Regina Minute: Issue 75

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

📅 This Week In Regina: 📅

• This is our 75th edition of Regina Minute, marking 75 weeks of tracking City Council meetings and summarizing key details for residents! This newsletter was created to make local politics accessible, cutting through lengthy reports, jargon, and marathon meetings so more residents can stay informed and hold leaders accountable. We have covered debates on spending, taxes, and City priorities, highlighted good and bad decisions, exposed waste, and shown when core services are neglected. Funded entirely by readers, Common Sense Regina relies on donations to continue its work, so if you appreciate our work to improve City Hall accountability and ensure citizens stay informed, please consider making a donation to keep this newsletter and our other important municipal work going!
  
  
• There will be a Special Council meeting on Friday at 8:00 am to review the 2026-2027 Preliminary Service Forecast for Governance, Leadership & Enabling Services. This forecast outlines hypothetical costs of delivering civic services at an optimal standard, serving as a discussion starting point rather than a request for funding or a proposed mill rate increase. It marks the launch of a new budget process aimed at increasing transparency, with Administration now reporting each stage of budget preparation to Council and the public. For 2026, projected revenues are $511 million, while expenditures are estimated at $555.67 million, creating a $44.67 million shortfall that would require a 13.54% mill rate increase to balance. Major cost pressures include $11.99 million in Council-approved projects such as transit expansion and a new fire station, and $27.77 million to maintain existing service levels. A series of Special Council meetings in September will allow public input before final budget decisions in December. The multi-year, service-based budget approach was first approved in June 2024, with the 2026-2027 process confirmed in June 2025.
  
  
• Council rejected a motion to reshuffle rink schedules to give earlier ice times to adult recreational hockey players. The proposal, put forward by Ward 4 Councillor Mark Burton, was prompted by complaints that a deal between the Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) and a private youth hockey academy had pushed some recreational teams to late-night slots or out of the Brandt Centre entirely. City officials said implementing the change would require completely redoing the existing schedule, potentially disrupting other sports like ringette, broomball, and figure skating. As a compromise, Council approved ending “prime” ice slots at 10:00 pm rather than 11:30 pm, allowing teams forced to play late to access discounted booking fees, though this is expected to reduce annual revenue by about $40,000. The City noted that affected teams still have ice access, just not at the requested times. Administration is also reviewing the City’s booking policy, which may address the issue for the 2026-27 season. 
  
  
• City Council has postponed decisions on its encampment response strategy until November to allow more research and planning. The delay follows concerns from residents and advocates highlighting the unsafe and unsanitary conditions in current encampments, and the challenges faced by unhoused individuals, including seniors and those with mobility issues. Councillors aim to explore best practices from other Canadian cities, identify suitable locations for designated encampments, estimate costs, and develop necessary bylaw amendments and a community engagement plan. Ward 6 Councillor Victoria Flores suggested establishing a permitted encampment site, noting that simply dismantling existing encampments displaces residents and causes disruptions in neighbourhoods. Mayor Chad Bachynski emphasized the importance of incorporating feedback from the public and people with lived experience to create an effective strategy. Administration will present a revised report to the Executive Committee on November 12th.

• City Council has established a 22-hectare grasslands biodiversity reserve on the west side of the city near the Caledonian Curling Club. The land, formerly part of the Craig Golf Course, will be protected from development and managed to support local wildlife, including over 100 plant species, as well as insects, birds, and mammals. The motion, introduced by Ward 3 Councillor David Froh, was supported by environmental groups who highlighted its alignment with City policies and its potential as a lasting positive legacy. The reserve is intended to balance sustainability with urban development while serving as a natural and community gathering space. Advocates emphasized that protecting this land sets an example for other communities in preserving grasslands and natural habitats amid urban growth. City staff will collaborate with Nature Regina and the Elders Advisory Committee to select a name for the reserve. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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