City Hall

Regina was incorporated as a town in 1883. Back then, Regina had only about 1000 people and about 400 buildings. There was no town hall, and council meetings were held wherever there was room – often in churches or stores. The first town hall was a wooden structure that stood on the corner of Scarth Street and 11 th Avenue . It was built in 1885-1886. The building served many functions; in addition to being the town hall, it was also the town police station and the town fire hall. It was a school during the day and a meeting hall and banquet hall in the evenings and on weekends.

By 1903, when Regina had become a city, the building was noticeably too small to serve the community's needs. A new city hall needed to be built. The new building was grand in scope and size, emphasizing the confidence city fathers saw in the future of the city. Built on 11 th Avenue between Hamilton and Rose Streets (where the Galleria Mall now stands), the new building was ornately decorated. It was often known as “The Gingerbread Palace.” Constructed between 1906 -1908, it came into use in 1908 as a city hall, centre of arts, music and literature, and a banquet hall. Like its wooden predecessor, the massive stone structure was used for everything from lectures to dances – even boxing matches were held within its hallowed walls. However, by 1963, the revered old hall was showing its age and all civic offices were moved to the Old Post Office building. The building sat vacant for two years until it was demolished in 1965 to make room for a shopping centre.