Regina Minute: Debt Limit, NIMBY Speech, and Dewdney Avenue Remains

Regina Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Regina politics

This Week In Regina:

• The Board of Police Commissioners will meet on Tuesday at 9:00 am. The Board will discuss Mid-Year Crime Statistics, as well as July’s monthly crime statistics. The report notes that, in July 2024, Crimes Against the Person decreased 1.5% compared to July 2023 while Crimes Against Property decreased 12.9% over the same period.
  
  
• Production is underway in Regina on the indie horror-thriller film #Vanlife, which will be the first Canadian film shot entirely using an LED volume wall. This technology allows for more flexible shooting conditions, such as simulating nighttime without waiting for darkness and avoiding weather disruptions. The LED wall is expected to streamline the production process, although it requires extensive pre-production work to build the film's virtual world. Filming will continue over the next three weeks.
  
  
• The City will not be renaming Dewdney Avenue, despite a motion calling for the change due to the street's association with a controversial historical figure. Council voted 7-3 against the change following a roughly 30-minute discussion. Concerns were heard around costs of changing signage, as well as the monetary and time cost of residents needing to change their addresses. Proponents of the change argued that keeping the name contradicts the City’s commitment to reconciliation and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

Last Week In Regina:

• Council postponed reconsidering a proposed location for a permanent homeless shelter after Administration revealed a new potential site will be presented next month. Council previously rejected a site on Albert Street due to concerns about its location and the City's responsibility for operating the shelter. Councillors who supported the Albert Street site requested a review, but the new location, expected to be detailed in a report by September 18th, may make this motion irrelevant. The current temporary shelter, operated by The Nest Health Centre, will remain in place until mid-2025.
  
  
• Council also delayed approving a new $245.1 million budget for the Indoor Aquatic Facility due to an $84.4 million cost overrun, opting to explore alternative funding options first. A proposal to study renovating the Lawson Aquatic Centre instead of building the new facility was rejected. Council also approved seeking a $230 million increase in the City's debt limit for key capital projects, despite some concerns about rising debt. Additionally, funds earmarked for an unfulfilled elevator project at Wascana Pool were reallocated, with $50,000 going to the Regina Senior Citizens' Centre. Several other issues were postponed to future meetings.
  
  
• A group of Regina citizens submitted a petition to City Hall protesting against "NIMBY-ism" after a homeless shelter proposal was narrowly rejected by Council in June. The petitioners argued that opposition to the shelter is rooted in discriminatory attitudes toward low-income housing and emergency shelters, likening "NIMBY-ism" to a human rights issue. They are calling for a ban on "NIMBY" speech at City meetings, urging that meeting chairs should have the authority to cut off such comments. The City of Regina acknowledged receipt of the petition but indicated no immediate action will be taken unless directed by Council.