There’s so much to learn about our university that you don’t realize from the inside
Wascana Centre offers eight different self-guided walking tours that allow individuals to learn about the different areas of the lake. Each tour is meant to take between 15 and 30 minutes. The fact that they are self-guided means that one can take however long they want in order to complete the tour. You can choose a tour to learn about the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Darke Hall, Pine Island, Mackenzie Art Gallery, Goosehill Park, the recreational facilities, the University of Regina, or the preserved plant and animal life in the area. Being a student at the university, I wanted to take the time to learn about my school and get to know my community better.
The walk starts at the Wascana Centre bike path, which travels along the north side of campus. The University of Regina is one of the founding agencies and a partner of the Wascana Centre Authority. This means that it assists in adding to the purpose of Wascana Centre through the expansion and enlargement of educational opportunities.
The self-guided tour also takes you to the First Nations University of Canada which was designed by an Indigenous architect named Douglas Cardinal. The First Nations University Regina campus was established in 1976 when the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (SIFC) developed a federal partnership with the University of Regina. The building cost $30 million to build and opened its doors in 2003. Today, it is still the only First Nations university in Canada.
Shortly after passing the First Nations University, you come across Luther College and Campion College. Luther College has a student residence that houses 217 people and is affiliated with the high school located across the city. These colleges are both accredited and are affiliated with the University of Regina’s main campus.
The Wakpa and Paskwaw residences opened in 2016 and are located behind the two colleges. There is also the Language Institute which is home to the Bilingual Studies Centre as well as a Summer Centre for our international students. The massive green towers behind the Language Institute are known as Kisik Towers which opened in 2004 and cost $38 million to build. With 693 bedrooms as dorms and apartment-styled residences, the 12 story towers are home to many students each semester.
The tour then takes you to the most well-known building and arguably the heart of the university, the Administration-Humanities building, more commonly known by students as Ad-Hum. The building houses a variety of administrative offices, such as the business office, the Registrar’s office, financial services, student loans and financial aid, and the President’s office. Furthermore, Ad-Hum is also where the ‘pit,’ a sunken area in the floor with sofas, is located. Students often come to use this area of Ad-Hum to study.
Archer Library is away from the road beside Ad-Hum. The most interesting thing I learned from the tour is that Archer Library was initially designed to act as the official entrance of the university.
On the corner is the Classroom Building. This building is home to many lecture halls, classrooms, research labs, and faculty offices. The Classroom Building entrance is in a beautiful area covered with greenery.
All in all, the self-guided tour was an interesting way for me to interact with my university and learn more about its history. It is easy to take it for granted when you are inside the buildings, however viewing the buildings from the outside offers a different perspective.
