Regina & Moose Jaw : interesting news events

[The mayor]

https://www.cjme.com/2026/03/19/reginas-...enue-sharing-but-wants-more-flexibility/
Regina’s mayor pleased with revenue sharing but wants more flexibility

By Geoff Smith
Mar 19, 2026 | 5:45 PM
“There’s only one taxpayer” is a sentiment Regina’s mayor says he understands.

Chad Bachynski is reacting to the provincial budget, which pledges just over $61 million to the City of Regina in municipal revenue sharing.

The formula set aside three-quarters of one percentage point of the provincial sales tax to divide among municipalities based on their population.
And just like that take that 61 million plus the library savings and build a new one

[The mayor]

https://explore.business.bell.ca/news-an...-network-300-mw-data-centre-saskatchewan
This project is Bell's largest-ever investment in Saskatchewan – an unprecedented commitment to Saskatchewan's technology ecosystem that places the province at the centre of Canada's AI-driven economic growth. Once complete, it will be the largest purpose-built AI data centre development anywhere in Canada.

Over time, the facility is projected to generate economic value of up to $12 billion for the province, including short- and long-term job creation, tax revenues and broader economic benefits. Construction will support at least 800 jobs in the trades and engineering, with a minimum of 80 full-time roles created once the facility is fully operational. Based on industry research, as many as 750 additional community jobs could result from a large data centre deployment of this nature.
Is Saskatchewan gonna become a major tech hub in Canada?

[The mayor]

https://www.sasktoday.ca/regina-today/re...rden-moves-forward-at-maka-park-12036776
Decade-long vision takes root: East Regina community garden moves forward at Maka Park
The Arcola East Community Association expects the new community garden to open this summer.

[The mayor]

https://theijf.org/brief/bell-ai-data-centre-sask-lobbying
Bell’s historic AI investment in Sask. followed record lobbying from company
Story by Brett McKay, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter •
Bell Canada said on March 16 it is making its largest-ever investment in Saskatchewan through the construction of a 90,000 square foot data centre near Regina. In the months before the announcement, Bell launched its largest lobbying effort in the province to date, according to Saskatchewan’s lobbyist registry.

Rates Just Dropped - Beem Credit Union Fixed Rates - A Rate Worth A Closer Look
Ad
beemcreditunion.ca
Rates Just Dropped - Beem Credit Union Fixed Rates - A Rate Worth A Closer Look
The telecom company is planning to start construction this spring on what it says will be Canada’s biggest AI data centre, located in the Rural Municipality of Sherwood, according to a news release.

Documents from the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists show that in October, Bell began lobbying government officials about data-centre related programs and policies. Along with ongoing negotiations with SaskTel about various telecom services, Bell updated its lobbyist registration to include discussions about “technological innovations, including AI, with an aim to convey how policies affect investments in innovation and research.”

[The mayor]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/regina/article/sa...-opens-new-facility-just-outside-regina/
Salthaven West Wildlife Rescue opens new facility just outside Regina
By
Damian Smith
Opens in new window
Published: March 21, 2026 at 8:47PM EDT
content

CTVNews Logo

Regina

News
Salthaven West Wildlife Rescue opens new facility just outside Regina
By
Damian Smith
Opens in new window
Published: March 21, 2026 at 8:47PM EDT

Salthaven West Wildlife Rescue has opened a new facility just outside Regina. (Damian Smith / CTV News)
After three years of funding in the Regina area, a wildlife rehabilitation centre will now be open just outside of the city.

About 10 minutes north of the city, Salthaven West Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Centre is ready to take in animals in Saskatchewan.

In operation for 10 years now, it took the centre three years to gather over $600,000 to construct the building.

“There’s been some highs and lows, certainly,” said Megan Lawrence, the director of Salthaven West. “We’re very lucky that the community has been so generous and gracious and helped us to where we are now. There’s been some challenges where things start rising in costs, where we have to spend more money on groceries to feed the patients but overall, we’re extremely happy with how things have gone.”

Lawrence says they’re looking to raise around $100,000 more to get an incubator and oxygen machine.


Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device
With six rooms for patients, it’s a much bigger space than the last facility, which operated in a house basement, around 600 square feet. The new facility has 2,500 square feet with outside space.

“It worked for a short time, but quickly we outgrew it,” Lawrence said about the previous facility. “The infrastructure started failing, we realized we need a much larger space and that we need more land for the animals.”

Their rooms are divided between reptiles and amphibians, birds, and mammals. There’s also a break, laundry, and a mechanical room.

“A lot of the staff and volunteers have faced hardships in the little basement that we called our clinic,” Lawrence said. “Sometimes the air quality wasn’t what it should be, and the space can be really crowded. I’m so happy that the staff of volunteers now have a big space that they can be comfortable in.”

“Jake the Snake,” a garter snake that’s been in-house since 2018, was the lone patient during an open house on Saturday. However, move in day is happening within the matter of days. Salthaven currently has100 snakes, four salamanders, and one frog ready to move in.

[The mayor]

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/di...w-genesis-regina-facility-861224377.html
Dilawri Celebrates the Opening of the New Genesis Regina Facility
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Dilawri Group of Companies
Mar 24, 2026, 06:00 ET
REGINA, SK, March 24, 2026 /CNW/ - Dilawri, Canada's largest automotive group, is proud to announce the opening of Genesis Regina, a newly constructed 6,000-square-foot, two-storey facility designed to deliver the elevated Genesis Retail Experience (GRX) and reflect the brand's design philosophy and commitment to progressive luxury. This facility represents the next step in the brand's evolution, offering a premium environment centred on craftsmanship, innovation, and hospitality

[The mayor]

https://www.mbcradio.com/2026/03/ai-data...d-largest-investment-in-canadian-history
AI data centre near Regina will be largest data centre in Canada and largest investment in Canadian history
by MBC News | Mar 24, 2026
A $12 billion investment in an AI data centre near Regina will bring 1,600 jobs to Saskatchewan and is the third largest investment in Canadian history.
The AI data centre would be the largest in Canada.
On Monday, Premier Moe and Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of BCE Inc and Bell Canada, announced the data centre, saying it will be one of the largest projects in Saskatchewan’s history that will generate up to $12 billion in economic value.
“The announcement of this facility is great news for Saskatchewan’s economy,” Moe said. “This investment by Bell Canada will create jobs, strengthen provincial research capacity and facilitate the creation of new businesses built on advanced capabilities.”
Through the construction period, more than 800 jobs are expected to be created locally across trades. At minimum, 80 jobs will be associated with ongoing operation of the facility along with an estimated 750 additional economic spin-off jobs for a minimum of 1,630 jobs overall.
Construction on the 90,000-square-foot data centre is expected to begin this spring in the RM of Sherwood. The centre’s primary power needs will be serviced through SaskPower and would also use generation in part generated through a natural gas contract with SaskEnergy.
“When the megawatts are powered to the site early in the new year, it will be largest facility of its kind in Canada,” Crown Investment Corporation Minister Jeremy Harrison said. “We are thankful that Bell Canada saw the value of investing in Saskatchewan for this truly historic project that will deliver significant benefits to our economy.”

[The mayor]

https://leaderpost.com/news/local-news/c...ions-for-a-new-central-library-in-regina
Seek outside funding
Article content
RPL could look to private donors or grants, including a request for the Government of Saskatchewan to pitch in, according to the report.

Article content
Administration also says it could approach the Canadian Infrastructure Bank — a federal Crown corporation set up to support revenue-generating infrastructure projects — about backing the library project. But there’s no guarantee it will agree.
With city funding at a premium, what are the options for a new Central Library in Regina?
Now that sufficient debt room is no longer available under Regina's borrowing limit, a report from city staff offers some ideas to keep the renewal project alive.
Maybe somebody can send the mayor some pictures or videos of Saskatoon’s in the library which is absolutely beautiful good for them again you can fill in the blanks

[The mayor]

https://www.620ckrm.com/2025/10/03/government-funding-sought-for-genesis-fertilizer-plant/
Government funding sought for Genesis fertilizer plant

By Doug Falconer
Oct 3, 2025 | 1:53 PM
Genesis Fertilizers is seeking government support for the mega-project.

Derek Penner, president of the company trying to build a $2.3 billion nitrogen fertilizer plant in Belle Plaine, Sask., says the project aligns with prime minister Mark Carney’s vision for the country.

Carney wants to reduce Canada’s reliance on trade with the United States while bolstering the domestic market for Canadian goods and services.

Penner says the proposed Genesis project would support farmers, provide food and fertilizer security and allow Canadians to invest in a homegrown value-added project.

Penner, who has been on the job for about 60 days, says there are all sorts of government programs and institutions the company can tap into.

[The mayor]

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18MuntPNgz/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Construction has now started on The Vue at Lakeshore, a retail development at 1380 23 Ave in Regina (23rd Avenue and Hillsdale Street).

This is a project that has taken a long time to reach the construction phase, replacing the former Lakeshore Mall site directly adjacent to Wascana Park.

The five available retail suites are being built to a basic vanilla shell, ready for tenant fixturing:

- Suite 1: 2,893 sq. ft. (end cap; south-facing patio opportunity; could be split)
- Suite 2: 1,370 sq. ft. (inline)
- Suite 3: 1,367 sq. ft. (inline)
- Suite 4: 1,458 sq. ft. (inline)
- Suite 5: 2,906 sq. ft. (end cap; could be split)

The location sits on a high-traffic commuter route near Wascana Park, the University of Regina, and a residential population of more than 14,000 within a 1 km radius.

[The mayor]

https://www.sasktoday.ca/regina-today/re...y-returns-to-pre-pandemic-pulse-12058041
Regina’s office market slowly returns to pre-pandemic pulse
After years of empty desks and quiet hallways, Regina’s office spaces are coming alive again as businesses invite employees back in.
Rental rates and lease terms have remained relatively steady, and Tangital expects the market to continue moving forward without major fluctuations. A recent lease of nearly 100,000 square feet in the Canada Life building downtown is expected to further reduce vacancy rates in the core.

Industry data backs up Tangital’s observations. Reports from Colliers Canada show Regina’s office vacancy gradually declining after pandemic highs, with the recent Canada Life lease serving as a major driver of activity. Nationally, nearly half of commercial real estate professionals expect office vacancy rates to fall in 2026, as return-to-office trends continue to stabilize demand.

Maybe one day a new tower

[The mayor]

https://www.cjme.com/2026/03/27/derelict...to-be-targeted-by-higher-property-taxes/
Derelict properties in Regina to be targeted by higher property taxes

By Geoff Smith
Mar 27, 2026 | 8:35 AM
The City of Regina will try a new approach to encourage the cleanup of derelict properties in the inner city – and it’s an approach that’s more stick than carrot.

Following a motion by Ward 6 Councillor Victoria Flores, the city will create a special property tax class for nuisance and derelict residential properties, which will see the owners charged five times the city’s regular property tax rate.
And that’s a good thing

[The mayor]

https://www.discoverhumboldt.com/article...highlights-regina-long-term-care-project
The first feature in the series spotlights the Regina Specialized Long-Term Care (RSLTC) facility, a major health infrastructure project currently under construction in Regina. The multi-story building is being developed on government-owned land south of the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Regina campus.

Once complete, the facility will include 240 specialized long-term care beds for seniors and residents with complex needs, including dementia, cognitive challenges, acquired brain injuries and other behavioural conditions.

Those commuting near the site have surely seen the tower crane erected at the site – as crews continue to pour concrete for the facility’s foundation slab and vertical support columns.

According to the province, each floor of the facility will comprise of four resident neighbourhoods arranged around a central hub, providing a “vibrant space for dining, social interaction and connection,” the province said.

“Additionally, the facility will include individual resident rooms with bathrooms, indoor and outdoor multipurpose spaces, a therapy centre and Indigenous gathering and spiritual spaces; all to enhance residents’ quality of life and wellbeing,” the province said in its update.

The facility is being built by Calgary-based Graham Design Builders LP

[The mayor]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/regina/video/2026/03/31/controlled-burns-coming-to-wascana-centre/
Controlled burns coming to Wascana Centre
Wascana Centre will see prescribed burns being performed as part of a multi-agency training program.
March 30, 2026 at 9:29PM EDT

[The mayor]

https://www.cjme.com/2026/04/01/multiple...s-funding-for-regina-clinic-came-sooner/
Multiple sclerosis patient wishes funding for Regina clinic came sooner

By Gillian Massie
Apr 1, 2026 | 6:02 AM
The announcement of a new multiple sclerosis (MS) clinic in Regina is bittersweet for one woman who has been getting care for the disease for over 20 years.

Bonnie Gorski said she wishes the funding would have come decades earlier.

[Festivus]

Originally Posted by The mayor

https://www.cjme.com/2026/04/01/multiple...s-funding-for-regina-clinic-came-sooner/
Multiple sclerosis patient wishes funding for Regina clinic came sooner

By Gillian Massie
Apr 1, 2026 | 6:02 AM
The announcement of a new multiple sclerosis (MS) clinic in Regina is bittersweet for one woman who has been getting care for the disease for over 20 years.

Bonnie Gorski said she wishes the funding would have come decades earlier.

Unfortunately, I don't think it's likely that a Regina MS clinic will actually last more than a year or two. The government has done this before (offered a few million for funding, then failed to commit enough to make a difference long-term) in Saskatoon. $2 million sounds like a lot, but it's basically only enough for one year when you factor in a neurologist, nurses, and location. It's still good news, but a long-term commitment is needed.

The good news is that Regina has a few fantastic neurologists already for people with MS.

[The mayor]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/regina/article/11th-ave-construction-resumes-monday/
11th Ave construction resumes Monday
By
Daniel Reech
Opens in new window
Published: April 02, 2026 at 1:32PM EDT
“The 11th Avenue Revitalization Project is a key part of the City Centre Revitalization Plan to create a walkable, welcoming and safe city centre that attracts more people and businesses to live, work, visit and invest,” said Chris Warren, director of roadways and transportation in a city media release on Thursday.

“This project will modernize critical infrastructure while enhancing accessibility and supporting a vibrant downtown experience.”

The project’s aim is upgrading the road, sidewalks and underground infrastructure.

Beginning in spring 2023, the project is now approaching its final stages with its finished design beginning to take shape, according to the city.


Among the improvements are wider pedestrian walkways, improved lighting and new trees.

“The city’s partnership with Crown Corporations means their respective utility work is being done in coordination with the city’s work, reducing construction costs and the need for additional construction along this important downtown thoroughfare,” the release stated.

Starting April 6, 11th Avenue will be closed between Scarth Street and Cornwall Street. The closures will move west along 11th Avenue as the work progresses.
He couldn’t wait to spend the money they got from the province first for grants all this money been wasted on this no vision no desire for change just sewer and toilet vanity projects

[phone]

I just visited Moose Jaw, and I have to say, pound for pound I really think there's an argument that Moose Jaw delivers the best concentrated dose of urbanism out of anywhere in Saskatchewan.

I could go on about the tourist stuff but the fact is that downtown Moose Jaw is the only place in Saskatchewan that has two full service grocery stores within easy walking distance of the city centre, and is also centred on the city's main transit spine (I can confirm that Moose Jaw has a proper workmanlike fleet of city buses in uniform livery running well-established routes up and down Main Street and branching off). I earnestly think that if someone wanted to go car free or car minimum in this province, Moose Jaw would be their best bet if they wanted to maintain quality of life and some modicum of optionality. Its nickname of "Little Chicago" didn't feel like a total fabrication, and certainly provides a nice counterpart to Saskatoon as the "Paris of the Prairies". It reminded me of how I imagine Winnipeg's Exchange District on smaller scale, though I still owe Winnipeg a proper visit that's more than a drive by. Of course, this only ever gets you so far when the population is 35,000, but the strange history, the spa (which is getting a total reno this summer, as we discovered), the unrazed railway-era architecture, and being 45 minutes away from the airport side of Regina doesn't hurt. And it has the edge over Regina on distance to Saskatoon, if that means anything to anyone. I also never felt uneasy walking around, day or night. Seems pretty safe, while not appearing much different from Saskatoon or Regina in terms of demographic composition, as far as I could tell. There were some vacant storefronts, but a lot of interesting shops and holes in the wall to be found. Just seems like people can get along with each other a little better there. Cuisines like Nigerian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Filipino, you name it, all within a concentrated area. And of course. A gigantic brassy Houston Pizza. Moose Jaw has Sask's old school Greek flavour in spades, in addition to its well-known role in the history of this province's Chinese community. More old school ginger beef-serving "Chinese Canadian" restaurants still going than you can believe. And other random nodes and strips clustered with business in parts of town where you might not expect. And, the big grand viaducts going over the rail yards rival Saskatoon's bridges, truly. And there's a whole incomprehensible maze of parkland south of the city that I'd love to take a more extended tour of in nicer weather.

The only thing that's missing is some sort of interpretive centre for the Snowbirds, whether on base or off. It would be nice to have some sort of visitors' reception in Bushell Park, separate from the working sections in the base. Or somewhere between the base and Moose Jaw.

Anyway. Quick ramble to say that Moose Jaw deserves more attention and credit for its disproportionately strong urban bones and modest form of honestly come by walkable lifestyle without feeling too limited in terms of options. Which is certainly something that Saskatoon doesn't offer in full form (though 33rd St W/Mayfair is a underrated player on that front), nor Regina (13th Ave/Cathedral is nice, but it always feels more like a residential boulevard to me than a proper streetcar strip)

[gecho111]

Back during covid I drove to Moose Jaw 3 times to bike all the streets there since I had biked all the streets in Regina and I was bored. Nice little city with all the amenities you could ask for. I worked / lived on the base one summer very short commute.

For two summers I was doing this GPS bike challenge to make a giant square by visiting every 1 mile by 1 mile square within. Once you get to a certain size you start running into squares that are extremely difficult to reach as they contain no roads. I managed to get up to a 42x42 square. I made a custom map for my GPS so I could see the tile borders. The grid roads are vertically spaced by 2 miles, so getting 2 rows of tiles at once involved periodically go a bit north or south.

[The mayor]

Phone : thanks for your take on Moose Jaw it’s one of Canada's hidden gems , I’m surprised the population is so low makes no sense