Why Do You Live Here Finalists Announced

Thank you to everyone who entered our Why Do You Live Here Contest. Below you will find the top 7 entries chosen based on uniqueness and sincerity. Voting is now closed.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the winner.

FINALIST #1

Why I Love Regina

Regina is Saskatchewan’s capital city,
And to me and my family, it is quite pretty!
The streets are lined with trees and lights,
Numerous are the events and sights!
Wascana Park is gorgeous in every season
Just go for a stroll, you don’t need a reason!
Whether summer or winter there is something to do
Might be swimming or skiing or getting a bite to chew!
Truthfully there is music for everyone’s ear
You’ll be honoured to find the RSO here!
Culture and music, dancing and more
Get a Mosaic passport and go on a tour!
No summer in Regina is complete
Until the Dragon Boats compete!
For theatres we have Globe, Dinner and IMAX,
But we all get excited spending the day at the EX!
Agribition, Royal Red, Fire and Ice Carnival,
Attending a Pats game is family fun for all!
Home of the Riders we are proud to say
We cheer for the Grey Cup when they play!
So if you ever want a change of pace
Come to Regina…it’s an awesome place!

Linda M. Wahl

FINALIST #2

Regina is full of honest people doing honest work, living a good life surrounded by the things that matter most to them. For some what matters most is family, others it’s stable employment or opportunity.... how about the chance to live without fear? Our city has great social offerings and excellent services, interesting activities and healthy communities. New comers to our city are quickly welcomed, new businesses are celebrated and seen as opportunity, and change is not something the hearty folk of southern Saskatchewan are afraid of. Speaking of fears....living in Regina I have few. I’m safe and my family is too. I encourage my child to walk to the park and play, meet other children and befriend those we haven’t seen before.

What makes ME love Regina? The people. It is the unwritten but quickly recognized set of morals and manners that is ingrained in of most of us Regina born that is admirable and something I’m proud to instill in my daughter. It is the easy nature at which we deal with each other, the respect we have for our neighbours, those we share our ‘hometown’ with. It is obvious to anyone moving here, or returning :-) that Regina is a city meant to be a home. Whether you were born at the General - same as me, or moved from Ontario, returned from Alberta, or immigrated from overseas.....Regina gets in your heart; she becomes your comfort zone, your home. As such, it is difficult to tell between those who choose to make Regina their home and those who choose to keep Regina as their home.

As we travel, experiencing new places and different people we are aware of the rudeness and coldness with which we’re dealt outside of the unparalleled borders of this fine province. There is charm and honesty you will find in all of Saskatchewan, and these wonderful attributes are alive and well in our Queen City. It is for these reasons and several others that I choose to remain in this weather beaten town.

A few years ago (I’m not saying how many!) my overworked mother of 3 wannabe-independent daughters was tired of having to run out at all hours to help us with our not-so-reliable vehicles. One day she announced “Girls, from now on if you’re having trouble with your car I want you to open your hood, hold out your booster cables and stand there looking stupid. You will be helped, and Heaven help me, you will learn to help yourselves!” Guess what? She was right!! This city, our communities are FULL of people who’ve had car trouble and who know how to rock a front wheel drive out of all three ruts left on the city’s side streets in Spring.

I couldn’t imagine raising my family anywhere but here! They say that it takes a community to raise a child....Well, this community raised me and I think it did a pretty good job. :) Thank you Regina!

Leanne Matthes

FINALIST #3

I live in Regina because it is the place I call home and I love it!

I had always lived on a farm or in a small community. So in 1988 when my husband decided that it would make more sense to move to the city since we spent more time on the road than at home driving back and forth to work, plus taking our children to their activities in Regina, I was scared to death! Wasn’t the city a dangerous place where everything had to be locked up, people weren’t friendly and most didn’t; even know their neighbours?

Well I couldn’t have been more wrong! We have lived in Regina now for almost 23 years, and I would never live anywhere else; It is one of the most beautiful, safest and friendliest places I know. Our neighbors are some of our best friends, and we are always watching out for and helping each other.

There are so many other things that I am proud of about our city. We live in the capital of the province; I think that gives us great bragging rights. We have our beautiful gem Wascana Lake & Park. Strolling around the lake one can’t help but be astonished and proud of its beauty. We are home to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Every time I see a red surge somewhere else I think these young men & women got their training in our home, Regina. We host some of the most prestigious events in the country. The Royal Red and the Canadian Western Agribition are just a couple. We have a mayor who truly cares about our city, and has done so much to revitalize it. I still think the “I Love Regina” campaign is one of the best things to ever happen, because I truly believe that is what the way most people feel.

And of course our beloved Rough Riders! We have the most dedicated football fans in the world! I am so proud to be one of them. People envy the loyalty of our fans, and nowhere else comes close.

We have some of the best job opportunities in the country, with many big corporations having taken an interest in what Regina has to offer. Where else can you get to work in under 20 minutes (at the most). I can’t even imagine spending an hour or more each day on a freeway getting to and from work.

We have so many opportunities for community involvement, and organizations welcome volunteers with open arms.

I could go on forever as to why I choose to live in Regina, but hopefully the reasons I have given here will give you some idea of why I think Regina is the Best city in the world!

Judy Dielschneider

FINALIST #4

I came from China October 2003. I lived in Toronto firstly and moved to Regina in 2009. I love to live in Regina comparing to Toronto.

The big reason is that it is easy to make money here. Economy reason is always the big reason. Money talks. I have done lots of kinds of jobs in Toronto: KFC, Computer repairing service, Restaurant, Sales, Casino dealer, Installing cameral and landscaping. It is hard to make money there. Now, I am doing landscaping here. We charge $8/sqft in Toronto for paving stone installing, but here, it is around $14-$18/sqft. The material cost, the same quality brick, $1.5/sqft in Toronto and $3.85/sqft in Regina. Perhaps you think that it is unfair to Regina resident because they pay more money. But they still have more benefit there.

1. How long you spend in your way to work (or to home)? My wife spent one hour each way every day in Toronto. Sometimes I spend 2 hours one way to work in peaking time. (I did landscaping that time and went to different work place). So, you have more time to enjoy life with your family in Regina. The people in Toronto have to drive slowly and breathe the polluted air when you stay at home with your family.

2. How much do you pay your Car insurance. It is no more than $100 here. I have to pay $250/month in Toronto and the price is going up every year. My wife hit a car in the back because she cannot stop last year in Regina. The driver of that car let my wife leave without asking for her phone number and driver license. What happen in Toronto like this? They will stay at home for half year and do lots of treatments if they involve in a very small collision. The insurance company will pay for that. So every driver in Toronto will pay more insurance.

3. The house price in the south of Regina (Close to Regina University) is around $300,000. It is detached three-bed-room house. You can only buy a small town house in Toronto using same price. I bought a small house in Winnipeg St and Victoria Ave in 2009. It spent me $93,000 and $750 property tax in one year. It is undeliverable.

4. The people here is very nice. Most of my customers are very nice. They said, “good, wonderful, fantastic, awesome... “to my work. One of my customer said, you just did whatever was easy to you. They always think other persons than themselves. Last year, I bought couple bags insulation from Home Depot. I cannot take all of them to home by my minivan. The young gentleman saw that and asked where was my home, then he help me to take that goods to my home. What these nice people in Regina. Nobody care you in Toronto. I write an article to tell others why the Saskatchewan is the best choice to live in. My article was posted in most of Canadian Chinese-language website. I know lots of Chinese persons read it and some of them came to Saskatchewan. I am happy that they love here after they move to Saskatchewan.

Another thing I want to say that we should develop fast. This is a small city comparing Calgary and Winnipeg. So we should go fast to catch up them. But how many years we have talked about the stadium? In China they will build two of them already, just see how fast they build the high speedy railway. We spend too much time to talk. I hope our Regina is the best capital city in prairie province. We have 1/2 area of farm in Canada, we have 2/3 Sylvie in the world, we have best quality Uranium in the world. Why not the best city in the prairie?

My English is no good. I hope you can understand what I mean. Thank you.

Hua Long

FINALIST #5

Living in Regina, what is not to love?!

I grew up in Regina, the city with an abundance of beauty, excitement, culture and most of all the friendliest and most giving people I have come across.

Regina is a perfect sized city where you can get anywhere within fifteen minutes and enjoy the luscious landscaping, the rainbow colors of flowers, and the grand architecture of many buildings on the way to your destination.

So close to home, yet the world comes to us. We get larger than life bands to entertain us, a vast array of High calibre Professional and University Sports, Majestic Musicals and Theater. Who needs to go to New York? These are right here at home.

A University that produces a magnitude of highly skilled students, numerous awards and top professors. Their buildings open their doors to every culture possible so that the enrichment of Regina will entice those to seek employment here and keep Regina an energetic, growing and prosperous city.

We have the Royal Museum of Natural History, nestled amongst Wascana Park and Lake that invites you to explore our History and Ancestors. We have the McKenzie Art Gallery with breathtaking artwork of local and famous artists.

Living in Regina makes it so easy and comfortable to go on our winding bike paths as well as walks around the lake. The beauty of the birds singing makes your strolls soothing and relaxing. You almost always have someone going past you with a friendly wave or hello.

I love living in Regina for the fact as well that we are such a caring community. Any function or event we host, it is always done with perfection that has raised the bar so high, other places are hard to top us.

We have the RCMP Museum and Training Program that shows off the amazing Sunset Ceremonies, the history of the RCMP and the stunning Red Serge Uniform that we are so proud to tell tourists about.

Our amateur sports and our community programs have a large variety of choices and make it affordable for us to participate in. Regina has a huge volume of volunteers that keep these programs going and I believe this is contributed to the fact we have a friendly, unselfish community that are willing to give their time to ensure our population grows and stays here.

Winter comes to life with a skating rink in the middle of Victoria Park as well as a Winter Festival in February, decorative streetlights during the Christmas Season, and the numerous households that go all out and adorn their lawns and homes with Christmas lighting and animated figures. What a perfect family outing, to go around looking at all the magnificent lights! We also cannot forget the lighting of the Legislative Building to start off the holiday season. Singing, hot chocolate, and a community coming together to enjoy!

Regina is the right size for raising a family where you will always have numerous choices for activities, entertainment and involvement. It is safe, clean and affordable. Is there really any other place to live? Hmmm I think not.

Susan Warner-Genaille

FINALIST #6

2011 will be the 37th year we live in Regina. My husband said to me in 1974, we will just go there for one year, then we will move. :-) I love Regina for:

1. The streets are very simple. After all these years, I only know of Albert Street, Broad Street, Victoria Ave. Dewdney Ave, and Arcola Ave. Then I can find all the others from there.

2. I love our rush hours, it takes less than 20 min to clear it all.

3. You can go from East end of the city to West end in 15 min. South to North in about the same.

4. There is a Chinese saying “Although the sparrow is tiny, but it has all the organs it needs.” Regina has a Science Centre; A Natural History Museum; a RCMP Museum; a university; a nice Bike Trail/ski trail for winter; Conexus Arts Centre with a concert hall and banquet halls; A performing Art Centre; many conference centres, hotels; movie theaters; Exhibition Park; a man-made lake which is so beautiful that when I was touring New Zealand in 2009, I keep thinking about why do we go there to sight-seeing. Canada is prettier and cleaner and way, way bigger. And Wascana Lake is better. We may not have black swans, but we have famous Canadian Geese!

5. Lots of shopping Centres to spend money on. Most people watch for sales. So you are able to stretch your money a long way.

6. A small city to raise children is most ideal. Parents do not have to spend hours in driving the children from and to activities. And there are all kinds of activities for children to choose from.

7. Our one and only Saskatchewan Roughrider football team and a Mosaic stadium for those football fans, and Regina Pats for Hockey fans.

8. Regina is truly a multicultural Centre, all different back ground of people live happily in peace with each other. This can be seen from the annual Mosaic, folk festival, and all sort of different organizations’ charity gala which raises funds for local hospitals and all sort of charities.

9. Everywhere you go, you meet someone that knows someone you know. This is the beauty of a community. The funny thing is, you cannot really do anything bad, because someone will know, then, some you know will know also, and that will be bad for you.

Maybe someday, I will tell you the story why we stayed for 37 years and God willing for another 37 years (I will be 103!) :-)

There, I think I say enough.

Thanks and take care.

Happy Year of Rabbit to You!!!

Katherine Chang

FINALIST #7

When I have gone away in past years, no matter how much I have enjoyed the sights and sounds of some of the wonderful places I have visited, the happiest moment for me was always seeing the fertile land spread out beneath my plane and the glorious sky from horizon to horizon. This was HOME.

It became mine in December of 1930 when my Dad struggled through the first blizzard of the season to the General hospital, where my mother and I were waiting for him. She had been the first baby girl born in a cottage hospital located on what became the north playing field of Central Collegiate and to her Regina was the only place in the world where she would be happy... and she was.

Consequently I have always considered myself a legitimate Regina Oldtimer. During my working years I was fortunate enough to be involved with the Wascana Centre Authority, from the time the legislation bringing it into existence was passed, to my retirement in 1973. In those early days of the Authority’s existence everything we did was new, building on the foundations laid down by the far-sighted principals of the provincial government, the City of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan.

The government located the magnificent Legislative building south of the tiny Wascana Creek and established a large park around it; the City of Regina set aside many acres on the north side of the creek, calling it Wascana Park; and the University established a Regina campus along College Avenue, which later would become a part of the new University of Regina.

The groundwork had been laid, and countless thousands of Reginans and visitors have had the delights offered by the beautiful green oasis in the centre of our city, now covering over 2,000 acres. This makes it larger then Central Park in New York, and indeed probably the largest urban park in the world. The tiny creek has now become a glistening lake which welcomes canoes, kayaks and sailboats, having been recently drained, deepened and refilled. It is a constant surprise to visitors who have heard that Regina was once called Pile O’Bones and now offers space and facilities for art, theatre, government, education, entertainment, annual special events and quiet green spaces for many thousands.

It makes me tremendously proud to say I live in Regina, which is the only city in Canada with a legislated 100-year master plan. I honestly feel like the early pioneers must have felt when they worked so hard to clear the land for growing crops which would feed millions the world over.

Who wouldn’t be proud and happy to say “I love Regina.”

Jan Beadnell