A Day in “A Pile of Bones” Called Regina, Saskatchewan

Welcome to Regina, Saskatchewan’s capital city, home of big skies, bigger stories, the biggest T-Rex, and at one point, a massively cool name: “Pile of Bones.” 

Yes. Before it was re-named Regina in honour of Queen Victoria (which sounds like a strict aunt), it was basically called “Skeleton Heap.” Meanwhile, local Cree language advocates have long called for the city to return to the original name, oskana kaasastēki. 

Morning: From Bones to Beauty

Back in June 1882, settlers arrived near what is now Wascana Lake, looked around at the wide-open prairie, and said, “Yes. This windy, treeless expanse shall be our capital.” Bold move.

The original Cree name, oskana ka-asastēki, referred to the piles of buffalo bones left behind after generations of hunting by Cree, Saulteaux, Nakota, Lakota, Dakota, and Métis peoples.

Now, Wascana Centre is a 930-hectare urban park located in the heart of Regina, and the Wascana name lives on in local pride and, conveniently, in beer branding. Because nothing says “respecting history” quite like craft brewing.

Lunch: Craft Beer in the Bone Zone

We head to a Pile O’ Bones Brewing Company. While locals instantly recognize the name and plains bison logo, tourists like me often raise an eyebrow. “We’re eating… where?”

The Metis brewery proudly honours the city’s nickname while producing small-batch beers with the intensity of scientists defusing a bomb.

The delicious beers compliment a delectable lunch served from an affiliated diner menu called Oxpecker. I order the Cheese and Ale Soup and some Shrimp and Grits with a side of Drunken fries – and wash all the healthy goodness down with a Cosmic Celebration IPA.

They remind us that great beer is about what you put into it. Which kind of explains why, after two pints, we are putting very little coherent thought into conversation. By pint three, I happily declare myself as “Honorary Mayor of Pile of Bones.”

Afternoon: Red Serge & Real Legends

After a visit to a great brewery, where else would you care to go but to a police training centre. Designed by the world-famous architect, Arthur Erickson, the RCMP Heritage Centre is a statuesque building that is home to the story of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Mounties are recognized worldwide for their red serge tunics, Stetson hats, and boots so shiny you can check your prairie windswept hair in them.

The Centre offers interactive exhibits, virtual reality experiences, and a deep dive into the history of the RCMP, and the modern-day work of the force.

The museum is located next to the RCMP Academy, “Depot” Division, where Mounties have trained since 1885, presumably learning how to ride a horse to music or to look majestic while standing perfectly still. Occasionally, the academy will offer visitors the chance to go through a training bootcamp, just to see if you have the right stuff. Thankfully, there was no drill sergeant present during my visit.

Make sure to leave a little time for the Place of Reflection. The original idea for this sombre stone circle was born from the issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls. As the project grew and developed, however, it became clear that this was a place of potential reconciliation and hope for anyone who has experienced loss and grieving. The circle honours people from all directions, open to anyone, from any culture, religion, gender, or background. As a living sculpture, visitors may bring stones that represent their lost loved one. This is a special and sacred place.

We leave with a renewed appreciation for this sacred and reflective stone circle, as well as for Canadian history and law enforcement.

Evening: Dinner with a 65-Million-Year-Old Celebrity

Next stop: the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, home to Scotty, the world’s largest T-Rex. Scotty is so massive he makes the Saskatchewan plains look like a patch of backyard grass. Discovered in Saskatchewan and now immortalized as a life-size cast, Scotty dominates the gallery like the prehistoric superstar he is. We wander through exhibits on Saskatchewan’s ecozones, sustainability, and Indigenous history, attempting to look intelligent while secretly taking dinosaur selfies.

Then comes the main event: Jenni Lessard is a chef and culinary consultant based in the Qu’Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan, on Treaty Four Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. Raised in Northern Saskatchewan’s boreal forest near La Ronge. Jenni is the kind of companion you would want along if you found yourself hopelessly lost in the Saskatchewan woods, given her acumen for forging. While you were contemplating eating slugs found under rocks, Jenni would wander off into the brush and return with a four-course gourmet dinner. 

The talented chef generally produces menus, recipes, and immersive culinary experiences using local, seasonal, and Indigenous ingredients. Never, however, has Chef Jenni prepared a meal fit for a T-Rex. Still, here we are, seated beside a carnivorous legend who, thankfully, is extinct. Nothing enhances digestion quite like eating under the watchful gaze of 65 million years of apex predator energy.

Of course I ask, tongue-in-cheek, “Can I have the T-rex bone steak,” and I am immediately shunned by my stoic dinner companions. The museum itself is a world-class research institution in palaeontology, Indigenous studies, biology, and sustainability – but tonight it’s also the only place where you can enjoy fine dining under a tyrannosaur.

Final Thoughts from the Prairie

In one day, Regina gives us ancient buffalo history, award-winning craft beer, the world’s largest T-Rex, a gourmet dinner beside a dinosaur, and Mounties in legendary red uniforms. Not bad for a place once called Pile of Bones. Regina may sit quietly in the heart of the Canadian plains, but it turns out this prairie capital has bite – prehistoric, hoppy, and historically impressive – and thankfully… slightly fewer bones than advertised.

Tips & Tactics

To help you plan your visit to one of our new favorite places in Canada, check out these websites for details and inspiration:

Tourism Saskatchewan – www.tourismsaskatchewan.com

RCMP Heritage Centre – www.rcmphc.com

Pile O’ Bones Brewing Company – www.pileobonesbrewing.com

Royal Saskatchewan Museum – www.royalsaskmuseum.ca

Tourism Regina – www.tourismregina.com