REGINA - A community builder was honoured and remembered Wednesday with the unveiling of the new signage for the John Hopkins Regina Soundstage.
Members of Hopkins’ family as well as colleagues and friends were on hand outside the Soundstage building for the official unveiling and dedication of the new name for the Regina soundstage in honour of Hopkins, located in front of the building at the 1831 College Ave. location. The location had previously been known as the Saskatchewan Production Studios Soundstage.
John Hopkins had been CEO of the Regina and District Chamber of Commerce for 20 years before he passed away in February 2022. He was also a founding member of the Regina Trades and Skills Centre and an advocate for Indigenous economic reconciliation including organizing the Smudge Walk.
Hopkins also was an active musician and guitarist. He was a member of The Garage Band, which raised $1.4 million for the Allan Blair Cancer Centre.
His son, Jesse Hopkins, recalled that his house was always buzzing with activity with “constant jam sessions and musicians.” There was always action happening with music, with the Beatles a particular favorite.
Jesse told reporters he hoped the sign would “spark their curiosity about who is John Hopkins, who was John Hopkins, what did he do for the community. I hope that it gives them some insights on the impacts he had on the city of Regina as well as the province of Saskatchewan.”
Hopkins’ honours have included 2013 Executive of the Year Award, 2019 CTV Regina Citizen of the Year, 2019 Humanitarian of the Year Award and the 2019 Roger Phillips Chamber Builder Award. In June, he was posthumously named a recipient of the 2022 Saskatchewan Order of Merit, the province's highest honour.
"I was one of the many here today who had the honour and privilege of calling John my friend," said Laura Ross, Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport at the event. "And as we all know John was a fierce and loyal friend; with John in your corner, nothing seemed impossible. He brought out the best in himself and in every relationship. He built strong and enduring relationships with people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, all interests and all areas. John was also a true-hearted friend to our community. We'd be hard-pressed to find an aspect of life in Regina that John wasn't somehow involved in, either through his leadership in the Chamber of Commerce or through the many organizations, boards and committees he was so proud to be part of. John knew that building economic growth and building a community are flipside of the same coin, that we can't have one without the other."
"As a strong advocate for the creative industry, John would be absolutely thrilled that we’re gathering here outside to recognize this,” Ross said. She noted it was “John’s wish for this facility, this community and our province, to be a place of opportunity and growth, where everyone is able to participate and to benefit."
The sign dedication comes as heightened activity has returned to the soundstage. It was just a few days earlier that the announcement was made that the soundstage would be the location for King of Killers, a major TV series being shot in Regina under the recently expanded funding under Creative Saskatchewan.
“He would’ve been so proud and just amazed at the gesture not only by his community but by the entire province of Saskatchewan and the government of Saskatchewan,“ said Jesse Hopkins. “This production program and the film tax credit was literally one of the final projects that he was able to work on. He did really work on this and talked to my sister and I about the project until the very end.”
Jesse acknowledged he and his family experienced the range of emotions on this occasion.
“You know, I guess it’s tough because we lost a huge member of our family, a big personality, but for us and my family it’s very comforting to know that the people of the community appreciated and respected and loved him as much as he loved our community, and it will give us a lasting memory that will help his legacy carry on.”
