REGINA, Sask. — Johnny Slastukin has a big idea for Regina's future, but he wants the public to decide what it should look like.
The local author is calling on residents to come up with an attraction worthy of the title of the world's biggest something, proposing it as a potential centrepiece for The Yards, the proposed redevelopment of Regina's former rail yards.
In a recent Facebook post, Slastukin described the site as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the city centre. He pointed to Granville Island in Vancouver and The Forks in Winnipeg as examples of places that became major destinations after large areas of land were redeveloped.
Now, he believes Regina should use its opportunity to create something equally memorable.
“I've always loved Regina,” Slastukin said. “I grew up in Regina and I've grown up with all these studies of the downtown and what can we do and how can we fix it?”
He sees the former rail yards as a chance to do more than simply develop another part of downtown.
“This opportunity at the rail yards is like a once-in-a-lifetime generational opportunity to transform our city,” he said. “This could be our Times Square.”
Slastukin has deliberately left the idea open-ended, inviting people to suggest something bold, recognizable and representative of Regina or Saskatchewan.
The suggestions have already started coming in.
Among the ideas he has heard are the world's biggest crown, a nod to Regina's status as the Queen City, a giant wheat-themed attraction, the world's biggest football or football player, and a massive RCMP officer on horseback.
Another suggestion takes inspiration from Regina's food culture: the world's biggest pizza slice.
Slastukin said he wants something that could become a tourism draw, give people a reason to visit downtown and create excitement across the province.
“Let's get something here because we have the space, we have the time,” he said.
A personal connection to the idea
The response to his Facebook post has been faster than he expected. Slastukin said it generated media attention within days, along with a growing number of suggestions from people interested in the concept.
He hopes to collect the strongest ideas and eventually present them to decision-makers and potential private investors.
His original post specifically called for an attraction that would rely on private investment and development rather than taxpayer funding.
Slastukin said he has also discussed ideas for downtown with Mayor Chad Bachynski, who invited him to meet earlier this year. He said the conversation left him encouraged about the possibility of moving some of his ideas forward.
However, there is no confirmed project, selected attraction or funding arrangement. For now, the proposal remains a public brainstorming effort led by Slastukin.
He believes the most important part is getting people involved and giving Regina something positive to rally around.
“Why say that? I want this to be a positive thing that will bring Reginans together,” he said.
Writing helped him find his voice
Slastukin's passion for the city is also reflected in his work as an author, where writing became an important way for him to express himself.
He said he has lived with a speech disability throughout his life and discovered an outlet through writing at a young age.
“When I was unable to say or speak when I wanted to, I could always write it,” he said.
His interest in writing eventually developed into a career as an author, with books about China and Saskatchewan.
His latest idea for Regina draws on that same desire to communicate something meaningful about the place he calls home.
Slastukin knows the project would take considerable work to become reality, but he believes the conversation itself is worth having.
He is now encouraging residents to keep submitting ideas, with the hope that one of them could help give Regina a landmark unlike anything else in the province.
