated understanding of the RCMP. Well worth a visit and a great start to our time in Saskatchwan.
Heather's Compass 
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