Moving to Regina

Regina is a welcoming place to call home and excellent location to raise a family. With hundreds of parks and an abundance of sport and recreation facilities, arts and cultural centres, museums and performance spaces, major attractions and events all year round, there is something for everyone. Libraries and bicycle pathways add to an exceptional quality of life.

Geography & Climate

Regina is the capital of Saskatchewan and the 16th largest city in Canada. Regina is located in the south central area of the province and covers an area of 118.4 square kilometres.

Regina is the sunniest capital city in Canada. Regina is a four-season city that generally experiences warm springs and summers, pleasant falls, and cold, dry winters. Average temperatures range from 23 degrees Celsius in summer (73 degrees Fahrenheit) to -11 degrees C (12 degrees F) in winter. Average annual precipitation is 398 mm (15.3 inches) and is heaviest from June through August, with June being the wettest month with an average of 75 millimetres (2.95 inches) of precipitation. Snow fall in winter averages 116 cm (45 inches).

Government

The City of Regina is governed by City Council, which is made up of the Mayor and 10 City Councillors. City Council establishes policies and budgets for programs and services delivered by the City of Regina. Various committees have been established to assist City Council in carrying out its duties. These committees consider issues within their scope and make recommendations to Council or other committees, or exercise the authority delegated by City Council.

Education

Regina has three school divisions. The Regina Public School Board administers all public elementary and high schools, including separate Christian and Muslim schools, the Regina Catholic School Board runs elementary and high schools with a Roman Catholic affiliation and the Conseil des écoles fransaskoises is a French-only school division. 

There are three post-secondary educational centres in Regina. Regina Campus of the Saskatchewan Polytechnic, the University of Regina and the First Nations University of Canada.

Health Care

The Saskatchewan health care system is made up of many provincial, regional and local organizations working together. The Province of Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Health oversees the direction of the health care system.

There are two major hospitals in Regina as well as numerous walk-in clinics. The hospitals are run by the Saskatchewan Health Authority, which also administers community health and wellness programs.

Libraries

Regina Public Library offers a wealth of resources to Regina citizens with nine branches, offering automated catalogue and online information-searching capabilities. Anyone with a Regina address can get a free library card to access books, programs and other resources.

Transportation

Regina is located on the Trans-Canada Highway. The Canadian Pacific and Canadian National railways run through the City. The Regina International Airport is served by 6 regular carriers, as well as charter service. Over 100 trucking and courier companies provide transportation of goods.

The City of Regina Transit Service is Saskatchewan's oldest public transit system, with a fleet of over 100 diesel buses that carry 6.4 million passengers on 20 integrated routes annually within the city. For passengers who are unable to use regular transit, Regina Paratransit has a fleet of lift-equipped buses.

Housing

There are many housing options available in Regina:

Buying a Home - You can contact a Realtor to assist you in finding a home. The Association of Regina REALTORS® provides information on members, sales and prices. 

Seeking affordable home ownership? View the list of eligible developments that may be considered for an affordable homeownership grant after meeting the eligibility requirements.

Building a Home - Regina & Region Home Builders’ Association has an extensive website that provides a lot of consumer information on building a new home or renovating an existing home.

Renting a Home - You can look for rental properties on rentals.ca, usedregina.com or regina.kijiji.ca. Some of these websites also can help you find and purchase used furniture and household items.

The City works with non-profit and private sector organizations to encourage and promote affordable housing in Regina. If you are seeking an affordable rental property, view the list of organizations and developers providing affordable rental through the City of Regina’s housing incentives.

The Regina Housing Authority offers a range of housing assistance for low-income householders who otherwise cannot afford safe, adequate rental housing. If you need temporary accommodations, Regina has many hotels and motels which can be found the Regina Hotel Association website.  

Utilities

Water and sewer services are City-owned. SaskTel supplies telecommunication products and services. SaskPower and SaskEnergy supply electricity and natural gas.

Resources & Major Industries

Regina’s resource-based economy is fuelled by agriculture, oil and gas production and development, as well as telecommunications. Regina has been named one of the most affordable places to do business in western North America several times over the past few years. Economic Development Regina Inc. (EDR) attracts new business to the area and fosters the growth of existing businesses.

Services for Newcomers

• The City of Regina welcomes people from around the world. Our diversity defines us.
• Language is an important part of becoming comfortable in a community. Languages transmit cultures, values and traditional knowledge and plays an important role in promoting sustainable futures.
• We look forward to you calling Regina ‘home’ and participating in many cultural and recreational services that we are proud to offer our residents.
• The City of Regina never asks anyone for their immigration status to access any of the services we provide.

The City of Regina encourages all immigrants, refugees and temporary residents to contact the Newcomer Welcome Centre. The Centre provides information, assessments and other supports to help you and your family make a more successful transition to life in our community. Other organizations that specialize in services to immigrants are Regina Open Door Society, Regina Immigrant Women Centre, Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise, Ukrainian Canadian Congress and Catholic Family Service’s Newcomer Centre Career & Support Services Centre.

Start with the Language Assessment and Referral Centre (LARC). They will assess you and refer you to one of four Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada organizations:

• Regina Open Door Society
• Saskatchewan Polytechnic
• Regina Immigrant Women Centre
• University of Regina

Other organizations dedicated to helping immigrants and newcomers with language services are:

• The Regina Public Library offers free lessons in English as an Additional Language.
• Saskatchewan Polytechnic Regina Campus offers extensive English language services for adult newcomers. There are English language classes for permanent residents, temporary foreign workers, international students and Canadian citizens as well as assessments: International English language Testing System (IELTS), Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLBA), and Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP).