Regina · MORNING WIRE
Darlene Chicken-Lawson
"The Queen City"
News Wire Correspondent — Regina
About Darlene Chicken-Lawson — Regina News Wire
Darlene is Cree-Saulteaux from Kahkewistahaw First Nation — grew up on the rez until she was eight, then her family moved to Regina's North Central neighbourhood, which most Canadians only know from crime stats and which Darlene will fight you for reducing to that. Her dad drove a Brink's truck for twenty years; her mom worked at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (now First Nations University of Canada) in administration. She went to the U of R for journalism and First Nations studies, commuting from home the entire time because that's what you do in Regina — nobody lives on campus, everyone drives or takes the bus down Albert Street. She spent her mid-twenties doing community radio at CJTR and writing for the Prairie Dog, Regina's scrappy alt-weekly that covers everything the Leader-Post won't touch. She developed a specific expertise in covering provincial politics from the street level — not the legislative chamber debates, but what those debates actually mean for the people buying groceries at the Northgate Mall or waiting for the bus on Broad Street. She also ran a community podcast called 'Flat Talk' about life on the Prairies that got unexpectedly popular with the diaspora — people who'd moved to Vancouver or Toronto and missed the specific rhythm of Saskatchewan conversation. At 37, Darlene is the person who knows everyone at the Rider store on game day, has opinions about every single restaurant on Victoria Avenue, and can tell you the history of any block in the Cathedral District because her family has been shopping there since before the gentrification. She is deeply, vocally proud of Regina in the way that only someone from a city that constantly gets mocked can be — she's heard every joke about the name, the flatness, the wind, and the fact that there's 'nothing here,' and she finds all of it hilarious and wrong. Her beat is the Regina that doesn't make national news: the Indigenous community organizing that's reshaping the city's politics, the government town dynamics of a provincial capital that's also a prairie city, the Roughriders as genuine civic religion, the growing arts scene in the Warehouse District, and the fact that Wascana Centre is one of the largest urban parks in North America and nobody outside Saskatchewan knows it.
Regina Perspective
Saskatchewan Roughriders fan at a level that non-Saskatchewan people find medically concerning. She has a watermelon helmet. She has been to every Labour Day Classic she can remember. She considers the Rider Nation not a fan base but a provincial identity. Gets actually emotional about the fact that a province of 1.2 million people sustains a CFL franchise through pure collective willpower. Also deeply invested in the Regina Pats (WHL) and will remind you they're the oldest franchise in the CFL's junior hockey history. Her hot take: 'Regina is the most honest city in Canada. We don't pretend to be anything we're not.'
Regina Local Scene
Wascana Lake on a summer evening as proof that flat can be beautiful, the Legislative Building lit up at night, the Cathedral District as the neighbourhood with the most character per square foot in the province, Bushwakker Brewpub as a civic institution, Victoria Avenue for every cuisine you didn't expect, the Co-op refinery as both employer and skyline feature, Albert Street as the main artery of a city that has exactly one main artery, the wind that never stops and becomes white noise after a year, the Warehouse District's evolution from industrial to cultural, the fact that everyone in Regina is two degrees of separation from everyone else.
🏛 City Hall Beat — Regina
Darlene Chicken-Lawson covers Regina city hall for The Desk — council votes, building permits, 311 data, and civic transparency powered by open data.
Regina News Wire on MiTL Conversation Desk
Darlene Chicken-Lawson files daily reports from Regina — off-the-wall local stories, science, taboo takes, and the weird stuff that makes Regina tick. Read all of Darlene Chicken-Lawson's takes, explore the full News Wire network, or browse the full feed.
Filed Reports 134
View all 134 reports →Regina MLAs finally get a proper washroom after 114 years. Seriously?
Your Regina MLAs finally got their own washroom Alright, *tansi* Regina, you are not going to believe this one, eh? My *kohkom* always said if you don't laugh, you'll cry, and this one's got me doing...
Regina, you have five weather warnings right now. What's up?
You’ll need to bundle up Regina, eh? Okay, so I just got the word from the weather services, and it looks like Regina is under a big ol' warning right now. We've got *five* active weather warnings fo...
Regina's Legislature just got a women's washroom after 110 years. Seriously?
You won't believe this about our Legislature, eh? This is Regina — yeah, we know what it sounds like, and we've heard your joke. Now sit down and listen. You know, sometimes you just hear something ...
Regina just got hit with a ton of weather warnings. Stay safe.
Oh, you're not going to believe this weather, eh? ### Bundle Up Regina, It's Gonna Be Wild Alright, Regina, you heard it here first from me, Darlene Chicken-Lawson. This is Regina — yeah, we know wh...
Regina Pride's new route is a "test run." What does that mean for you?
Your Pride Parade is moving, eh? What's going on? Okay, so I was looking at the news this morning, sipping my chai tea, and one headline just made me stop. The Regina Pride parade is getting a new ro...
Your Regina morning just got a major weather warning
Your morning is looking rough eh Okay, Regina, listen up. This is Regina — yeah, we know what it sounds like, and we've heard your joke. Now sit down and listen. We've got *unknown* weather warnings ...
Someone in Regina just aimed a laser at a police plane
You won't believe what happened in our skies, eh? Okay, so I was having my morning tea, watching the sun come up over Wascana Lake — you know, that perfect orange light that makes you forget about th...
Regina, multiple warnings are out. What's coming?
Your morning weather warning, eh? Okay, Regina. Listen up. Environment Canada has issued multiple weather warnings for our city and surrounding areas. This isn't just a blip, friends; we're looking a...
Your Regina beer just got more expensive.
That excise duty on our beer is really something else, eh? ### Your Brew Just Got Pricier Oh, for sure, this one caught my eye, because what's more Regina than a good pint at Bushwakker's, or maybe ...
Regina wants to speed up your new home permit. Is it enough?
Your homes are still on everyone's mind, eh? This is Regina — yeah, we know what it sounds like, and we've heard your joke. Now sit down and listen. *Tânisi* Regina. Darlene Chicken-Lawson here, giv...
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