Looking back at the good and bad over past 10 years
Regina saw a swath of changes over the span of the 2010s, from infrastructure improvements to new sports facilities to a rise in gun crime. Mark Melnychuk details some of the big transformations the city has seen in the past 10 years.
A NEW STADIUM RISES, ANOTHER CRUMBLES
One of the most significant developments was a new home for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The $278-million project broke ground on June 16, 2014, but more than 300,000 cubic metres of dirt had to be excavated before the concrete foundation of the actual 522,000 square foot structure could be built.
On Oct. 1, 2016, the University of Regina Rams and University of Saskatchewan Huskies christened the new stadium with its first ever football game. The Roughriders’ first game in the team’s new home was June 10, 2017, a pre-season contest against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The old Mosaic Stadium was slowly picked apart for demolition in 2017, culminating in the controlled collapse of the west grandstand on Oct. 27, 2017.
CRAFT BREWERIES SPILL INTO TOWN
Reginans now have more opportunities to drink beer brewed in their own backyard.
A wave of independent, craft brewers spilled into Regina in 2013, when District Brewing launched its inaugural beer — Mus Knuckle. The name later had to be changed due to a trademark battle with the New Brunswick beer juggernaut Moosehead Brewery.
Regina’s craft beer scene continued to grow, and District was eventually joined by Rebellion, Malty National, and Pile O’ Bones.
A NEW MAYOR
Regina doesn’t get new mayors often, with the city’s top position usually changing hands only once a decade. This rang true again when Michael Fougere was elected mayor in 2012.
The former city councillor was the first new mayor since Pat Fiacco’s election in 2000. Back then, Fiacco staged an upset win over Doug Archer, who had served as mayor for 12 years. Fiacco decided not to run for a fourth term.
Fougere won the 2012 election with 42 per cent of the vote. His closest rival, Marian Donnelly, received 31 per cent. He was re-elected in 2016 in a landslide victory, capturing 70 per cent of the vote.
Regina’s next municipal election is set for Nov. 9, 2020. Fougere has not yet said if he intends to run for a third term.
KEEPING A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD GOT COSTLY
The price of having a place to live definitely increased in Regina over the past 10 years, whether you’re renting or have a mortgage.
According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the average rent for a two-bedroom home in Regina in 2010 was $858. By 2018, that number had shot up to $1,397.
As for houses, the Association of Regina Realtors reported the average price of a city home was $258,069 in 2010. By 2018, it had risen to $303,357.
BYPASS FINALLY FINISHED
One of the earliest Leader-post articles mentioning the bypass dates back to 2001 when the City of Regina’s manager of traffic engineering spoke of a bypass around the city as part of a 25year road network plan.
The bypass circles south of the city, running from the Trans-canada Highway east of Regina, all the way around to Highway 11 heading northwest to Saskatoon.
The massive undertaking came with massive costs, which steadily rose. In 2013, the forecasted cost of the project was $400 million, but it eventually ballooned to $1.9 billion. The roadway was officially and fully open to traffic Oct. 29, 2019.
CAPITAL POINTE, THE DREAM THAT SLOWLY DIED
It was supposed to be a luxury highrise, then it became a hole, and now the dream of Capital Pointe is dead and buried.
The proposed 26-storey hotel and condo complex spent an entire decade not getting built after it was first announced in 2009. Following the demolition of the Plains Hotel in 2011, excavation work finally began in 2013. Although there was excitement at the time that the project was finally underway, Capital Pointe just never got out of the hole.
Financially, the failed project is still there. The City of Regina is owed a total of $2.3 million by the property owner for the cost to fill the hole, as well as unpaid property taxes. Regina-based company Royalty Developments Ltd. has signed a conditional deal to buy the empty lot, but as of mid-december it was still tied up in the courts with another bid on offer.
A RISE IN GUN CRIME
Before 2010, a shooting in Regina was shocking news. Now, gunshots aren’t so unusual.
Over the past decade, the amount of gun crime in Regina has risen steadily. According to the Regina Police Service, there were 151 violent occurrences involving guns this year as of Oct. 31, a 13-per-cent increase year over year for the same period. There were also 57 victims of gun crime, 32 reports of stolen firearms and 53 firearm occurrences with no injuries.
For all of 2010, there were just 33 violent occurrences involving guns, 20 victims of gun crime, 22 reports of stolen firearms and 12 firearm offences with no injuries.
Police have linked the growth in gun violence to an increase in the drug trade and gang activity. Where the guns used on the street come from is difficult to say, but police believe a portion are stolen within Canada.
To combat the rise in gun crime, Regina police introduced a gun amnesty program in 2017 that allowed residents to turn in firearms without any fear of legal repercussions. Since the program began, 315 guns have been handed over to police.