The building
Union Station, from trains to tables
Casino Regina sits in Regina's former Union Station on Saskatchewan Drive. The dated entries below follow the building from 1911 to the casino it became in 1996.
Hosted by Lena Ashdown, a character created for this guideChecked October 13, 2026
The station of 1911
Union Station in Regina was constructed in 1911-12. It brought the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian Northern Railway under one roof. The Canadian Northern later became the Canadian National Railway. Before it, the city's second railway station stood at the foot of Hamilton Street. That station dated from 1892 and sat just west of the current building.
Regina was also the terminal for No. 340, a maroon gas-electric unit known as "The Galloping Goose". It made the run to Moose Jaw in less than 55 minutes. The service ran up to four times a day. Moose Jaw now has its own casino, also run by SaskGaming.
- 1892Regina's second station opens at the foot of Hamilton Street
- 1911-12Union Station built for the CPR and the Canadian Northern
- 1931Grand concourse added, nearly $1,250,000
- 1939King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arrive, May 25
- 1990Last VIA train leaves, January 16
- 1991Federal heritage designation
- 1996Reopens as Casino Regina in January
- 2001SkyWalk opens over Saskatchewan Drive
The concourse of 1931
By 1931 the station needed more room. An expansion costing nearly $1,250,000 pushed the three-storey central section south. That work created a grand concourse and a pedestrian subway to the platforms. The 1911 facade was removed in the process.
Two kinds of stone mark the two building periods. The original station was faced with Ashlar stone, while Tyndall limestone dominated the new construction. Most of the new features are still preserved. They sit inside the building that has held Casino Regina since 1996.
Royal arrivals at the station
Royal visitors to Regina arrived at Union Station, the same building where the casino operates now. The Prince of Wales came through in 1919 and again in 1927. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arrived on May 25, 1939. Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh followed in 1951. Then the Queen came back to the same station on July 23, 1959.
The last train and the casino
The last VIA train left Regina on January 16, 1990. In 1991 the federal government designated Union Station a heritage site. Conversion into a casino was approved in 1994. A multi-million dollar renovation followed in 1995, and the building reopened as Casino Regina in January 1996.
SaskGaming, the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation, operates the casino. Since June 1, 2023, it has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan (LGS), a provincial Crown corporation. Net profits from Casinos Regina and Moose Jaw are split three ways. The Government of Saskatchewan's General Revenue Fund takes 50 per cent. The First Nations Trust and the Community Initiatives Fund get 25 per cent each.
In 2001 an enclosed SkyWalk opened over Saskatchewan Drive at Hamilton Street. It was built to link the casino with the Cornwall Centre, the Delta Hotel, the Trade and Convention Centre and the 1700 block of Hamilton Street.
Questions to the desk
- When was Regina's Union Station built?
- It was constructed in 1911-12. The station brought the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian Northern Railway together under one roof.
- When did the last train leave the station?
- The last VIA train left Regina on January 16, 1990. The federal government designated the building a heritage site in 1991.
- When did Casino Regina open?
- Conversion into a casino was approved in 1994. After a multi-million dollar renovation in 1995, the building reopened as Casino Regina in January 1996.
- Who runs Casino Regina now?
- SaskGaming, the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation, runs it, along with Casino Moose Jaw. Since June 1, 2023, SaskGaming has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan, a provincial Crown corporation. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority holds regulatory authority.