A slice of the Regina's signature pizza style is now featured on t-shirts, hats and key chains as part of Tourism Regina's attempt to sell the city to the world.
New slate of merchandise unveiled on Thursday
Alexander Quon · CBC News
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Regina-style pizza — its square pieces covered in layers of deli meat and cheese — is a point of pride in the Queen City.
Now the pie is part of a marketing campaign from Tourism Regina.
Teale Orban, a director with the organization and a life-long resident of Regina, said he never knew the difference as a child between Regina-style and other pizza. He only ever knew it as "good pizza."
A slice of the signature pie is now featured on T-shirts, hats and key chains as part of Tourism Regina's attempt to sell the city to the world.
"How do we create something that now you can not only just take with you to eat, but actually take with you and show it with pride?" Orban said at a news conference on Thursday.
The pizza is just one part of the organization's new merch lineup, with the Regina warehouse district, the city's downtown skyline and the Globe Theatre also being featured.
WATCH | Regina unveils new merch to market the Queen City to the world: Regina unveils new merch to market the Queen City to the world August 20| Duration 1:44
The Globe, Canada's only permanent theatre in the round, is happy with the decision.
"We feel super lucky to be one of the few things that they chose about Regina to show out to the world and be a part of the merch line," said Hayley Shirkey, a digital communications associate at the Globe.
The new slate of merchandise is another signal that Tourism Regina and the city are working to move on from controversy.
In 2023, Tourism Regina's attempt at rebranding as "Experience Regina" was quickly pulled in the face of criticism.
In particular, use of the slogan "the city that rhymes with fun" drew derision. The crude wordplay may have created global headlines, but for all of the wrong reasons.
The city has attempted to right the ship since that disastrous campaign with other initiatives, including a vote on the city's official bird, but Thursday's announcement is the first big branded marketing push from the organization.
WATCH | Tourism Regina sniffs around for new ways to promote the city: Tourism Regina sniffs around for new ways to promote the city May 23, 2025| Duration 1:15
Orban wants this launch to be a success, because it could mean more clothing down the road.
"You kind of need an entry point, a T-shirt is something successful and you can get multiple sizes that are easy for people to wear," he said.
"But then if it goes well, we can hopefully grow the line and add more lines within those collections."
The new slate of merchandise can be purchased at the Regina airport, Regina city hall and online.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexander Quon is the provincial affairs reporter for CBC Saskatchewan. He has been a reporter with CBC Saskatchewan since 2021 and is happy to be working in his hometown of Regina after half a decade in Atlantic Canada. He has previously worked with the CBC News investigative unit in Nova Scotia and Global News in Halifax. Alexander specializes in freedom of information requests and data reporting. He can be reached at: alexander.quon@cbc.ca.
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