Saskatchewan's capital city leans into 'Experience Regina'
CBC
Experience Regina — it's a phrase that has been used to make fun of Saskatchewan's capital city for years.
Regina's name sounding similar to a word for genitalia helped a song about the city go viral. Now the city that rhymes with fun is attempting to own the joke, making the name of the song the new name of Regina's tourism organization.
"It is an opportunity. When you travel globally and people talk about it, there's a a moment of 'What's the city called again?'" said Tim Reid, CEO of Experience Regina.
"It just is what it is, so don't shy away from it. It is the city's name and we should be proud of it,"
The rebrand for the the organization previously known as Tourism Regina was unveiled on Thursday.
Reid and Mayor Sandra Masters were joined by Randy Boissonnault, the federal minister of tourism, as they premiered a music video covering a song that popularized the phrase "Experience Regina."
The original video was uploaded to YouTube in 2008 and has been watched nearly 700,000 times in the 14 years since.
Melody and Tim, the pseudonyms of two Americans, created the song after one of them took a road trip across Canada in 2008, according to the Regina Leader-Post.
Full of synths, a hypnotic off-key lyricist and featuring a video of various locations around Regina, the video went viral.
It saw a new wave of popularity in 2018 after Jimmy Fallon played the song on The Tonight Show, prompting laughs from Fallon's co-host, members of his band and its audience.
While its use brought attention to the song, even nabbing Fallon an invite to visit the city from then mayor-Michael Fougere, the city didn't seize the opportunity at the time.
One of the companies that did was Rebellion Brewing.
The Regina microbrewery has been making merchandise with the slogan since it took off on Fallon.
A temporary emergency warming centre in Caraquet is getting a second chance after facing backlash from residents.
Quebec's Minister of Municipal Affairs Geneviève Guilbault will leave provincial politics at the end of her mandate, citing family reasons, according to a spokesperson for the minister.
The parent company of Winnipeg spa Thermea has pulled a guest experience survey that asked what one customer says were "highly inappropriate" questions, including one asking if immigration is a threat to "the purity of the country."
Some farmers in Saskatchewan say they hope a new deal on canola tariffs struck with China following a visit by both Prime Minister Mark Carney and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe this week will not only improve the market, but also signal a step away from western alienation.
Angelica Lim is explaining how the shiny, white robot in front of us only responds to the command, “Tell me a joke,” when it interrupts her.
Even if you don’t want to sing, Nathan Whitlock says you should still come out to one of his band's live karaoke shows.
Drive south from Calgary on Highway 2 and watch as the speed cuts from 110 kilometres an hour down to 70, then 50, then 30 for a temporary school zone.
The new Ontario Line will include protective barriers at all stations to separate platforms from the tracks, something the Toronto Transit Commission has been considering adding to its subway system for years.
This First Person column is the experience of Andrew Stetson, a writer and storyteller in P.E.I. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
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