Regina Minute: Police Chief, Road Closure, and an Emergency Alert System

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

This Week In Regina:

• There will be a City Council Meeting on Wednesday at 1:00 pm. The agenda includes the Indigenous Procurement Policy, the tentative agreement between the City and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 21, and accessible taxi service improvements.
  
  
• The City is launching a new emergency alert system called "notifynow" to provide residents with timely safety information during emergencies. Managed by Regina Fire and Protective Services, the system will deliver updates on threats to health, safety, and property, including severe weather, evacuation orders, and service disruptions. It will also notify residents of shelter locations during extreme weather. The system complements SaskAlert, and residents must sign up to receive notifications via text, call, or email. To get more information, or to sign up, you can visit the City’s website.
  
  
• The latest phase of construction on the Dewdney Avenue Corridor Revitalization Project will begin this week, causing a full road closure for two to three months as crews replace underground infrastructure. This construction follows a summer of traffic disruptions between Alberta and Broad Street. Despite the ongoing work, businesses in the Warehouse District remain open.

Last Week In Regina:

• Regina's Police Chief, Farooq Sheikh, has been temporarily removed from active service following a complaint filed by a community member. The Saskatchewan Public Complaints Commission (PCC) is conducting an investigation, although the nature of the complaint has not been disclosed. In the meantime, Deputy Chief Lorilee Davies has been appointed as the Interim Police Chief.
  
  
• The University of Regina has decided to terminate its fee agreement with the University of Regina Students' Union (URSU) due to a loss of confidence in the Union's ability to effectively serve students. This decision follows months of unsuccessful efforts to address financial and governance concerns, including a growing deficit in URSU's finances. The University will stop collecting fees for URSU in August 2025. URSU has expressed a willingness to negotiate a resolution but has not yet commented on its next steps.
  
  
• Council approved a motion to amend zoning bylaws to allow manufactured homes on vacant residential lots, offering a potential solution for homeowners facing eviction from the Glen Elm Mobile Home Community. The evictions, driven by deteriorating water and sewer infrastructure, affected 14 homeowners, with some required to move by June 30th. The City is also exploring ways to provide support, including potential protections for tenants and finding alternative housing options.