Regina Minute: Issue 61

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 Commission will receive reports covering use of force, finances, and crime statistics. The 2024 Use of Force report showed a 6% increase in incidents compared to 2023, including more frequent use of the restraint chair primarily to prevent self-harm. Financially, the Regina Police Service is projecting a small operating surplus with capital budgets balanced and monthly monitoring in place. Crime statistics for April 2025 revealed a significant year-to-date decrease of 13.4% in combined Crimes Against the Person and Property, despite an increase in minor thefts under $5,000. Calls for Service have slightly declined overall, though alarm calls rose by 8.2%. A report on biometric monitoring sensors in detention cells highlighted how this system, in place since March 2024, has enabled staff to detect medical distress early and directly contributed to saving lives in five cases, improving detainee health and safety.
  
  
• Council voted 6-4 to approve $1.55 million in budget cuts for 2025, focusing mainly on internal services rather than public programs to minimize the impact on residents. Key savings include delaying a $500,000 transfer to the transit fleet reserve and reducing janitorial services, facility upgrades, and mosquito control spending. These cuts follow earlier measures such as savings from the federal carbon tax cancellation and lower natural gas use. Council members chose the cuts themselves after rejecting initial proposals that targeted public services or layoffs of manager-level employees. The Councillors voting against the budget cuts were Dan Rashovich (Ward 1), Sarah Turnbull (Ward 5), Shobna Radons (Ward 7), and Jason Mancinelli (Ward 9).
  
  
• Tourism Regina has launched an updated merchandise line featuring new apparel and accessories alongside a custom fragrance called "City Lights”. The scent is offered as a candle and oil diffuser, designed to evoke memories of Regina for visitors. The refreshed "I Love Regina" collection, originally started in 2002, includes popular items like T-shirts and hats, as well as a new Charlie the Chickadee Squishmallow celebrating the City’s official bird. Merchandise is available for purchase in person at City Hall, with plans to expand sales to other locations like the airport. Proceeds from sales will be reinvested into tourism marketing to help boost local economic activity. After the embarrassing “Experience Regina” debacle, was it really necessary to do this?
  
  
• Before becoming Regina’s Mayor, Chad Bachynski promised to introduce 24-hour construction to speed up projects. However, once in office, he discovered challenges like noise restrictions, limited contractor availability, and budget constraints that make around-the-clock work difficult. While overnight construction is possible on urgent projects, such as water network upgrades and overpass repairs, it is only used when practical and beneficial. The City carefully weighs factors like cost, scheduling, and resident impact before approving extended work hours. Mayor Bachynski acknowledged that reality differs from campaign expectations but remains committed to working with City staff to find effective solutions.
  
  
• Council approved updated rules for accessible taxis, requiring all cab companies to have at least one accessible taxi licence and to operate at least one accessible cab during their business hours. The bylaw was passed unanimously, with a last-minute amendment easing a requirement to ensure companies that don’t operate 24/7 aren’t forced to have accessible cabs running at all times. The new rules also switch licensing from a lottery system to a waitlist and mandate training for all accessible cab drivers. Drivers must also report any refused trips to improve accountability. The update followed two years of consultations with cab companies and the public, during which several stricter proposals were dropped.
  
  
• SaskPower is investing $10 million in 2025 to upgrade the electrical system in downtown Regina. The project will focus on replacing aging infrastructure, including underground cables and duct banks, particularly along 11th Avenue between Lorne Street and Albert Street. Additional work will occur near Saskatchewan Drive and Hamilton Street, with most upgrades expected to finish by October. Nearly two kilometres of cable will be installed or replaced, and new duct banks will be added to improve system capacity and reliability. SaskPower plans to coordinate the work with the City of Regina and other utilities to reduce disruptions. Planned outages will be announced through SaskPower’s app and website, while road restrictions will be available on the City's website.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Join the Common Sense Regina Facebook group to stay informed about what’s really happening at City Hall and connect with others who want to bring transparency, accountability, and common sense back to local government. 

Be part of the conversation, share your ideas, and help shape the future of our city.

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