Wascana Centre, Urban park in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Wascana Centre is a large urban park surrounding Wascana Lake in Regina, featuring walking trails, gardens, monuments, and recreational facilities across its landscaped grounds. The 930-hectare area combines green spaces with cultural buildings and waterfront sections along the lake.
Wascana Lake was created in 1883 by damming Wascana Creek as a water reservoir for the town and the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1905, planning began for a provincial legislative building, and landscape architect Frederick Todd completed an initial design study in 1907. Thomas Mawson's expanded plan was submitted in 1912, the same year the Saskatchewan Legislative Building was completed, and it served as the park's template for five decades.
The name Wascana comes from the Cree word Oscana, meaning "pile of bones", after the bison bones once scattered along Wascana Creek. The Wascana Racing Canoe Club has hosted the Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak National Championships here in 2006, 2010 and 2014, and the canoe and kayak events of the 2014 North American Indigenous Games.
The grounds offer summer activities like canoe, kayak, and paddleboard rentals, while the frozen lake provides skating and cross-country skiing in winter. The park suits extended walks and seasonal activities throughout the year.
The 2003–2004 dredging, known locally as the Big Dig, deepened Wascana Lake by about 5 metres and added a new island. It was finished in mid-March 2004 in time for the spring runoff. The work was mainly meant to cut aquatic weed growth and improve water quality for paddling.
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