Tornados and trains: A walk through Regina's Warehouse District

Regina's Warehouse District is known for much more than late-night clubs and treeless streets. But 100 years ago, it was a different story.

The community was a warehouse hub, where businesses had train lines that went directly to the back of their buildings to load goods onto trains, says Carey Isaac.

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Isaac is one of the tour guides for Jane's Walk, a Canada-wide initiative to encourage urban exploration of the cities we live in.

When you have friends or relatives from out of townthey want to see something uniquely Regina, then this is the area you take them to.- Carey Isaac, Jane's Walk guide

On May 7 and 8 Jane's Walk tours were held in various neighbourhoods in Regina and Saskatoon.

Isaac was leading the tour in the city's heritage neighbourhood, where he focused on the history of the buildings, the influence of the railway and the impact of the "great cyclone"of 1912.

He said one of the great things about the neighbourhood is how old buildings have been preserved and redeveloped.

"It's also nice to have some unique character when you have friends or relatives from out of town they want to see something uniquely Regina, then this is the area you take them to," he said.

He said it's also a good place for a walking tour because it's walkable and pretty compact.

"It's not like a lot of modern areas or subdivisions where everything's dictated by the vehicle. Here, you can walk from one end to the other end of the warehouse district in a very short time."

Strathdee Building

Isaac's tour started at the building that holds one of the most famous watering-holes in the area, Buskwakker Brewpub.

The Brewpub is located at 2206 Dewdney Ave. in the former Strathdee Building. It was built in 1913, just a year after the 'great cyclone' destroyed much of the residential buildings in the area.

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"[The tornado] was very finicky about the homes it destroyed. Left some standing, but a whole block was just totally wiped out," he said.

For a tour of the Warehouse District, Isaac said there's no better place to start than the iconic brewpub building.

"It's in one of the nicest, older heritage buildings in the city. It's a municipal award-winner for its redevelopment, for the brewpub downstairs and for the loft condos above."

Regina Cartage & Storage Warehouse

Isaac's next stop on the tour was the old Regina Cartage and Storage Warehouse, a registered municipal heritage building.

The building was constructed in 1927 by the architecture duo Edgar Storey and W.G. Van Egmond, who were the brains behind many of the buildings in the area.

Now, it's home to McNally's Tavern and Habano's Martini & Cocktail Club, but back then it was a warehouse with a rare full basement and a 4 metre loading platform in the rear.

The cost of the building was $40,000, according to Isaac.

"That's a lot of money. That really makes a statement saying they're going to be here for a while. They're not a fly by night operation," he said.

Northern Electric Building

Isaac's next stop was 2300 Dewdney Ave. for another of Storey and Van Egmond's buildings.

Before the 1912 tornado, the block was mostly residential. Isaac said the tornado took out most of the block.

This spot housed Northern Electric from 1930, when it was built, until the 1970s. Now it's occupied byNew Yorx Nightclub.

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