Your friendly, positive roundup of what's happening in Regina
March 9, 2026
Happy Monday, Regina! 👋
The calendar says early March, the sun is staying out a little longer each day, and there is genuinely a lot going on in the Queen City this week. The Pats are deep in a playoff push on the road in Alberta, Disney's Frozen is in its final days at the Globe, and Regina's biggest rural gathering of the year rolls into the REAL District tomorrow.
Here's everything worth knowing as you start your Monday.
In today's edition:
📈 Regina's tourism boom — $135 million and counting
🏈 Riders fans flood the tailgating lottery
🦷 Fluoride in Regina's water: summer 2027 is the new timeline
🚰 Five big years ahead for Regina's water infrastructure
🏙️ 2,000+ rural leaders descend on Regina for SARM this week
📅 Your full event lineup for March 9–11📰 News & Community
📈 Regina Just Had Its Best Tourism Year Ever
The numbers are in and they're worth celebrating: Regina generated more than $135 million in tourism impact in 2025, which is a 20% jump over the previous year and crossed the one million passengers mark at the airport for the first time. Over 170,000 visitors came to the city specifically for events, and hotel occupancy nearly matched pre-pandemic highs at 56%.
What drove it? A stacked events calendar. The Vanier Cup, Skills Canada Nationals, Canoe Kayak Sprint Nationals, and a record-breaking Agribition all called Regina home last year. More than 80 national and regional events in a single year. Golf courses were packed. Patios were full. The city showed up.
The pipeline through 2028 is already loaded. Regina has quietly become one of the best mid-sized event cities in the country and the rest of Canada is starting to notice.
🏈 Riders Fans Are Already Locked In for 2026
The Roughriders opened a tailgating lottery this week for season ticket holders. $500 gets you two side-by-side spots outside Mosaic Stadium for the entire home season, playoffs included. One spot for your vehicle, one for your setup. The window has closed and the Riders say the response was strong.
It's a small thing, but it says something about where this fanbase is right now. Coming off a Grey Cup title, nobody is waiting to see how the season unfolds before committing, they're already planning the party. Winners will be drawn at random. If you're in, watch your inbox.
🦷 Fluoride in Regina's Taps: Still Coming, Just Later
Regina's water fluoridation project has hit a delay, The new timeline is summer 2027, about a year behind where things stood. The holdup comes down to a construction error at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant: the space built to house the fluoridation equipment doesn't match the original design. Rather than spend months fighting over who's responsible, the decision was made to redesign the installation and get moving. Accountability questions to be sorted separately.
The redesign is nearly done. Tender goes out this spring, contract awarded by fall, then specialized equipment gets manufactured and installed. Not the fastest timeline, but the project is still on track and the overall cost isn't expected to change. Fluoride is coming, just not quite yet.
🚰 Regina Is Spending Half a Billion Dollars Underground
It doesn't make for a flashy headline, but the City of Regina is in the middle of one of the most significant infrastructure investments in its history — and most of it is buried under your feet. Three major projects are either underway or newly launched:
The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant renewal ($326 million) wraps up this year and will modernize how the entire city gets its drinking water. A pipe renewal project ($95.7 million) is actively relining 40 kilometres of aging infrastructure and laying new larger-diameter mains across the city. And a brand new northwest wastewater lift station ($67 million) will fix long-standing capacity problems for more than 2,000 properties while opening the door for continued growth in newer parts of the city.
🏙️ The Whole Province Is Coming to Regina This Week
Starting tomorrow, more than 2,000 rural municipal leaders from across Saskatchewan will be in the city for the 121st SARM Annual Convention and Trade Show at the REAL District, one of the biggest gatherings of civic decision-makers the province puts together each year. It runs through Wednesday, March 12.
For three days, the people who run rural Saskatchewan's roads, utilities, and local governments are all in one room, debating policy, hearing from the Premier and cabinet, and doing the business of keeping small-town Saskatchewan running. If you work in agriculture, construction, or anything connected to rural communities, this is the week to be downtown. And if you're just driving through the REAL District, expect a busy parking lot.
📅 What's On in Regina
March 9 – 11, 2026
📍 Monday, March 9
Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan · 2440 Broad St
🖼️ Art Realities Exhibit · 10:00 AM–4:00 PM · Ongoing exhibition during regular weekday hours. Free to visit.
Central Library — Regina Public Library · 2311 12th Ave
🎨 Art to Art · Open during library hours · Dunlop Art Gallery · Ongoing exhibition — free and always worth a wander.
📚 Smudge in the Commons · 12:00 PM–1:00 PM · Community Commons · Weekly drop-in gathering. All are welcome.
⚖️ Law Librarian on Site · 1:30 PM · Central Adult · Free drop-in legal information support — no appointment needed.
💬 Thrive Walk-In Counselling · 5:00 PM–8:30 PM · Central Adult · Free walk-in counselling through Family Service Regina. No referral required.
Sherwood Village Branch — Regina Public Library · 6121 Rochdale Blvd
🎨 Casey Koyczan: raven: tatsǫ́ · 9:30 AM–6:00 PM · Dunlop Art Gallery · Ongoing exhibition at the Sherwood branch.
📍 Tuesday, March 10
International Trade Centre, REAL District · 1700 Elphinstone St
🏙️ SARM 121st Annual Convention & Trade Show · 8:00 AM–5:00 PM · More than 2,000 delegates and guests from across Saskatchewan in Regina for the week. Runs through March 12.
Globe Theatre · 1801 Scarth St
🎭 Disney's Frozen: The Broadway Musical · Performance this evening · The Broadway hit runs through March 22 — check the website for showtimes and availability.
MacKenzie Art Gallery · 3475 Albert St
🖼️ Death Boat and Other Stories · 10:00 AM–5:30 PM
🖼️ Joi T. Arcand: ayâtaskisow · 10:00 AM–5:30 PM
🖼️ The 2025 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts · 10:00 AM–5:30 PM
General admission $12. Three world-class exhibitions under one roof — a great Tuesday afternoon outing.
Art Gallery of Regina · 2420 Elphinstone St
🖼️ The Thread of the Wish · 11:00 AM–7:00 PM · Ongoing exhibition. Free admission.
Central Library — Regina Public Library · 2311 12th Ave
🎨 Art to Art · Open during library hours · Dunlop Art Gallery · Ongoing.
✍️ Writer in Residence Drop-In · 1:00 PM–9:00 PM · Central Adult · Got a manuscript or story idea? Drop in and talk to a pro. Free.
🎮 Big Screen Video Games · 7:00 PM–8:00 PM · Central Children's · Nintendo Switch on the big screen. Free drop-in for kids.
Sherwood Village Branch — Regina Public Library · 6121 Rochdale Blvd
🎨 Casey Koyczan: raven: tatsǫ́ · 9:30 AM–9:00 PM · Dunlop Art Gallery · Extended hours today.
Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan · 2440 Broad St
🖼️ Art Realities Exhibit · 10:00 AM–4:00 PM · Ongoing.
📍 Wednesday, March 11
International Trade Centre, REAL District · 1700 Elphinstone St
🏙️ SARM 121st Annual Convention & Trade Show · Trade show 8:00 AM–3:00 PM · Day two — Premier Scott Moe addresses delegates at 9:00 AM, followed by the annual Bear Pit Q&A with cabinet at 9:30 AM.
Globe Theatre · 1801 Scarth St
🎭 Disney's Frozen: The Broadway Musical · Performance this evening · Runs through March 22. Check the website for showtimes and availability.
MacKenzie Art Gallery · 3475 Albert St
🖼️ Death Boat and Other Stories · 10:00 AM–5:30 PM
🖼️ Joi T. Arcand: ayâtaskisow · 10:00 AM–5:30 PM
🖼️ The 2025 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts · 10:00 AM–5:30 PM
🎨 Suminagashi: The Art of Paper Marbling · 1:30 PM–3:30 PM · Hands-on workshop — learn the ancient Japanese art of water marbling. $25 · Ages 18+.
General admission $12.
Art Gallery of Regina · 2420 Elphinstone St
🖼️ The Thread of the Wish · 11:00 AM–7:00 PM · Ongoing exhibition. Free admission.
Saskatchewan Science Centre · 2903 Powerhouse Dr
🔬 Science Time for Tots: Bubble Art Science · 9:30 AM–10:30 AM · Hands-on science fun for little ones.
Central Library — Regina Public Library · 2311 12th Ave
🎨 Art to Art · Open during library hours · Dunlop Art Gallery · Ongoing.
🌿 Culture Connect: Indigenous Teachings · 6:00 PM–8:00 PM · Community Commons · Free drop-in program open to ages 13+. All are welcome.
Sherwood Village Branch — Regina Public Library · 6121 Rochdale Blvd
🎨 Casey Koyczan: raven: tatsǫ́ · 9:30 AM–9:00 PM · Dunlop Art Gallery · Ongoing.
Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan · 2440 Broad St
🖼️ Art Realities Exhibit · 10:00 AM–4:00 PM · Ongoing.
Darke Hall · 2255 College Ave
🎹 Michael Kaeshammer · 7:30 PM · Part of the Darke Hall Presents Series — one of Canada's finest jazz pianists in one of Regina's most beautiful concert halls. A perfect mid-week evening out.
🏒 Pats Update: The Regina Pats are on an Alberta road trip this week, with games in Calgary, Medicine Hat, and Lethbridge. They do not return to home ice until Saturday, March 14 against Prince Albert. Regina is currently holding a playoff spot, sitting 8th in the Eastern Conference, and is 6-3-1-0 over its last 10 games. Full schedule at reginapats.com.
That's a Wrap on Monday, Regina 👋
Thanks for starting your week with Queen City Digest. Whether you're heading out to catch Frozen at the Globe, dropping into the MacKenzie, or just keeping tabs on what's happening around town — we're glad you're here.
If you found this useful, the best thing you can do is forward it to a friend who loves Regina as much as you do. Every new reader helps us keep growing and keep this free.
🗓️ Next edition: Wednesday, March 11 — back with more news, more events, and everything worth knowing mid-week.
-The QCD Team