THE WAKKER WEEKLY – Issue #1789
Issue #1789 – Posted on: 09 – May – 2025
BUSHWAKKER SEASONAL SUDS STATUS. Bushwakker head brewer, Michael Gaetz, reports our seasonally available KAI’S MUNICH HELLES, BLOOD ORANGE BLONDE ALE, ENIGMA PALE ALE, PICKARD’S OATMEAL CREAM STOUT, ROBERTSON’S STRONG, PREMIUM PALE ALE and CYCLONE BARLEYWINE are currently available. There is also a batch of DOUBLE HONEY RED ALE currently working its way through the brewery.
Our Dewdney Dig Monster T-Shirt design is completed. Much thanks to Bushwakker supervisor, Trevor Hlushko for his creative work. The t-shirts are now printed. Our staff get first dibs but we will have some leftovers if you want to wear some of the “monsters ripping up Dewdney and then hanging out with a frosty Bushwakker brew” fun too!
The Bushwakker LOCAL ARTS WALL for the month of May features the works of RACHEL BRIMACOMBE! Rachel grew up in Pilot Butte and as a child her drawings were often featured in the Western Producer. She has a varied art practice: painting with acrylics, oils and watercolours, ceramics, textiles, beadwork to name a few. She makes art with a passion to bring joy and good feelings to the world around her.
She is proudly Metis, and owner of Lumsden Florist Gift & Gallery. Rachel volunteers in her community as the president of the Lumsden Arts Council and an Outdoor Living 4H Leader for Hillside 4H Club.
Her work can be found at Little Craven Art Gallery, Lumsden Florist Gift & Gallery, and Jane Dough’s Bake House. Interested in a custom pet portrait, cabin capture or farmscape painting? Contact her for more information at lumsden.florist.etc@gmail.com
Last weekend saw a doubly dramatic edition of First Firkin Friday at The Bushwakker! Two 19-year olds were celebrating birthdays by tapping two Mexican-inspired firkins. With the beautiful spring weather it was no surprise the MANGO MEZCAL MEXICAN LIME RADLER was the crowd’s favourite over the PEANUT BUTTER TEQUILA MEXICAN CHOCOLATE PORTER. Both beers were delicious and both firkins were drained.
‘Twas a delightful POETRY & A PINT PRESENTATION last Saturday. Much thanks to our co-presenters, the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, as well as featured poets; Amber Goodwyn, Elaine McArthur, Andrea Martineau, Eric Gabriel and Saskatchewan Poet Laureate, Peace Akintade-Oluwagbeye.
Accessing YOUR Bushwakker during the Dewdney Dig has never been easier! The free parking lot across Cornwall Street is now open for Strathdee Building business customers and that includes Bushwakker customers. Just head south from 8th Avenue on Cornwall Street and the parking lot is on your left! We are also beautifying our back entranceway so come see how it’s looking!
Our WEEKEND SPECIAL DINING FEATURE for May 9th & 10th is BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN & WAFFLES WITH HOT HONEY. Our Saturday CLASSIC STEAK & A PINT SPECIAL as well as our Monday and Wednesday WINGS & A PINT SPECIAL and Tuesday PIZZA & A PINT SPECIAL are also great value deals.
MAY PREMIUM WINE FEATURES: This month’s delicious features are the BODEGAS BASTIDA wines from Spain. The Red is EL TINTO DE LELA DEL MAR (Monastrell/Tempranillo) and the White is EL BLANCO DE LELA DEL MAR (Airen/Sauvignon Blanc/Macabeo) and is the first of its kind to be featured at Bushwakker. Both are $8.95 for a glass and $23.95 for a half litre.
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 12: Monday Night Jazz & Blues. STUMPED. Regina’s newest jazz combo featuring Isiah Edmonston, Morgan Winoski, Eder Garzona and Yohan Yemba. Another Bushwakker encore performance! 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
May 14: Wednesday Folk Night. A SPRINGTIME CEILIDH WITH BILLARNEY. Celebrate the arrival of spring in Saskatchewan with some toe-tapping acoustic Celtic reels. 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
May 16: 2025 HOP CIRCUIT KICKOFF MAY LONG WEEKEND. The most popular Regina Craft Brewery Event is back for another Saskatchewan summer! Grab your free map and take a hike or your bike and visit all six participating Regina craft breweries. Collect a stamp on your map at all six locations and receive a free 2025 Hop Circuit commemorative glass. This one is bigger and better than ever!
One Month into the Dewdney Dig
Greg Morgan – 980 CJME Regina
May 5, 2025 Regina, Sask.
Well, construction crews are into phase two of the Dewdney Avenue Revitalization Project, and I hope you’re shopping local. It’s going to take all summer and into the fall before it’s done. There are a lot of local businesses and restaurants still open and doing their best to survive with slower traffic. Joining me now, one of those business operators is Bushwakker Brewpub manager Grant Frew, welcome to the show.
Good morning Greg. Glad to be here.
They say it should be done in the late fall. And all on the Dewdney Strip will be admiring how beautiful and what a difference it is. Are you skeptical of the timeline or are you feeling confident?
I must say the city has been quite good at communicating their progress, almost bi-weekly, as to how the work is progressing on the strip. So I’m going to remain confident that by the end of November, they should have things all wrapped up.
The mayor had told me, even on my own show, that the construction crews were going to work longer hours. Have you noticed? Do crews look like they are working longer?
I think they have stepped up the number of working days and there does seem to be more crews out there working. Definitely a lot more heavy equipment is present. And right across from Bushwakker in the railyards, you can see mountains of different building materials.
There were going to be times where it was going to be cut off entirely between Albert and Broad. What’s the situation now?
Right now access is shut down at Albert and Dewdney and Broad and Dewdney. So the only way people can access us is by coming south from 8th Avenue.
The city promised good signage and parking lots. Has that come through?
Well, the big parking lot that was in place last year is again open this year. You can put about six hundred vehicles in there. And we very recently acquired a small parking lot on Cornwall Street just to the east of us so we could get another 20 cars in that space, which makes things really easy to get to Bushwakker. The city has stepped up things a bit in terms of public awareness, but I think one thing that could be done is as simple as the addition of a couple of portable signs. Just something letting the public know when they’re going up and down on Broad or Albert Street, that the way to access the Dewdney Avenue businesses, which are indeed open, is by getting onto 8th Avenue and then heading south one block.
Bushwakker Brew Pub manager Grant Frew, you’ve been there many, many years. I’m sure you know a lot of those business owners along the Strip. Have you spoken to a few, and how’s everyone feeling?
It’s kind of a mixed bag. Some of the businesses along the Strip definitely have destination customers. They’re going to come to those businesses no matter what. But with us being a restaurant, people have a lot of choices on where they want to go for a good meal and a good beer in the city. If drivers find it challenging to get to us, some people might decide just to go somewhere else with easier access. But we are trying to combat that. We have a number of special events coming up and we’re just doing more things to give people more reasons to come and visit us.
How are you welcoming your customers? You’ve got to come up with a theme, like walk in wearing a hard hat, the first one’s on us. What do you think of that?
Well, that’s an idea, but we’re not trying to be overly negative about the construction situation. We’re trying to have some fun with it. And we’re actually releasing a special commemorative t-shirt which one of our bartenders designed for us. It depicts a likeness of King Kong hanging on the side of our building and Godzilla is just hanging out with him and there is also a three-headed dragon in there too. They’re all just relaxing and having a beer on the Dewdney Avenue rubble. We’re going to be releasing these shirts to the public right away.
Well, King Kong and Godzilla. Sounds like a copyright nightmare and see you in court but nonetheless I like the idea Grant. Those are cool.
How do you envision the long-term project, say, uniting the Dewdney Strip and the downtown core across the rail yards?
First of all, I think it’s going to be absolutely beautiful addition to Regina. It’s going to take decades to complete, but I think it’s a great vision. You have to start off with Dewdney Avenue, you beautify that, and then you start on the railyards space next.
And of course, the city has been discussing installing a pedway where people can walk over the railway tracks.
Yes indeed and that is a really fun way of connecting the modernism of downtown with the historical nature of the Warehouse District. I think the whole project is going to be great for local tourism. And when you’ve got $32 million being invested on your front doorstep, you don’t take that for granted. It’s going to be beautiful when it’s done.
That greater picture I truly believe should happen Grant. Do you think it’s going to unfold in our lifetime, though?
Well, Dewdney Avenue will be done and ready to roll next year. But when we’re looking at the huge amount of work with the railyards area development and then connecting that area with downtown? Our lifetime? Well, maybe mine, but definitely not yours.
Nicely said. Grant Frew from Bushwakker, thank you so much.
TIME OUT – Followed his Wishes to the Letter
A woman’s husband died, and she learned that he left $30,000 in his will to be used for an elaborate funeral.
After everything was done at the funeral home and cemetery, she told her closest friend that there was nothing left of the money.
“How can that be?” her friend asked.
The widow replied, “Well, the funeral ceremony cost $6,500, I made a donation to our local church of $500, and I spend another $500 for the wake. The rest went toward the memorial stone.”
“The memorial stone cost $22,500?” her friend said, “My God, how big is it?”
“Four and a half carats,” replied the widow with a wink.
The 2025 Regina Hop Circuit kicks off on the May Long Weekend. Hop on your bike or take a hike and visit all six participating Regina breweries. Collect a stamp on your map at each location and receive the biggest, baddest commemorative Hop Circuit glass ever…for free!
