Protect Wascana Park from province
Almost two years to the day after approving a land transfer that allowed the Conexus/u of R project to move forward (subsequently setting in motion a wave of protests and objections), Regina City Council will reconvene tonight to consider a motion that could prevent further damage to Regina’s most precious asset, Wascana Park.
The motion, brought forward by three councillors from diverse backgrounds and political views and representing three generations of citizens, asks the city to commit itself to no further commercialization in the park and to press the provincial government to commence public consultations on the matter.
That would be the same provincial government that in June 2017 usurped the authority of Wascana Centre from its partners, the University of Regina and the City of Regina, and now has sole control of the park. To accomplish this, the government — with no public consultation, little debate in the legislature and no apparent just cause — threw out the Wascana Centre Act that had served Regina citizens so well for 55 years.
The consequences? Well, for example, any proposed development in the park that doesn’t comply with the Master Plan has always been subject to approval by an Architectural Advisory Committee. Over a two-year period, that committee did not approve the Conexus and Brandt projects. This spring, the committee was relieved of its duties and dismissed.
The guiding principle reflected in a century-old history and enshrined in the Act in 1962 is that commercial enterprises of a large scale not conforming to the original purposes of the park (reaffirmed at least seven times by ensuing Master Plans including the most recent) have no business in the park.
Many who were initially skeptical or dismissive of concerns about further such developments encroaching on the park now realize that it’s in jeopardy — after hearing stories either confirmed or not denied about large sell-offs of land near the old Plains Hospital; of hotels, restaurants and convention facilities in the vicinity of the Conexus Arts Centre; of overtures by developers from outside the city wanting to lease space within the park boundaries, and even jokes about Tim Hortons or Walmart setting up shop in front of the legislature.
“Just trust us” we’re told by those in charge, who have long since proved that we can’t trust them.
In two previous columns I referred to this insidious encroachment into our park as the camel’s nose under the tent flap. The old Arabian parable warns that, if you don’t push the camel’s nose out from the tent when it first seeks shelter during a sandstorm, the entire camel will soon be in the tent with you.
Unless a strong and compelling message can be sent to the provincial government, before long we’ll all be sleeping with the camel.
And the rest of the herd will be lurking.
Jim Gallagher is a lifelong
Regina resident, regular user of Wascana Centre and member of the U of R Senate.