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While much of Saskatchewan endures punishing cold, one place in Regina offers a sharp and almost surreal contrast: humid air, green leaves, and temperatures that feel closer to summer than winter.
Inside the Regina Floral Conservatory, the temperature sits around 27 C, making it one of the warmest places in the province during the deep freeze.
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“It is the warmest place in the city,” said Mariana Hinojosa Centella, vice-president of the Regina Garden Associates, the volunteer group that operated the conservatory.
“If we’re in -35 C outside, here feels like summer year-long.”
An indoor waterfall and pond add humidity inside the Regina Floral Conservatory, one of the warmest publicly accessible places in Saskatchewan during extreme cold. (Jacob Bamhour/CJME)
As temperatures outside plunge, the conservatory quietly turns into a destination. Visitors step through the doors, bundled in parkas and boots, then almost immediately peel off layers, settling onto benches or wandering through winding pathways lined with tropical plants, flowering beds, and flowing water.
Ron Sharpe, president of the Regina Garden Associates, said extreme cold consistently drives people inside.
“When it’s this cold, people just love to escape the -30 C temperatures outside,” Sharpe said, adding that busy days could draw around 100 visitors, with weekends typically seeing the highest traffic.
Cacti and succulent plants grow under glass inside the Regina Floral Conservatory, offering a sharp contrast to winter outside. (Jacob Bamhour/CJME)
Sunlight filters through the greenhouse panels and spills across palm leaves, orchids, and cacti scenes rarely associated with Saskatchewan in mid-winter. A small indoor waterfall adds humidity and sound, reinforcing the sense that visitors have stepped briefly into another climate.
The conservatory has been operated entirely by volunteers for roughly 30 years, after it was once used as a production greenhouse for the City of Regina. When closure was proposed decades ago, Sharpe said volunteers stepped in to preserve the space.
“They said, ‘No way we’re going to take it over,’” Sharpe said. “And that’s exactly what happened.”
Tropical plants fill the Regina Floral Conservatory, where temperatures remain around +27 C during Saskatchewan’s winter. (Jacob Bamhour/CJME)
The conservatory remains open seven days a week from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with entry by donation. While it closes during the summer because of excessive heat inside the greenhouse, winter is when its role becomes most apparent.
For Hinojosa Centella, originally from Monterrey, Mexico, the space carries a deeper connection. Adjusting to Saskatchewan winters had been a major shift, and the conservatory offers a sense of familiarity.
“The first time I ever stepped foot here, I felt at home immediately,” she said. “We have plants from South America, Africa and Asia. It really feels like a warm retreat.”
Palm leaves and dense greenery line a walking path inside the Regina Floral Conservatory in Regina. (Jacob Bamhour/CJME)
Sharpe said volunteers responsible for watering, pruning and general plant care also benefited from the environment, spending a couple of hours inside each day.
“It’s like gardening in your backyard,” he said, “except you get to do it in the middle of winter.”
Beyond warmth, Sharpe said visitors often left calmer than when they arrived, pointing to the growing recognition of the value of green spaces and wellness.
“Once people get into this warm environment with the humidity and the plants, they de-stress,” he said.
As Saskatchewan’s cold lingers outside, the conservatory continues to offer something rare, not just shelter from the cold, but a reminder of another season, waiting just beyond the door.
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