Regina Minute: Issue 84

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

📅 This Week In Regina: 📅

• On Wednesday, at 1:00 pm, there will be a City Council meeting. The agenda includes a motion to advance the upgrade and enhancement of the City’s Tax and Assessment System (TAS) software. The motion directs Administration to include $500,000 in the 2026-2027 budget to begin the project. The upgrade aims to modernize the TAS software and ensure the City’s taxation processes remain efficient and accurate. Several bylaws for heritage property tax exemptions are also scheduled for consideration.
  
  
• Brandt CEO Shaun Semple has unveiled plans for a major new entertainment and hospitality complex called Queen City Distillers at Regina’s REAL District. The project will transform the 52,000-square-foot former Agribition Building into a two-storey venue featuring a craft distillery, brewery, sports bar, wine bar, restaurant, speakeasy-style lounge, and a 1,490-person live music venue with three stages. Semple is creating a new division, Brandt Sports and Entertainment, which will also include his ownership of the Regina Pats and Regina Red Sox. The project aims to fill a gap in Regina’s entertainment scene, attracting local and touring artists without residents needing to travel to other cities. While initial investment estimates started at $12 million, the project now exceeds $20 million, with a planned opening in December 2026 to coincide with the 2027 Grey Cup. Semple emphasizes that the complex will be unique in Canada and a “world-class” destination, integrating sports, dining, and live entertainment in one location.
  
  
• The City has switched its waste collection services to a winter schedule. The landfill’s summer hours ended on Saturday, and it will reopen today with winter hours of 7:30 am to 5:30 pm., Monday to Saturday, closed on Sundays. Vehicles must exit by 5:30 pm, with gates closing at 5:15 pm The Yard Waste Depot is now closed for the season, but will reopen temporarily for Christmas tree recycling from December 26th, 2025, to January 31st, 2026. Green cart collection will move to a bi-weekly schedule starting this week. Additional details and collection information are available on the Regina Waste app or at the City’s website.
  
  
• Regina Police Chief Farooq Sheikh has been terminated following an investigation by Saskatchewan’s Public Complaints Commission into allegations of inappropriate conduct. The investigation found that Sheikh exchanged inappropriate private messages over several months with a member of the Board of Police Commissioners regarding his employment contract. The messaging was deemed serious enough to lead to his firing without severance. Sheikh had been suspended with pay since April 4th, 2025, after a public complaint was filed. Deputy Chief Lorilee Davies, Acting Chief since April, will continue in the role until a permanent replacement is appointed.

• More than $280,000 from the Province’s Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund will be distributed to the Regina Police Service for upgrades to its indoor shooting range. The funds, sourced from seized criminal proceeds, will support new firearms technology and enhanced training facilities used by police recruits from across the province. The improvements are expected to strengthen officer readiness and public safety as policing demands evolve. An equal amount will also go to the Victims’ Fund, which assists victims of crime and supports community safety initiatives. The Province said the forfeiture program, established in 2009, has distributed more than $10 million to Saskatchewan communities to date.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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