REGINA – It was a stormy year at Regina City Hall in 2024, ending with one big hurricane.
That political hurricane blew out the old city council and put a new one in, complete with a new mayor. It seemed a fitting end to a year of big news in Regina.
Mayor Chad
In terms of making major news, Chad Bachynski saved the best for last as he completed an epic upset in the election for mayor Nov. 13.
The project manager and political newcomer beat incumbent Mayor Sandra Masters and two-term councillor Lori Bresciani to win the mayor’s race. His grassroots campaign gained traction as many voters saw him as the most viable alternative to the two incumbents in the race. He capitalized on the major mood for change seen at both the municipal and provincial levels during the fall election.
Big changes on council
The mood for change extended to council as well as it saw the biggest turnover in years. Five councillors opted not to run again, and of the four that did, two were defeated: Bob Hawkins and Terina Nelson.
Nine of the 11 elected representatives around the council would be brand new, including the mayor. The main order of business for “Mayor Chad” and his new council at the end of 2024 ended up being simply getting up to speed in the orientation on how to do their new roles.
REAL drama
There were major changes at the top elsewhere in 2024 — most notably at REAL, whose president and CEO Tim Reid was unceremoniously fired by the board in January.
Reid took the fall following the Experience Regina debacle as well as ongoing financial woes of the REAL organization — woes that resulted in the voting members of the REAL board being replaced themselves the year before. Among the various woes facing REAL in 2024: being ordered by a Canada Revenue Agency audit to pay back $8 million in CERB payments, a bill the City had to foot themselves.
Roberta Engel took over the interim CEO role and presided over the changes being brought in to right the financial ship at REAL. In the summer several recommendations were passed at council about the future of REAL, including having the city continue to run it as a municipal corporation and approve a refreshed business model.
Engel was back at council in the fall, where REAL made and was approved for their request for an additional $4 million in operating grant money to pay down their line of credit.
Aquatic centre costs balloons
A major issue at City Hall in 2024 was the aquatic centre project, in particular escalating costs. Council learned in 2024 that the cost of the project was now up to $245.1 million, way above the original $160.7 million estimate.
The ballooning costs ultimately became an election issue with Councillor Bresciani floating the idea of renovating the current Lawson Aquatic Centre instead. In the end, council did finally approve the $245.1 million funding for the project right before the election.
Regina Public Library funding
Also getting the go-ahead was approval of debt financing for the new central library project. Council voted at a special meeting to approve between $92 million and $119 million in debt financing, as well as a dedicated library mill rate increase of 5.5 per cent.
But it was a narrow vote in favour, and worries about the impact to the city’s debt load as well as a debt limit increase, led to a reconsideration motion brought in October. In the end, council voted 6-4 at that special meeting not to reconsider the earlier approval.
Permanent shelter finally approved
It was a long and agonizing road for council to approve a permanent emergency shelter location in the city. At their June 12 meeting and after hearing from a host of delegations both for and against, council voted 6-5 against a proposed shelter location at 1420 and 1440 Albert Street — much to the dismay of shelter proponents.
Eventually administration came back with an alternative location of 1600 Halifax Street, which would be leased to Regina Treaty/Status Indian Services to operate the emergency centre. While there was also concern expressed from the neighbourhood and nearby businesses, council did finally approve the shelter location in September.
Dewdney Avenue renaming fails
One controversial topic that also made the floor of council was a proposal from councillors Dan LeBlanc and Andrew Stevens to rename Dewdney Avenue, over concerns about Edgar Dewdney’s role in residential schools. After a marathon council meeting in June concluded without the decision getting to a vote, council finally voted 7-3 in August against the renaming.
Baseball stadium proposal
Another project that had been in limbo, but which appears now to be moving forward again, is a possible baseball stadium project. Council voted 8-2 in favor of a minimum cash investment of $2.5 million in the Baseball Stadium Project subject to a “case for support” study confirming that donations or sponsors are there for the project.
Speed zone in Cathedral
A major initiative getting the go-ahead in the city in 2024 was the new speed zone in
Cathedral. In a bid to reduce the incidents of fatalities in the neighbourhood, council approved establishing the city’s first Community Safety Zone in that neighbourhood, reducing speed limits to 40 km/h throughout. The new speed limits took effect in August.
Flag flap
A final piece of news in 2024 came during the very final days of Sandra Masters’ tenure as mayor. Regina was set to become the first major city in Canada to raise the Palestine flag at City Hall on Nov. 14, after an Israel flag was flown at City Hall earlier in the year.
City officials had approved the flag raising. But at the last minute, Mayor Masters ordered the flag raising not to proceed.
Instead, it was a protest that ensued at City Hall instead, with demonstrators showing up to wave placards, chant slogans and wave several of their own Palestine flags. The situation highlighted concerns at City Hall about the need to clarify the policy going forward about what flags ought to go up.
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