City councillors tabling motion on building in Wascana Park

Any further work on the CNIB/Brandt building set for Wascana Park has been put on hold as the auditor conducts a review, so the same thing is happening to at least one notice of motion on the project at Regina City Council.

Two motions were set to go to Regina’s city council this month on the building. One would have asked the mayor to send a letter asking for a public inquiry, while the second would have required a letter asking for more transparency.

Councillors Andrew Stevens and Bob Hawkins are behind the first motion, but since the announcement that the auditor was going to take a look at the project in her annual report and that the building would be put on hold until after that report was released, Hawkins says his motion is going to be tabled until then as well.

Hawkins said he’d like the councillors to be able to consider the auditor’s report as well in making their decision on his motion.

Hawkins thinks it’s good that the auditor is looking into the project.

“I’m anxious to see as much transparency and as much information made public about this as possible,” he said.

Hawkins thinks there were a number of problems in the processes that were carried out in the project.

“A building such as the one proposed, that is so non-conforming with the legal uses of the park, the approval of that building suggests that some processes must not have worked properly,” he said. “And I think that the auditor’s review of this will be welcome from that point of view.”

Councillors Barb Young and Mike O’Donnell were behind the second motion. That motion will be tabled until the Regina City Council meeting in January 2020 as well.

This story was updated to include new information on Young and O’Donnell’s motion.