New Community Centre Opens in Heritage Neighbourhood

A grand opening ceremony was held today to mark the opening of a new community centre in the Municipal Justice Building located in the Heritage neighbourhood.

The building, now called the Mitakuyé Owâs’ā Centre, was redeveloped into a neighbourhood centre and Regina Police Service (RPS) training and fitness facility while preserving the heritage of the facility. This redevelopment created a number of programmable spaces for the community including a multi-use stage/classroom, community kitchen, and meeting rooms. It also connects to community with office space for the Heritage Community Association (HCA), as well as a large gymnasium/multi-purpose room.

The Mitakuyé Owâs’ā Centre demonstrates the City of Regina's commitment to community engagement, recreation and heritage preservation,” said Regina Mayor Sandra Masters. “Through the building’s redevelopment, this accessible and inclusive space will foster partnerships and provide diverse community and cultural programming for residents.”

Mitakuyé Owâs’ā is a Dakota phrase that translates to “All My Relations” in English. This is a common phrase between the Dakota, Nakota and Lakota languages, meaning we are all relatives and connected to each other. This sense of having relatives and being connected includes all people, regardless of status or background, and extends to all things that exist on the land, in the air and in the water. This interconnectedness supports all who enter the building to move forward in a good way.  

The City of Regina is excited to offer this new space for the community to book for one-time or ongoing meetings, events and/or programs. The space has already been used to host HCA’s Harvest Moon Festival and it’s expected the the Mitakuyé Owâs’ā Centre will host many more programs and events by the City, HCA, RPS and other organizations. In addition, the City is excited to be able to offer programs such as drop-in basketball, a free evening teen program and Indigenous storytelling events.

Funding for construction of the building included contributions from the Government of Saskatchewan’s Municipal Economic Enhancement Program (MEEP) at $7.5 million, as well as Canada Cultural Spaces Fund for $0.5 million, and funding from the RPS

Campus Development project for the RPS space. In addition to this funding, the HCA received a $75,000 grant from the Co-Op Community Spaces Program to support the community kitchen and development of garden boxes.

"The Government of Saskatchewan is proud to support the renovations to the Municipal Justice Building by investing $7.5 million in provincial funding through MEEP,” Minister of Government Relations Don McMorris said. “The Mitakuyé Owâs’ā Centre will be a cornerstone in Regina’s Heritage neighbourhood as a community gathering and recreation space, and a benefit for residents for many generations to come.”

The Municipal Justice Building’s original use was the headquarters for the Regina Police Service (RPS) from 1930 to 1978. In January 2021, City Council designated the original 1930 Municipal Justice Building as a Municipal Heritage Property.

Visit Regina.ca/ for the booking application to rent space in the new Mitakuyé Owâs’ā Centre.