Regina | Historical Discussion

[Scoreboard]

Have a list of all the Regina Theatres, including the first ever. Check out my Regina Memories site on Face Book: - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1607888836109581/

[Dan0myte]

This isn't really an "I Remember When..." because I wasn't born yet, but this is a good "Flashback Friday" post to 1958 when McCallum Hill made one of the biggest bungles in Regina subdivision history. When designing Hillsdale, the engineers spec'd out 25th Avenue to run from Albert street to Winnipeg Street (this is before the U of R & Wascana Parkway existed ... Winnipeg Street ran south into Hillsdale). The roadway had already been laid out and right-of-ways made and then residents petitioned the city to remove the roadway. Hill didn't repurpose the land at all, but just closed it off and left it. It's been a wide strip of empty grass field through the neighbourhood for the past 60 years. If you want to talk about urban density and space efficiency, here's a complete mismanagement of it.

[brithgob]

Fascinating. Street View imagery suggests that green belt gets occasionally used as a makeshift alley, despite the posts blocking access.

[Cactusberry]

Do you remember Reading the Funnies? The coloured comics would come in Saturday's Regina Leader Post, and then on CKCK Radio on Sunday mornings, there was a Reading the Funnies spot. I can't remember who the men were who did the reading, but they told jokes. The Old Brown Fox? The Morning Mayor? Here are some funnies I remember from being a kid. <a href="http://78mph.com/2015/07/the-funnies/">http://78mph.com/2015/07/the-funnies/</a>

[Draftsman]

Originally Posted by Cactusberry

Do you remember Reading the Funnies? The coloured comics would come in Saturday's Regina Leader Post, and then on CKCK Radio on Sunday mornings, there was a Reading the Funnies spot. I can't remember who the men were who did the reading, but they told jokes. The Old Brown Fox? The Morning Mayor? Here are some funnies I remember from being a kid. <a href="http://78mph.com/2015/07/the-funnies/">http://78mph.com/2015/07/the-funnies/</a>

Sure, I remember the coloured comics (back when comics had its own section of the newspaper) and I remember 'Reading the Funnies' as well. I am pretty certain one of the men was Doug Alexander. Was the other Johnny Sandison? Roy Brown? Someone else? That was such a long time ago LOL

CKCK Radio also had a half-hour comedy program on Saturday afternoons, hosted by Ron Barnes (later known as Ron Barnett) from 1:00-1:30pm. It was sponsored by my uncle Willie Francis (owner of Gamble Agencies Ltd).

[brithgob]

Though it was well before my time, I believe it was originally hosted by Johnny Sandison and Porky Charbonneau. Doug Alexander joined Johnny later. In the 90s revival I remember listening to, it was Doug Alexander and "Chester Drawers" (Ken Singer)

[Trace]

Hey Folks,

I have a dim memory of a hotel or restaurant called The Tower. I recall a knight, sort of in the style of the Bayeaux tapestry, a stone tower and red and white squares; all in their sign. Does anybody remember this? To be fair, I left Regina in 1983 and have lived in 10 other places since then, so it might be somewhere else.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by Trace

Hey Folks,

I have a dim memory of a hotel or restaurant called The Tower. I recall a knight, sort of in the style of the Bayeaux tapestry, a stone tower and red and white squares; all in their sign. Does anybody remember this? To be fair, I left Regina in 1983 and have lived in 10 other places since then, so it might be somewhere else.

Do you mean this place?

[Trace]

Hey Stormer,

Thanks for this. However, it isn't it. I should say the memory was triggered by another site that showed the demolition of the old Ehrle Hotel. I am thinking the Tower was on the same level.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by Trace

Hey Stormer,

Thanks for this. However, it isn't it. I should say the memory was triggered by another site that showed the demolition of the old Ehrle Hotel. I am thinking the Tower was on the same level.

Apparently it was on South Railway (now Sask Dr.) and Scarth. Here it is before its name changed to the Tower. It was torn down about 35 years ago to make way for the Cornwall Centre.

[Trace]

Well done, lad -- that's it.

I remember in the late 60's, the U of R newspaper sponsored CHIT, or the Carillon Hotel Inspection Tour. It was a three legged race that went to the Brock, Champs, and other fine(!) hotels. This hotel was probably on the tour, tour, too. Anyway, each team had to drink four glasses of draft and then move on. In those days all draft glasses were standard at around 10 oz., I think.

[rainy]

Hi, I'm new. I'm especially interested in this thread. Have not been able to figure out how to post a NEW message here.

Do any of you have a photo of the old Queen's Hotel that was south of the old Bay location on Hamilton Street? If yes, can you post it here?

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by rainy

Hi, I'm new. I'm especially interested in this thread. Have not been able to figure out how to post a NEW message here.

Do any of you have a photo of the old Queen's Hotel that was south of the old Bay location on Hamilton Street? If yes, can you post it here?

Welcome. I don't think it ws the Queen's. I have photo somewhere and will post.

[Draftsman]

Originally Posted by rainy

Hi, I'm new. I'm especially interested in this thread. Have not been able to figure out how to post a NEW message here.

Do any of you have a photo of the old Queen's Hotel that was south of the old Bay location on Hamilton Street? If yes, can you post it here?

Hi rainy, welcome aboard!

Do you mean the Georgia Hotel? 'The Georgia' was the hotel that was located directly to the south of the original Hudson's Bay store on 1900 block of Hamilton. The site has been a surface parking lot ever since they tore down the hotel.

The Queen's Hotel was located in the middle of the 1800 block of Rose Street (east side) that is also currently a surface parking lot, part of a larger piece of property where a proposed 16-storey office building was planned to go.

[Stormer]

The Georgia

[Trace]

Stormer, your collection of pictures is impressive.

Here is a story about the old Georgia hotel. It was owned by a family named, as I recall, Kangles. In the early 70's Mrs. Kangles was mugged in the alley behind the hotel, where cars were parked. I think she was fairly seriously injured. Shortly thereafter, a sign went up back of the hotel saying something like, "This alley under armed surveillance. Criminals will be shot" or something substantially similar. Never saw a sign like that again until I moved to Texas.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by BrutallyDishonest2

No, they're effectively banned. They basically won't allow podium style parking like you see at the Avord, NCO and Grenfell buildings.

If you don't believe me, try taking a new parkade downtown to planning commission. It's not going to happen unless you have the right connection or you're building residential.

Oddly enough. Those three buildings have some of the best street retail of any of our big towers downtown. NCO has Sweet and Fresh, Avord has Flip and Atlantis and Grenfell has Eyes optomoetrists. All of those are reasonably high traffic spots. Avord is actually one of our better looking podiums. I don't really have a problem with podium parking. Down well it works and still maintains street interaction. It's more about the CRUs and the rents associated that will make or break any podium for street interaction.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Oddly enough. Those three buildings have some of the best street retail of any of our big towers downtown. NCO has Sweet and Fresh, Avord has Flip and Atlantis and Grenfell has Eyes optomoetrists. All of those are reasonably high traffic spots. Avord is actually one of our better looking podiums. I don't really have a problem with podium parking. Down well it works and still maintains street interaction. It's more about the CRUs and the rents associated that will make or break any podium for street interaction.

Anyone correct me if I am wrong, but all three of those buildings I am sure did not open with street front retail. Avord Tower with Atlantis and Flip was only recent was it not? I don't know about Grenfell and NCO I don't know as well. Either way, of recent, there has been the drive to open up the main floors of a couple downtown office buildings for smaller businesses which is long awaited and over due to add life to the street. I would 100% say Avord is my favorite with three businesses utilizing and energizing that portion of 11th and Victoria.

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

Anyone correct me if I am wrong, but all three of those buildings I am sure did not open with street front retail. Avord Tower with Atlantis and Flip was only recent was it not? I don't know about Grenfell and NCO I don't know as well. Either way, of recent, there has been the drive to open up the main floors of a couple downtown office buildings for smaller businesses which is long awaited and over due to add life to the street. I would 100% say Avord is my favorite with three businesses utilizing and energizing that portion of 11th and Victoria.

Also not sure on the others, but Avord had a completely empty space under the side of the building there, IIRC. So, it was available, but undeveloped. Then as you said, eventually people started investing downtown and opening businesses, and the space was eventually utilized.

Avord too is my favourite though. It's an excellent street-interaction on a highly visible corner; the full length windows really make the space, IMHO.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Grenfell had a Robin's Donut shop in it back in the late 1980s. I remember hanging out there in high school.