Regina Minute: Issue 92

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

📅 This Week In Regina: 📅

• Merry Christmas! We hope you had a wonderful day with family, friends, and food! Thank you to every single one of our readers and supporters who reached out, donated, volunteered, or shared our content this year. We appreciate every single one of you and hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
  
  
• We usually reserve these weekly updates for sharing news and analysis, but as the year comes to a close, we want to be upfront with you. Our year-end fundraising campaign is underway, with a target of $10,000 to be met by December 31st. This funding is essential to sustaining our operations and allowing us to carry our work into the new year. If you find our work valuable and want to help ensure it continues, we’d be grateful if you would consider making a contribution. Even a modest gift makes a meaningful difference. You can donate by clicking here, and we sincerely thank you for being part of this effort.
  
  
• The Regina and District Chamber of Commerce is concerned about how businesses will cope with the 10.9% property tax hike approved by Council for 2026. Chamber CEO Mike Tate called the increase “too high,” warning that businesses may have to pass on costs to customers, consider relocating, or even close. Meanwhile, the union representing nearly 1,600 outside workers, CUPE Saskatchewan, said budget cuts threaten jobs and could reduce services, particularly in Parks, while highlighting the human impact of layoffs. Both groups emphasized the need for more sustainable and predictable budgeting.
  
  
• The City of Regina has launched an interactive snowplow map to help residents track when streets are expected to be cleared after a snowfall. The online tool shows which roads have been plowed, estimated timelines for remaining streets, and progress percentages tied to the City’s service level agreements. Roads are prioritized by major arterials, corridor routes, and residential streets, with ETAs allowing residents to see if snow removal is on schedule. Snowplow operators update the map in near real-time using tablets, while City supervisors use it internally to reassign crews and improve efficiency. The map also lets residents search specific streets, view ward-level metrics, and submit service requests.
  
  
• Regina Police Service (RPS) welcomed Lorilee Davies as its new Chief in December. Davies emphasized stability, community trust, and safety as her priorities, highlighting the positive impact of increased downtown police presence through alternative response officers and the Downtown Safety Team. The RPS has also been dealing with a rise in arsons, particularly bin fires, and Davies said they are working with the City to reduce opportunities for such incidents while reviewing how arson cases are classified. Looking ahead, Davies plans to prioritize emotional resiliency and mental health training for officers to support both their well-being and community service. She also expressed gratitude for community support following her appointment and hopes to continue fostering collaboration between police and residents.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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