'Lost my soul to the Capital hole': Regina residents gather for goodbye to giant Capital Pointe hole
It was a calm spring day when around 50 people, young and old, gathered in a back alley to say goodbye to the Capital Pointe hole.
The organizer of the send-off Paula Krasiun-Winsel, also organized the event last April where people gathered at the hole to say 'wow' like Owen Wilson.
The luxury condominium project was first announced in 2009 and was supposed to be complete by 2012, but the corner was never developed beyond the gaping hole that replaced the iconic Plains Hotel.
The company behind Capital Pointe has been ordered to fill the hole on the corner of Albert Street and Victoria Avenue by March 31.
Krasiun-Winsel said this event is just the evolution of the "Wow" event from last year.
"I'm really thrilled to see this amount of people," she said.
"I mean, it shows that folks are engaged, both on social media and with the Capital Pointe hole and with the future of this intersection."
Krasiun-Winsel said that the hole has been a big part of her life over the last year. People would tag her in articles having to do with the hole, and she said she thinks it's a good thing the hole will be backfilled.
"It's just kind of the closing of a chapter for me, and for the hole and for our city," Krasiun-Winsel said.
Out of the many ways Krasiun-Winsel could have started this conversation, she said she chose this way because people respond to humour.
"In my experience with organizing, [people] aren't necessarily receptive to the very heavy, serious messages, so to kind of bring that fun element to it draws people and is also an action in and of itself," she said.
There were augmented reality posters at the event, where people could scan an image with their phone through an app, and then hear interviews with people about what they thought should fill the Capital Pointe hole. Artwork also moved across the screen.
A band also played a song about the Capital Pointe hole. The chorus went: "Holy disaster, so much disappointment. I lost my soul to the Capital hole."
Sean Dunham said he attended because he has been fascinated by the trajectory the project has taken over the last decade.
"It's just is this huge, hilarious saga that at this point is just like, I really need to see how it ends," he said.
Dunham said he used to come to what was there before the hole. As a final goodbye message, he said "Thanks, bye," but wasn't sure it was a final goodbye after all.
"I don't think I've seen the last of it, honestly."
