Regina & Moose Jaw : interesting news events

[The mayor]

https://www.cjme.com/2026/07/23/regina-councillors-getting-an-earful-over-weeds-uncut-grass/
Regina councillors getting an earful over weeds, uncut grass

By Geoff Smith
Jul 23, 2026 | 10:06 AM
A presentation to Regina’s executive committee updating the city’s parks master plan on Wednesday turned into a lengthy discussion on the impact of a cut to park maintenance made during budget deliberations.

“I have people screaming at me every day about the damn weeds,” Ward 7 Councillor Shobna Radons said during the meeting.

[The mayor]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/regina/article/un...archers-to-receive-3m-in-federal-grants/

Researchers at the University of Regina have received nearly $3 million in federal funding for over a dozen projects.

The funding is provided through the government’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s Discovery Grants Program, meant to support long-term, curiosity-driven research

[gecho111]

Originally Posted by The mayor

https://www.cjme.com/2026/07/23/regina-councillors-getting-an-earful-over-weeds-uncut-grass/
Regina councillors getting an earful over weeds, uncut grass

By Geoff Smith
Jul 23, 2026 | 10:06 AM
A presentation to Regina’s executive committee updating the city’s parks master plan on Wednesday turned into a lengthy discussion on the impact of a cut to park maintenance made during budget deliberations.

“I have people screaming at me every day about the damn weeds,” Ward 7 Councillor Shobna Radons said during the meeting.

Some parks are also no longer watered despite having irrigation systems. Its really starting to show now that we are 3 very hot weeks past an unusually wet June.

[pappcam]

Originally Posted by gecho111

Some parks are also no longer watered despite having irrigation systems. Its really starting to show now that we are 3 very hot weeks past an unusually wet June.

We've gone from too wet to cut the grass to too dry to need to cut the grass.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by gecho111

Some parks are also no longer watered despite having irrigation systems. Its really starting to show now that we are 3 very hot weeks past an unusually wet June.

I chalk this up to the City refusing to cut pet projects that outside their core responsibilities or even under the jurisdiction of other levels of Government and instead cutting core functions like infrastructure and parks.

[Festivus]

Originally Posted by The mayor

https://www.cjme.com/2026/07/23/regina-councillors-getting-an-earful-over-weeds-uncut-grass/
Regina councillors getting an earful over weeds, uncut grass

By Geoff Smith
Jul 23, 2026 | 10:06 AM
A presentation to Regina’s executive committee updating the city’s parks master plan on Wednesday turned into a lengthy discussion on the impact of a cut to park maintenance made during budget deliberations.

“I have people screaming at me every day about the damn weeds,” Ward 7 Councillor Shobna Radons said during the meeting.

What did these people expect? Most people are screaming for cuts to "waste," but that waste is almost always something that someone else wants. There is almost always no actual "waste" in government, in the sense of money just disappearing and no services being provided. I suppose you could just cut everyone's pay across the board, but then who will want to work for the city? People always get elected promising to find waste and cut it...but there's a reason why no one is able to (because it doesn't exist at the scale that would make a dent in real spending).

[The mayor]

The Global Transportation Hub (GTH) has purchased 418 acres of strategically located land for $10 million, a move officials say will preserve dual rail connectivity and help attract major industrial investment to the Regina region.

The acquisition includes land adjacent to a spur rail line with access to both Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) rail networks.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/regina/article/gt...al-to-expand-rail-connected-development/
Video explaining what’s going on

[The mayor]

https://www.cjme.com/2026/07/25/reginas-globe-theatre-seeks-urgent-city-grant-to-keep-operating/
Regina’s Globe Theatre seeks urgent city grant to keep operating

By Geoff Smith
Jul 25, 2026 | 12:29 PM
Regina’s Globe Theatre is once again facing a money crunch related to its renovation project, and is asking for a grant from the City of Regina to stay afloat.

Council is being asked to approve close to $1.4 million from the city’s General Fund Reserve to help the theatre meet urgent obligations and bills.
Are they gonna do the right thing?
Most likely not, they can’t even water the grass

All he’s worried about is toilets and sewer pipe pipes he must dream about this all night

[The mayor]

Regina’s second annual Growth Monitoring Report shows how and where the city is growing to make space for 27,000 more people in five years.

Population growth is driving demand for more diverse housing options like apartments and multiplexes, as well as secondary or backyard suites.

Key highlights include:
• Regina remains the most affordable major city in Canada to own a house, according to the 2026 RBC Housing Market Report.
• Permits for new housing hit a five-year high in 2025 with 1,674 new housing units.
• Backyard or secondary suites are getting popular – representing 18 per cent of the total housing units compared to single family homes at 15 per cent.
• Servicing agreements for new neighbourhoods hit a 10-year high with Coopertown and Eastbrook representing the largest share of land, followed by The Towns and Westerra.
• Infill incentive programs to fill vacant land supported 12 new housing developments in 2025.

Read more details in the full report: https://Regina.ca/Growth.

[The mayor]

Inside Bell’s all-Canadian plan to power the country’s AI future

The telecom giant is spending big to develop the infrastructure and services it hopes will power a national AI boom. Will the country buy into its vision?

By Murad Hemmadi

In an empty field on the edge of Regina, construction workers are busy putting in the rebar and pipes for what’s set to be one of Canada’s largest AI data centres.
The facility in Sherwood, a rural municipality that surrounds the provincial capital, is a major piece of Bell’s plan to transform itself with AI, and sell the technology to companies and governments who want to do the same. “This is such high growth and it’s energizing,” says Bell CEO Mirko Bibic.
This is a big read

[Stormer]

That's a well written article. Here is the link

https://thelogic.co/news/the-big-read/bell-artificial-intelligence-canada-strategy/

[The mayor]

https://www.620ckrm.com/2026/08/06/regin...using-supply-remains-a-challenge-report/
Regina

The city says increasing housing supply will be key to meeting future demand as Regina’s population grows.

Regina is projecting a population of 370,000 people by 2051, requiring an additional 56,900 housing units starting in 2024.

In 2025, Regina approved 456 housing units in established neighbourhoods and 1,218 units in greenfield areas, totalling nearly 1,700 units.

While building permits reached a five-year high, the city would need to average roughly 2,000 units annually over the next 26 years to meet its 2051 housing target.

The city is already projecting more than 5,000 housing units through future greenfield developments, including Coopertown phase 1, Hawkstone, Kensington Greens and Harbour Landing South.

Those projections do not include longer-term neighbourhoods in development, including Foxtail and Tower Crossing, Riverside and Harbour Landing West.

The city will also continue creating new units through vacant lot development, which added 411 dwelling units between 2020 and 2025.
Nice photo

[The mayor]

Originally Posted by Stormer

That's a well written article. Here is the link

https://thelogic.co/news/the-big-read/bell-artificial-intelligence-canada-strategy/

lol I thought I’d put it on. Oh well, not the end of the world but thank you.

[The mayor]

https://www.cjme.com/2026/08/11/hanging-it-up-bregg-cleaners-closes-store-in-downtown-regina/
Hanging it up: Bregg Cleaners closes store in downtown Regina

Thorsteinson said it will take him a while to clean out the building, and list it for sale.

He’s grateful to all the staff and loyal customers who came through the building over the years, and said he is looking forward to spending time with his wife and kids in the future.

Here comes another empty lot in downtown Regina to add to the collection

[StealthGirl]

Originally Posted by The mayor

https://www.cjme.com/2026/08/11/hanging-it-up-bregg-cleaners-closes-store-in-downtown-regina/
Hanging it up: Bregg Cleaners closes store in downtown Regina

Thorsteinson said it will take him a while to clean out the building, and list it for sale.

He’s grateful to all the staff and loyal customers who came through the building over the years, and said he is looking forward to spending time with his wife and kids in the future.

Here comes another empty lot in downtown Regina to add to the collection

There were always rumours that building had foundation issues after the big dig next door. Have to wonder if it's more attractive for development to have the Bregg's site plus the corner lot to do one development. Less constrained footprint. Not sure who or what would have the money to do that, but have to think it opens up a few options.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by The mayor

https://www.cjme.com/2026/08/11/hanging-it-up-bregg-cleaners-closes-store-in-downtown-regina/
Hanging it up: Bregg Cleaners closes store in downtown Regina

Thorsteinson said it will take him a while to clean out the building, and list it for sale.

He’s grateful to all the staff and loyal customers who came through the building over the years, and said he is looking forward to spending time with his wife and kids in the future.

Here comes another empty lot in downtown Regina to add to the collection

No one is going to buy a 90 year old dry cleaning site. He would have to pay someone to take it.

[PrairiePrince]

Originally Posted by Stormer

No one is going to buy a 90 year old dry cleaning site. He would have to pay someone to take it.

The group that owns the old Capitol Point land is planning to do an office building there when there's market demand. So expect it to remain empty for at least another decade unfortunately, unless something unexpected happens sooner demand wise.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by PrairiePrince

The group that owns the old Capitol Point land is planning to do an office building there when there's market demand. So expect it to remain empty for at least another decade unfortunately, unless something unexpected happens sooner demand wise.

The City owns the Capital Pointe land. They took it for delinquent taxes and failure to fill in the excavation.

[gecho111]

According to this article the land was subsequently sold in 2021 to Smith Street Lands Ltd. I had recalled they applied to put in a parking lot but never did. https://www.cjme.com/2023/02/10/former-capital-pointe-site-still-not-developed/

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by gecho111

According to this article the land was subsequently sold in 2021 to Smith Street Lands Ltd. I had recalled they applied to put in a parking lot but never did. https://www.cjme.com/2023/02/10/former-capital-pointe-site-still-not-developed/

Right that was the company Tony Merchant was involved with. Forgot about that.