Regina Minute: Issue 96

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

📅 This Week In Regina: 📅

• The Accessibility Advisory Committee meets Tuesday at 4:00 pm. The Committee will discuss the Assisted Cart Placement Program, a proposed initiative designed to help residents with physical disabilities move waste carts to and from collection points. Administration expects to support roughly two households per route daily using existing resources, drawing on successful models from other municipalities. Feedback from the Committee will help shape the final recommendation presented to City Council in March 2026.
  
  
• City Council is seeking provincial support to ease tax pressures after passing the city’s largest property tax increase. Mayor Chad Bachynski has proposed a resolution for the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) to lobby the Province for additional revenue sources beyond property taxes. Options under consideration include reinstating grants removed in 2017, introducing a municipal hotel tax or revitalization levy, exempting cities from PST on construction, and returning education property tax collection to the Province. Regina’s CFO estimates that restoring these measures could provide up to $24 million annually in revenue and savings. With $1.2 billion in planned capital projects over the next five years, the City is looking for sustainable funding tools to support infrastructure and growth. The resolution will be presented at SUMA’s annual convention in April, inviting input from other municipalities on potential solutions. Mayor Bachynski emphasized that addressing these funding gaps is essential for the City’s long-term financial health.
  
  
• The Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre in Regina has received provincial funding to open the Seven Fires Warming Shelter, providing overnight support from 4:30 pm - 8:00 am daily. The grant comes through Saskatchewan’s PATH program, with the City distributing $1.1 million to expand warming spaces during extreme cold. The Centre, which already offers daytime warming and harm reduction services, has seen around 100 visitors daily and identified a need for evening access when other services close. Executive Director Teresa Innis emphasized that the funding allows the centre to meet this urgent community need. Provincial funding was also awarded to Carmichael Outreach and All Nations Hope to extend hours at their warming spaces, ensuring more comprehensive support for vulnerable residents. City officials highlighted the importance of partnering with experienced organizations to deliver these critical services during extreme cold snaps.
  
  
• Regina’s emergency rooms will soon see the addition of metal detectors to improve safety for staff and patients. The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) says the measure is part of a broader effort to reduce weapons and violence in hospital emergency departments. While exact launch dates and locations in Regina haven’t been confirmed, the initiative follows a successful pilot program in Saskatoon. SHA emphasizes that metal detectors will complement existing security measures like guards, cameras, and panic alarms to better protect hospital staff and visitors. More details about the rollout in Regina are expected in the coming days.
  
  
• Saskatchewan will establish Western Canada’s first small modular reactor (SMR) testing and research centre in Regina, adjacent to the University of Regina at Innovation Saskatchewan’s research park. The facility will feature two non-nuclear “test loops” that simulate reactor conditions, allowing researchers to study reactor chemistry, safety, and performance. SaskPower says the centre will support new training and research programs in nuclear engineering, thermal hydraulics, chemistry, and safety, helping build a local nuclear workforce and supply chain. Minister Jeremy Harrison emphasized that the centre positions Saskatchewan as a hub for “nuclear excellence” and contributes to provincial energy security. No SMR will be built in Regina - Estevan has been identified as the likely location for a future reactor. 

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