Some places you visit. Others you wander into and slowly realize you’re part of something already unfolding. Regina’s Cathedral Village falls firmly into the second category. It’s not just a neighbourhood—it’s a feeling shaped by the people who show up, stay awhile, and leave their mark in meaningful ways.
Transcript
I’d say it’s eclectic, diverse, artsy, homey.
It’s like a little town within a city.
Everything feels unique. It almost feels like a sitcom, and every building you walk into is a different character.
It feels a little bit like Gastown in Vancouver or, you know, something like that.
It’s got that same sort of feel where you can just sort of wander around and it’s a bit of an adventure discovering all these little nooks and crannies and cool places.
You can go grocery shopping, you can sit in cafés, there’s food, there’s art, galleries, clothing stores—there’s absolutely everything here. We have everything on the street that you need, and you can make a whole day out of it.
There’s just kind of no limit. Anybody fits here. Artists, retailers, restaurants, lots of hair salons—just anything goes.
Linda Rattray. I’ve been a Cathedral Area resident for over 30 years now. I’ve been involved in the area in many capacities, both paid and volunteer.
So we’re in The Ells Café. We are an ice cream slash coffee shop in Regina, Saskatchewan.
I’m Sarah Lindsay, and I’m the owner of Black Apparel, Ruby Read Fine Fragrance, and Sara Lindsay Makeup Studio & Store here in Cathedral Village.
As a visitor to other places, I know I love to go to the little eclectic areas they have there. I think Cathedral is our little eclectic area here in Regina.
What I do is pretty eclectic—like the three different businesses I have—and so is Cathedral Village.
I mean, there’s everything you can imagine here.
I think people who are drawn to Cathedral are very creative people—people who look for inspiration in art and want a different feeling and vibe. They want to be somewhere unique.
The personality of Cathedral, I think, aligns with my own because I’m a little bit all over the place, and so it just feeds a creative person. It makes you think you can really do anything here.
Yeah, it just makes me feel like I can be creative. I can’t survive without being creative.
It’s very interesting—the large number of artists that live and thrive in Cathedral. There’s lots of art in the neighborhood—murals, statues, painted benches.
The businesses I own are all very different but tied together in a strange way. They just represent how my life has gone. Black Apparel has been my long-standing career.
Then when that was brought to a halt during COVID, and I actually lost my dad during COVID, I learned how to make candles as part of the grieving process and named it after him and my daughter.
The creativity was something I was craving during that time because I couldn’t do makeup anymore—we weren’t allowed to touch people, of course.
Before we even had the actual ownership of the house, we all talked about how we were going to wrap it in a mural. We immediately knew we had to fit in.
The business here is also very strong. They’re helpful, they’re friendly, they’re engaged, they’re collaborative—just all the beautiful things about a community.
I think people care so deeply about Cathedral because it’s very inclusive. Everybody looks out for everybody else.
When we first opened the café, we had so much support from other businesses—from them coming down, introducing themselves, and bringing us little gifts they sold in their stores. It felt so welcoming.
I think what people remember about Cathedral Village is the people—the people who run the businesses and the people they encounter along the way. Because that’s essentially the heartbeat.
I love the community around here. People come to support you and be there for you because they’re your neighbors. They want to help you out.
The moment I realized the most unique thing about Cathedral was when we started to wrap our building in the mural. The number of people who came out and wanted to know what we were doing, how they could help—it led to so many conversations and support.
About 20 years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. A perfect stranger approached me and asked how I was doing and if they could help. That cemented the reason I am a Cathedral Area resident.
I think what I want people to know when they come here is that we are real people. You’re going to see us working behind the counter.
I hope that when people leave Cathedral, they feel invigorated, excited, and inspired by the art and the people who live here.
A feeling of welcome—come as you are and feel good when you’re here.
You know, we make our own fun here in Cathedral. There’s events like Light of the Village with carriage rides—it’s a nostalgic, magical night. Same with the Arts Festival—you just can’t find that anywhere else.
The Cathedral Village Arts Festival is something to be seen. There are buskers, vendors, all kinds of food and nationalities of people. It’s probably the most beloved festival in all of Saskatchewan.
I think what people take away from Cathedral is how unique and experiential it is—visiting every business on this street.
If you can’t find a unique item to take home in Cathedral, you’re not going to find it anywhere in Regina.
You can literally go on an adventure and wander through the streets. It’s walkable, so you can eat, drink, shop—you can do so many things here.
And I think that’s what attracts people—you come down here and see where the day takes you.
People like to come back to Cathedral because there’s always something different to see. It’s really hard to take everything in on one visit.
We have so many amazing, creative, different business owners in this area who fill their spaces with such grace and joy—you just can’t go wrong coming down this street.
It’s unlike anything you’re going to experience anywhere else.
For Sara, Cathedral Village speaks the language of creativity and community. As the owner of BLAK Apparel, Ruby Reid Fine Fragrance, and Sara Lindsay Makeup Studio, she doesn’t just sell products — she builds experiences and lasting relationships with every guest who walks through the door.
At Ruby Reid Fine Fragrance — named in honour of her daughter and late father — each handmade perfume, candle, and diffuser oil is rooted in memory. That storytelling extends even further with the creation of City Lights, a custom Tourism Regina scented candle that captures the feeling of the city in a single scent. Every piece is designed to connect you back to your own moments and memories.
BLAK Apparel is a come-as-you-are clothing shop, curating only black pieces from a range of brands at accessible price points—your one-stop destination for everything from everyday basics to elevated looks.
Sara Lindsay Makeup Studio offers makeup services for any occasion, with a focus on weddings, graduations, and beginner-friendly lessons, alongside a curated selection of skincare and beauty products.
In Cathedral Village, her businesses don’t feel separate from the neighbourhood—they feel like an extension of it. Shopping here isn’t transactional; it’s an invitation into a world where craft, community, and experience come together.
For Elle, Cathedral comes to life where creativity and everyday moments meet. Her mural, now a landmark in the neighbourhood, began as a way to participate—to contribute to a place where art isn’t tucked away behind gallery doors, but woven into daily life.
Through Elle’s Café, that same sense of welcome continues. It’s the kind of place where conversations linger, where newcomers and regulars blur together, and where Cathedral’s ingenuity can be felt in every basket of ice cream nachos.
Linda never planned to stay in Cathedral. A few practical years turned into decades—and along the way, the neighbourhood became home in ways she never expected. Her connection began through volunteering at the Cathedral Village Arts Festival, helping where needed, slowly becoming deeply rooted in the life of the community.
What truly anchored her wasn’t a role or title, but a moment of kindness during a difficult chapter of her life. Navigating breast cancer, Linda experienced firsthand how Cathedral shows up—not formally, but instinctively. Support here doesn’t need an agenda. It simply arrives. And that’s when Cathedral stopped being just where she lived, and became something that lived back in return.
Cathedral Village isn’t something you finish in one visit. There’s always another shop to step into, another mural to notice, another story unfolding just out of view. That’s the magic—Cathedral isn’t built for quick consumption. It’s built for exploration.
You might leave with art, clothing, or a candle named after someone’s grandmother. But what stays is harder to carry: the feeling that place can still be personal, that creativity and community can coexist, and that some neighbourhoods are shaped not by design, but by people choosing—again and again—to care.
Different stories. One shared thread. Cathedral Village, shaped by the people who call it home—and shaping them right back.
We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather is Treaty 4 territory and the traditional territory of the Anihšinābēk, Nêhiyawak, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota peoples, and the original home of the Métis/Michif Nation. We recognize that both Indigenous and Métis people are the spiritual and cultural keepers of their traditional lands and still to this day, continue to practice their values, languages, beliefs and knowledge.
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