‘I can’t imagine living anywhere else’: Darren Bradley looks forward to mayoral bid

Regina mayoral candidate Darren Bradley doesn’t have political experience, but he hasn’t let that deter him from running for mayor.

From being a rec-league goaltender to coaching hockey and baseball among an abundance of other sports, Bradley says he is prepared to become mayor of Regina.

“Mental sharpness — it’s a quality in a goaltender that definitely carries over,” Bradley said. “I like black and white. I don’t like grey. It’s either you get it done or you don’t, and if you don’t get it done, you’re failing.”

Bradley described his vision for the city as a vision that is driven heavily by what people want to see done.

“What’s best for the city, what’s best for the people, I will listen,” Bradley said. “Mental-health supports, low-income housing, we can’t leave anyone behind. We are bridging a gap right now between the rich and the poor.”

Bradley said a big focus for him as mayor would be to address drug addiction and poverty throughout the city, re-emphasizing that he believes mental-health support is more important now than ever.

“If you had a good business that was impacted by COVID-19, now you’re mentally struggling with the idea of keeping your business open. We would need to figure out a way to address that,” Bradley added.

“I put my faith in the Saskatchewan provincial health officer. I would be worrying about city issues; our doctors can focus on health issues.”

Bradley is against the idea of defunding the police too, saying he believes there needs to be more police officers on the streets. He added greater mental-health support needs to be available for members of the RPS.

The downtown core and inner city would also receive a greater focus of attention according to Bradley, saying he has seen far too many vacant lots in the area. There’s also a lack of grocery stores available.

Despite his overall lack of experience, Bradley says he has been learning every day.

“Everyone has their own issues. I have been working on doing more research. It has been a huge learning experience,” Bradley said. “Even after the results are out, if I win, great. If I lose, well, I’ve learned a lot about how the city runs.

“People want to see change just as much as I do.”

Bradley described himself as blue collar, saying Regina has always been his home.

“I’ve always worked in the city, have lived here my entire life (and) have been a middle-income earner. My wife is a middle-income earner. We are blue collar,” said Bradley, who worked in sales before launching his mayoral bid. “That’s what defines Regina. I think people want somebody in council working for them, someone who relates to them.