Regina’s city council’s first three months of 2023 have seen them deal with the drama of a lawsuit and the fallout of the ‘botched’ Experience Regina rebrand.0

Those two items and others have overshadowed some significant work done and passed at City Hall.

Mayor Sandra Masters said they had had no shortage of positives in the last three months. She said they had received federal and provincial funding for some exciting things.

“The rapid housing initiative, we’ve been awarded $6.8 million on that. That’s underway in partnership with North Central Family Center. We’ve got $2.9 million in grants for Safer Communities, which is federal funding to look at programming for youth for gang prevention. We received between the province and the federal government $9.5 million in the first quarter, which we’ve allocated for things like infrastructure, as well a trail system and a more permanent emergency shelter.”

Masters said that they have also been able to pass items that will help shape the City for the future.

“We’ve passed a housing incentive program amendments to focus on the city centre core. We did pass indigenous procurement, where we set a very ambitious goal of 20 per cent in the spirit of reconciliation, we have a school agreement for Harbor Landing, and we’re looking forward over the next few years for construction to be undertaken and get space for community center there as well.”

“We have submitted an ICIP application for an aquatic center and geothermal heating for that aquatic center, and then we passed the Catalyst committee recommendations, which is pretty big in terms of city planning,” she continued.

She added that another positive to start the year was seeing another successful Frost Festival, hosting the Saskatchewan Winter Games and the post-World Juniors Regina Pats, which saw sellouts at the Brandt Centre.

Looking forward to the future, Masters said items like E-Scooters being legal in July, the opening of the Wascana Pool and the second-of-its-kind elevator-accessible high water slide are just a taste of things to come in the coming months.

“We’re going to continue our work on our active pathway system, looking for some ideas on The Yards space; we’re going to get to construction season, which is always important in the City of Regina that we’re rejuvenating streets,” she said. “We’re looking at Dewdney Avenue reconstruction, and yes, there’s an inconvenience attached to it, but really the rejuvenation of Dewdney Avenue is going to be exciting when it’s finally done in terms of safety and lighting and just the attractiveness of it and then downtown, I think in terms of activation, more lights in the parks.”

She also said they are working on empowering agencies outside of the City.

“When you think of the Warehouse BID as an example, making sure that they feel empowered. They’re the ones living and breathing it every day, and so they’re in touch with the needs of the businesses and the people that live in those districts,” she said. “It can’t all sit with the city, and looking for expertise and folks to do the heavy lifting outside the city is exciting as well.”

2023 has also marked the start of progress for long-time key items like replacing the Lawson Aquatic Centre and seeing plans to activate areas like the downtown and The Yards.

Masters said that while it may feel like little progress has been made, she thinks like council has been able to move some of those key items forward.

“I think it’s been a learning lesson for me on the one hand because two years to apply for funding for an aquatic center seems like an awfully long time to me when it’s been the Master Recreation lists number one thing. Maybe two years isn’t that long, but knowing that we’ve applied for funding and if, when we get the word, we’re going to be in a position to actually begin construction.”

Masters said she would feel much better once projects like the aquatic centre are under construction.