Regina Minute: Issue 101

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

📅 This Week In Regina: 📅

• The Executive Committee will meet on Wednesday at 9:00 am. The Committee will discuss changes to the 2026 Development Charges to use a newly established Regina-specific Non-Residential Building Construction Price Index instead of the previous Saskatoon-based index. The proposed rates are $385,585 per hectare for residential and commercial development and $128,494 per hectare for industrial-zoned land. This adjustment purports to reflect local inflation and construction costs more accurately. Financially, the change slightly reduces revenue by 1.3% compared with the previous Saskatoon-indexed rates, while continuing to fund necessary growth-related infrastructure in line with the City’s strategic priorities. The report notes that development stakeholders were informed in December 2025 and raised no objections. Rates for 2027 will be set later through a separate process in consultation with the industry.
  
  
• The Committee will also discuss a donation from the Queen City Eastview Community Association (QCECA) valued at over $250,000 to upgrade Eastview Park. The project includes a new neighbourhood-accessible playground with benches, an upgraded asphalt basketball court, a dedicated on-street accessible parking stall, and improved pathways to enhance accessibility. All capital costs will be covered by the QCECA. The Executive Committee recommends City Council authorize the Deputy City Manager to negotiate the donation agreement, with final approvals scheduled for the March 11th, 2026 meeting. Extensive community engagement has been conducted, including consultations with local youth and housing associations, and construction is expected to begin in summer 2026.
  
  
• Council has officially approved its updated 25-year growth plan, passing it exactly as proposed by Administration after two years of consultation. The plan links new housing development to the capacity of the City’s water and wastewater systems and introduces a three-phase strategy for neighbourhood buildouts. It also changes the downtown density target to aim for the “highest employment and population densities” and increases the proportion of new housing in existing neighbourhoods from 30% to 40%. Mayor Chad Bachynski emphasized that the plan removes politics from development decisions and supports ongoing programs like the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. The City anticipates growth from 233,000 to 370,000 residents by 2050, and the plan is intended to guide growth where infrastructure can support it. 
  
  
• Downtown Regina parking meters will no longer accept coins, as the City shifts entirely to digital payments through the PayByPhone app, online, or by phone. The move, part of the 2026 budget, aims to streamline services and cut operating costs, saving $220,000 annually and eliminating 2.5 full-time positions. Drivers are still required to pay for parking even if meters are covered, and all existing time limits and regulations remain in effect. Coin-operated meters will be gradually removed over the next few years. Additionally, hourly parking rates will rise by $0.50 to $2.50 starting April 1st, and fines for violations will increase by $10 per ticket, generating an estimated $575,000 in extra revenue. Officials say these changes support more efficient, modernized parking management while modestly easing the burden on taxpayers. The City has begun covering meters to signal the transition.
  
  
• Council has postponed a vote on its planned 10% transit fare increase, delaying a decision that was expected to take effect on April 1st. Ward 8 Councillor Shanon Zachidniak requested more time to explore alternatives after public concerns were raised, pushing the bylaw’s reading to the March 11th meeting. The delay could cost the City approximately $36,000 in lost revenue every two weeks beyond April, according to Administration, and the fare hike was projected to bring in $585,000 annually if approved. Several Councillors, including Zachidniak, had signalled opposition to the increase, while Mayor Chad Bachynski emphasized the need to fund part of the budget responsibly without depleting reserves. An online petition against the fare hike had already gathered 459 signatures, and residents who had planned to speak at the meeting will return in March. City officials also noted that rolling out the fare increase would take about a month, meaning any further delay could prevent changes from starting on schedule. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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