'An incredible year:' Regina mayor reflects on stadium, wastewater projects in 2016

Some of the biggest projects in Regina’s history took a major step forward over the last year.

That’s how Mayor Michael Fougere will remember 2016, as he reflected back from the 15th floor of city hall.

It’s an office he might not have occupied had he not been re-elected as mayor for a second term in October’s civic election. He cruised to victory with 70 per cent of the vote. 

“It is very humbling to win, of course, and you want to get the confidence of residents and hope that they like the direction you’re taking the city and pleased to see that I’m back for another four years so I’m very proud of that,” Fougere said on a personal level.

He was quick to point out the new Mosaic Stadium being substantially complete as one of the major highlights of the past year, along with the first test event held at the venue in early October.

Seeing construction on the new wastewater treatment plant all but done also stands out for Fougere. 

The combined total of the new plant and stadium comes out to roughly $450 million.

It’s another massive project is still in its infancy, but the Railyard Renewal Project continued to move forward over the past year, which was pleasing to the mayor. 

“It was an incredible year. It was another great year for the city,” he said. “(It’s a) continuing time for opportunity and a lot of optimism in our city too.”

As far as challenges, Fougere said things are still cloudy in respect to consistent funding for infrastructure, while the city is also trying to understand where the province is going with its transformational change philosophy and what that could mean for Regina in the future.