NOMINEES GET READY FOR OCT. 26 ELECTION

Nominations closed this week for seats on city council and the public and Catholic school boards. Here are the remaining candidates to choose from on election day:

JASON MANCINELLI (WARD 9)

Business owner Jason Mancinelli says that “over the past few years, I’ve had reservations about council and administration decisions relating to larger projects taking place in our community” and that he looks forward to “challenging those decision makers.” He thinks the city needs to be particularly strategic about how it approaches growth.

LAUREN BENESH (SUBDIVISION 3)

Entrepreneur and lifelong Reginan Lauren Benesh says her experience on committees at the University of Regina and Viterra bode well for working with the school board as a hopeful trustee for Subdivision 3. The mother of children ages four and one, she says her family has a vested interest in the community and will listen to all voices in the community.

RICHARD GALLINGER (SUBDIVISION 5)

After successfully fighting last year to keep band programs in Thom Collegiate feeder schools, Richard Gallinger wants to continue his advocacy for schools as a trustee for Subdivision 5. A small-business owner with a son attending Thom and a daughter attending Seven Stones, Gallinger wants to make sure students across the division have access to programs that enrich education.

BRIAN SKLAR (WARD 10)

Country music performer Brian Sklar thinks council should adopt a “get it right the first time” policy. He is frustrated, for instance, with repeated road work in Ward 10 that has yet to alleviate traffic congestion. Sklar also says he has experience in government and business.

ADAM HICKS (SUBDIVISION 3)

The one-time operator of Cloud 9 renovations and founder of Regina’s Extreme Home Makeover, Adam Hicks has been employed by the provincial government for 4½ years and is now turning his eye toward representing Subdivision 3 on the public school board. The father of two said he is committed to learning the full scope of needs within the school system to be able to get to the root of all concerns.

WENDY GERVAIS (SEPARATE)

A longtime educator who has worked in the Catholic school division, at Sask Polytechnic and served as president of All Nations Healin’ Thru Artz, Wendy Gervais wants to sit in one of the at-large seats on the separate school division. Gervais wants to advocate for improved student-teacher ratios, equitable government funding and increased engagement from students, parents, employees, and community at large.

LEANNE MCKAY (WARD 7)

The “poo lady” wants to represent residents of Ward 7. Leanne McKay, who made the news earlier this year for protesting people who don’t pick up after their dogs, wants to bring her commitment to a cleaner, safer Regina to council. The retiree’s focus is on city services, such as water, garbage collection, parks and road maintenance. McKay’s background is in journalism, and non-governmental, non-profit, and community organizations.

RICKEY TURCHET (WARD 10)

The owner of COBS Bread in the north end is taking a stab at the Ward 10 council seat. Rickey Turchet said the key issues in his area are traffic, street maintenance, schools, safety and reducing taxes. On a Regina-wide level, he would also like to focus on renewable energy and making city hall administration more efficient.

JASPREET KAUR (SUBDIVISION 3)

A customer relations specialist who came to Regina from India as an international student seven years ago, Jaspreet Kaur is one of six hopefuls for the Subdivision 3 seat. She says “I believe that every student is intrinsically valuable, is worth investing time and resources in and I am firm believer that (the) public education system should provide children with an equal opportunity to fulfil their potential regardless of personal circumstances.”

TARA JIJIAN (SEPARATE)

As the mother of four students attending Ecole St. Mary’s and O’Neill High School, Tara Jijian’s first priority is “building a strong, Catholic school community together” and “an open dialogue between teachers, councils, parents and community leaders.” She wants to see alignment between homes, school, church and community.

RON BLASHILL (WARD 8)

Ron Blashill wants to bring improved long-term strategic planning, and better implementation of plans, to city hall. As councillor for Ward 8, he would focus on railroad relocation to better serve the Global Transportation Hub and help downtown revitalization. He thinks the city needs to tackle racism and find community solutions to crime. “Regina is a community of communities, and all citizens should belong and feel comfortable in our city.”

ELAINE CASWELL (SUBDIVISION 2)

After a long career in education, Elaine Caswell is looking to challenge incumbent Aleana Young for the public school board seat in Subdivision 2. Caswell has worked as a teacher, superintendent, deputy director and director of education within school boards and an adviser to government. She lists “improving student achievement, increased collaboration with educational partners, and focused professional development to support teachers in reading instruction” as priorities.

ELIZABETH STROM (SUBDIVISION 3)

Elizabeth Strom is trying to transition her experience as a community volunteer — including as co-chair of the city’s Canada Day celebrations — into a seat on the public school board. She would like to see graduation and achievement rates improve and provide “a strong presence of accountability for funding and resource allocation.”

DONNA ZIEGLER (SEPARATE)

Currently serving as deputy chair of the Catholic school board, Donna Ziegler is seeking re-election. She wants to continue to work for a rich Catholic culture and make sure there are proper supports for teachers and students in classrooms while also providing financial security in the face of “meeting the education and economic challenges ahead.”

GENE HOWIE (WARD 8)

Business owner Gene Howie vows not to take any donations for his campaign. The Ward 8 council candidate wants to zero in on transparency in municipal government, such as informing the public about major projects well in advance of their approval. He is also looking to cut back on waste and duplication of services, and focus infrastructure funding on the areas that need it most.

DAN AHO (SUBDIVISION 3)

The father of two boys, one of whom is in the public elementary school system, Dan Aho believes he can be a new voice and bring new ideas to the public board in Subdivision 3. As a Ministry of Finance employee he says his knowledge of accounting principles will be an asset to the board. His platform includes improving long-term planning for facilities, evaluating technological needs for all students, and increasing before- and after-school program options for students.

TANYA FOSTER (SUBDIVISION 5)

Tanya Foster, a former public school teacher and now an English instructor at the University of Regina, wants to see more direct investment in students within the division. As a teacher, she said she saw the division investing too often in consultants rather than educational assistants and learning resources. She also wants to see resources directed to improve graduation rates — particularly for indigenous students.

MARCUS VEY (SEPARATE)

If elected to the Regina Catholic School Board, Marcus Vey has a few ideas up his sleeve. He wants to increase students’ prayer, and use it and forgiveness to deal with bullying. He also wants encourage students to defend their faith in Jesus and “bring back authentic religious education as outlined in the Catechism.”