January 9 - Fire & Ice Festival

The Olympic Flame passed through Regina last night. The photo I have isn't great because it was so dark and the camera adjusted for the reflective stripes on the runner's clothing.

Therefore, I am posting a photo of a snow sculpture I took at the Fire & Ice Carnival which was part of the Olympic Torch Relay festivities.

The snow sculpture is called "Fun in the Snow: Snowball Rolling" by Anna Greenwood and Art 350 at the University of Regina. The sign beside the sculpture said, "With this sculpture, the artists wanted to depict the fun of playing in the snow, taking the childhood activity of building forts and snowmen to a humorous extreme." (The sculpture was sponsored by Alliance Energy.)

For more photos from the current and past Fire & Ice carnivals, go to Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/groups/ice_fire_regina/.

January 8-International Iron Workers' sign

I pass this sign on Dewdney Avenue East every day I go to work. It seems small as you are driving by; however, when you stop to take a picture, you realize it is over 3 feet in diameter. At night, this sign can be seen from blocks away.

I like this sign promoting the headquarters of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers union in Regina because of the detail in the logo.

To learn more about this 113 year old union organization, go to the International Iron Workers' website.

January 7 - MacKenzie Art Gallery

Although very sunny today, it was quite cold taking this picture of the MacKenzie Art Gallery. You can see how much snow the city has received; the sculpture "Mother & Child II" by Jacques Lipchiztz is surrounded by a sea of deep, powdery snow.

Money to establish the art gallery was bequeathed by Norman MacKenzie, a prominent lawyer in Regina in the early 20th century. He also bequeathed his art collection. With this support, the Norman MacKenzie Art Gallery opened on the Regina Campus of the U of S in 1953. In 1990, the MacKenzie separated from the university and became a community-based gallery. They also moved to their present location.

Go to the MacKenzie Art Gallery website to learn more about their history, their current exhibitions, and what the sculpture really looks like when it isn't covered by snow!

January 6 - First Nations University of Canada

This is a side view of the First Nations University of Canada campus in Regina. This view shows the undulating curves of the campus building and part of the 'teepee' window which graces the front of the building.

This unique building was designed by Douglas Cardinal, a famous Canadian architect. The campus was officially opened by HRH Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex during Regina's centennial celebrations in 2003.

For information about the First Nations University, go to their website at http://www.firstnationsuniversity.ca. For information about the architect, go to Douglas Cardinal's website.

January 5 - F.W. Hill Mall

About 5 centimetres of snow fell in Regina today; everything is blanketed under a cover of white, including downtown.

This photo was taken after work from the pedway connecting the Twin Towers downtown, looking north along F.W. Hill Mall (sometimes referred to as Scarth Street Mall). You can see the Cornwall Centre at the far end. This pedestrian mall was created in 1975 and is flanked by many historic buildings, including the Old Post Office. This building's green-coloured roof is visible in the upper right-hand corner of the photo.

Opened in 1981, the Cornwall Centre is Regina's largest enclosed shopping mall. For information about the Cornwall Centre or the Old Post Office, visit Regina Downtown at http://www.reginadowntown.ca

January 4 - Regina International Airport

Regina's airport "YQR" on a snowy January day. A banner - promoting the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation's 2009 Championship games that are happening this week in Saskatchewan - hangs off of a light pole to the right of the picture.

The runway is called Ronald J. Groome field, in honour of the Reginan who returned to the Queen City after the First World War. He and two of his buddies established the Aerial Service Company in 1919 and laid out an airstrip where they could fly ... the first one in Canada.

To learn more about Lt. Groome and Regina's airport, go to http://www.yqr.ca/.

January 3 - First Baptist Church

This church, located on the corner of Lorne Street and Victoria Avenue, has been a downtown landmark since 1912. Parishioners turned the first sod on April 10, 1911. By the time 12 months had passed, the congregation was celebrating church services inside the new building.

However, Regina's 1912 cyclone (called a tornado today) lifted the dome off the roof and caused over $12,000 damage.

For more information about the First Baptist Church of Regina, go to http://firstbap.sasktelwebsite.net/history.htm#ERLY