Regina residents give city council mixed reviews on new meeting time

Regina city council is getting mixed reviews on its decision to move its monthly meeting from Mondays at 5:30 p.m. to Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m.

By having councillors convene on the last Wednesday of the month, Mayor Michael Fougere said it places most city meetings on the same day of the week.

“This is the practice of other cities; they have their council meetings during the day versus the evening. It doesn’t mean it’s the right way, but it’s what they’re doing,” Fougere said, listing Saskatoon and Winnipeg as examples.

“It’s also for members of council who have full-time jobs. The predictability of having all meetings on the same day (each week) helps them plan their calendar as well.”

Despite the perks of city officials getting together in the afternoon — like no more late-into-the-evening meetings and a more formulaic schedule for councillors — it has some Regina residents who work during the day frustrated.

Like many, John Klein has a typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job. He said he was “annoyed” when council decided to switch meeting times because it means he won’t be able to make it there without taking time off work.

“I understand it’s more convenient for the councillors, but it’s less convenient for their constituents and therefore a little less democratic,” he said. “I think more people will become less engaged and that means that we’ll have an injury to our democracy.”

Klein added he fears it’s “just another step away from getting direct feedback from members of the community at city council meetings.”

Those thoughts were echoed by fellow Regina resident Christopher Strain, who’s worried the schedule shift will increase the barriers of participation in council decisions.

“It’s going backwards in transparency in terms of having people present and getting to see what goes on at council meetings,” he said. “You get the sense that council doesn’t prefer to have people scrutinizing or participating in those decisions.”

However, not everyone is against the new meeting time.

Carla Harris, another Regina taxpayer, said it means transit and paratransit riders have the opportunity to stay at council meetings longer.

“I think the city has to do a lot of things to make sure that everybody can take part (in city council meetings) and one of them is making sure that it’s during hours that transit runs,” she said. “Until we have a transit system that runs regularly in the evenings, we need to have (council meetings) during the day.”

As someone who lives with epilepsy, Harris takes the bus as a safety precaution. Because of that, she said she has had to leave city meetings early to make her route home — and she’s not the only one.

“There’s more than just people with disabilities on the bus. There are a lot of students, there are a lot of newcomers to Canada, there are a lot of seniors — and especially Indigenous folks and single parents, who have limited incomes. Having this as an option doesn’t just affect one group; it’s going to splinter back and forth and have a huge rippling effect on lots of us,” Harris explained.

Plus, she said by giving greater access to those often-marginalized groups via afternoon meetings, it allows council to get the perspective many feel it has been missing out on.

“Those lived experiences that those people have could be huge insight providers for how we plan things in municipal government,” Harris said.

Having heard feedback from people both in support and against the new meeting time, Fougere said council has a lot to consider.

“(Residents) are watching and they’re expressing their concern, and that’s a good thing,” he said. “It also sends a message that we need to look at this again and make sure we get it right.

“We have to make sure we’re catering to residents and make sure they’re satisfied as well. That’s the part we need to get right and make sure that we are actually listening to what they have to say. If they’re saying to us, ‘1:30 p.m. is not the best time,’ then we have to make sure we respond properly.”

Fougere emphasized that the new council meeting schedule is a one-year trial. After that’s up, councillors will review it.

“We may decide to revert back to a different time frame — not sure yet — but for the moment, that’s what we’ve decided,” he said.

Regina city council reconvenes Jan. 29 at 1:30 p.m. in Henry Baker Hall.