REGINA — The City of Regina and Tourism Regina have launched five new merchandise collections featuring some of the people, places, traditions and flavours that make the Queen City unique.
The collections were unveiled Thursday at the Tourism Regina kiosk in the arrivals area of Regina International Airport, where the launch was held alongside the Good Morning Project.
The event gave arriving passengers a distinctly Regina welcome, with a DJ playing upbeat music, free coffee and treats, prizes and cheers from the Good Morning Project team. Regina-style pizza was also served to guests as the new merchandise was introduced.
Teale Orban, director of destination stewardship for Tourism Regina, says the new collections are an evolution of the city's more than 20-year-old I Love Regina brand.
"The brand's not what we love. It's a city that we love. And the brand is just kind of something that allows us to show that."
Orban says the familiar I Love Regina logo remains part of the new merchandise, but the expanded collection allows people to celebrate different aspects of the city.
"We wanted to find ways to celebrate different parts of the city and kind of focus on different locations and areas while also giving an ode to the I Love Regina brand."
The Classic collection features the recognizable I Love Regina logo and includes items such as T-shirts, hats, frisbees, footballs and Croc charms.
The Signature collection highlights Regina's skyline, local landmarks and the city's character.
The Heritage collection draws on Regina's history, including the stories, places and people that helped shape the city.
The Tourism Regina collection highlights local attractions, including Globe Theatre.
And the feature collection pays tribute to one of Regina's most recognizable local traditions: Regina-style pizza.
Orban says the pizza collection has a personal connection for him.
"As a lifelong resident of the City of Regina, I never knew the difference between Regina-style pizza and other pizza. I just knew it as good pizza."
He recalls that when his father said the family was having "good pizza," it meant Regina-style pizza.
The new merchandise includes T-shirts, hats, water bottles, pins, stickers, a puzzle and other items.
Kevin Blehm, manager of destination development for Tourism Regina, says the development process involved considerable attention to detail.
"It's honestly been very cool to see just how it has evolved when our team did start planning a new iconic series."
Blehm says the team worked on everything from colours and designs to the details on the product tags, while working with the attractions featured in the collections.
"When people do come and visit the city, it's like, hey, I get to take a little piece of that building and that history back with us."
The Globe Theatre collection includes a T-shirt, puzzle, pin, magnet and reusable water bottle.
Orban says Globe Theatre was a natural choice because of its place in Regina's cultural identity. The theatre has been a fixture in Regina for nearly 60 years and is Canada's only permanent professional theatre in the round.
The city says the new collections are intended to do more than sell merchandise. They are meant to give residents and visitors a way to connect with the city and create conversations about its history, landmarks and culture.
"As residents, we all have these stories," Orban said. "Whether it be about good pizza, our iconic buildings, our historic buildings, or our iconic skyline, the people who make up our community. And what better way to start conversations about them than having pieces we can wear, gift and share?"
The Regina airport was chosen as the launch location because it is often the first place visitors experience the city.
James Bogusz, president and CEO of the Regina Airport Authority, says the airport's Tourism Regina kiosk provides an opportunity to introduce visitors to the city immediately after they arrive.
"The tourism kiosk is an amazing welcome to Regina for travellers arriving at the airport, offering an immediate sense of the city's warmth, creativity and pride of place."
The merchandise is available for purchase at the Tourism Regina kiosk at Regina International Airport and the City Hall Ambassador desk.
It will also be available at I Love Regina Day in Victoria Park on Saturday, Aug. 22.
Most of the new merchandise can also be ordered online through ILoveReginaGear.ca. The Tourism Regina-specific products are currently being sold at the physical locations.
The city says the merchandise is available in limited quantities while supplies last.
There are also plans to expand the collections.
Orban says the launch is intended to be the beginning of a larger merchandise program, rather than a one-time release.
"We were hoping that this does well, and people, residents and visitors, want to buy this line, and then that kind of just allows us to open the doors to buy more and try new things."
The airport launch also gave the City and Tourism Regina an opportunity to work alongside the Good Morning Project, which has been focused on creating a welcoming experience for people arriving in Regina.
The project's DJ, coffee, giveaways and enthusiastic welcome added an energetic backdrop to the merchandise unveiling.
For Orban, the collaboration reflects a broader effort to make Regina a welcoming destination while giving people something tangible that represents the city.
"We're all just so passionate about the city. We're passionate about tourism."
He says working with city and Tourism Regina staff who share that enthusiasm was one of the most rewarding parts of developing the collections.
"It's just super exciting working with people in the city who love the city and just want to create something that's unique and different."
And whether someone chooses the skyline, a historic landmark, Globe Theatre, the I Love Regina logo or Regina-style pizza, Orban says the merchandise ultimately serves one purpose.
"There's something special about feeling connected to a place and even more special when you carry a little piece of that connection with you."
Watch SaskToday's short video from the unveiling ceremony.
