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Students at Regina’s F.W. Johnson Collegiate will get a full school year of fare-free transit, as the city tries to get a better idea of the costs and benefits of such arrangements.
In a narrow, 6-5 vote, a motion by Ward 8 Councillor Shanon Zachidniak to renew a previous pilot project which ran at the school from September to December was approved.
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Zachidniak, Sarah Turnbull, Shobna Radons, Victoria Flores and David Froh voted in favour, along with Mayor Chad Bachynski.
“We know that in Manitoba, there was an announcement made last week around free transit for 18 and under, so it gives us some time to continue with the program as is for now, gives us time to lean into budget to see what the overall picture looks like, and also learn what’s happening in other jurisdictions,” Bachynski told reporters.
“It’s a good chance for us to learn a little bit more and not discontinue some of the good work that’s been done.”
F.W. Johnson Collegiate was chosen for the original pilot because the bus routes serving that school already had the needed capacity. The cost was around $49,000, mostly in the form of lost revenue.
An administration report using numbers provided by the Regina Public School Division showed ridership tripled during the pilot, but a comparison of the four months of the pilot with the next four months showed no significant difference in ridership.
Several delegates spoke out in support of providing free transit to all high school students in the city, saying the move would help remove barriers that can hold back young people from completing school and participating in extracurricular activities.
City administration reported that an expansion of the program to all of the city’s high schools would require the purchase of 12 more buses. The total cost was itemized at $16.8 million in one-time capital funding, along with $2.26 million in operational costs and a loss of revenue adding up to just over $2 million.
The estimated cost of providing the service at Johnson for the next school year is just over $120,000. Administration said the 2026 portion would be treated as a variance in this year’s budget, and for 2027 will be part of the transit budget.
Councillors reject return-to-office proposal for city employees
A motion by Ward 10 Councillor Clark Bezo calling for all City Hall employees to return to the office on a full-time basis was defeated by an 8-3 vote.
Bezo argued that increasing the number of employees in the city’s downtown would send a positive message and help revitalize the area, as well as increasing transit ridership and improving efficiency.
While the motion was supported by the Regina and District Chamber of Commerce and the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District, representatives from city unions argued against it.
“Numerous studies show that work from home improves work-life balance, employee retention and, importantly, keeps the same productivity or improves it,” Ian Cantello, president of the Regina Civic Middle Management Association, said in a submission to council.
Councillors were told some city employees had hybrid work arrangements as a condition of their employment, while many had spent their own money to set up home offices.
Acting city manager Jim Nicol said the city has a lot of competitors for its labour force, many of which offer flexible arrangements.
Another concern raised was the need for additional office space if all employees were to return to their offices.
Bachynski said he trusts the feedback given by city leadership, adding that there are other ways to help revitalize Regina’s downtown, such as focusing on increasing the number of people living there.
“Mandating anyone to be anywhere, especially downtown, it doesn’t mean that they’re going to spend their lunch hour out buying a lunch downtown,” the mayor said.
“I don’t think that that’s something that is as effective as some of the other work we’re doing with our downtown action plan, in terms of attracting people to come downtown.”
City to proceed with turf, video board replacement process for Mosaic Stadium
Council voted 10-1 to go ahead with buying new artificial turf and video boards at Mosaic Stadium in time for the 2027 CFL season.
An amendment by Ward 5 Councillor Sarah Turnbull to reach out to the Canadian Football League and the Saskatchewan Roughriders about helping with the cost was approved.
Turnbull had pointed out that accommodating both the new CFL field dimensions starting in 2027 as well as the existing dimensions that may still be in use by other leagues could come with an unexpected price tag.
However, there were concerns that the other part of her amendment, requesting an informational report on those costs, could delay the process. That portion was narrowly defeated.
A field consultant who has been contracted will help determine the best path to let everyone continue to use the field, answering questions like whether the lines should be stitched into the turf or painted on.
Council’s approval was needed to advance an estimated $8.2 million for the improvements.
While the turf replacement had been planned for the stadium after 10 years, the administration said the stadium’s LED video boards didn’t last as long as expected, partly due to vibration from the nearby rail line, as well as extreme temperature shifts.
Bachynski said he’s confident a path forward can be found to ensure other tiers of football can continue to use the new turf.
“We have the right stakeholder engagement plan. We’re going to have a consultant working on the turf that we need. We know what we need for turf, really,” he said.
“The question is around how we do the lines to ensure that we can accommodate both the new CFL rules and the community groups that also use the facility. So what I heard was a very comprehensive answer as to engagement, procurement and making sure that we make everybody who uses the stadium successful.”
