Court date set for Dec. 13 as councillors take legal action against Regina city manager
Court date set for Dec. 13 as councillors take legal action against Regina city manager
Regina City Hall can be seen in this CTV file photo.
Regina city councillor Dan LeBlanc showed up to the Court at King’s Bench Tuesday morning to set a date to make his case against the city’s manager.
LeBlanc, along with Coun. Andrew Stevens and local advocate Florence Stratton, filed a court application against city manager Niki Anderson for not including full operational funding to end homelessness in the proposed budget for 2023.
Upon learning that there would be no judges available for court sittings next week, LeBlanc asked to be moved to the foot of the list in the preliminary civil court chambers, so he could confer with the opposition for an appropriate date.
LeBlanc originally told reporters outside the court he was hoping to get a date for the legal proceedings set for late this week, as being pushed to the week of the 12th would not give a judge much time, since budget deliberations begin Dec. 14.
At 2 p.m. Justice Krogan heard a telephone agreement by both parties to adjourn to the week of Dec. 12.
LeBlanc did however ask that if possible, they would have their appearance in special chambers for Dec. 12 or 13.
Krogan had to adjourn the hearing for regular chambers on Dec. 13, since no judge was available earlier.
Affidavits and any written arguments are to be submitted by Wednesday, Dec. 7th for both parties, and any replies by Dec. 9th.
As the acting lawyer in the proceedings, LeBlanc said this case is first and foremost a defence of democracy.
“The main reason is council gave direction on what staff were meant to do, staff expressly refused to include that money in the budget, I think that’s bad for democracy and we need to stand up for that,” Leblanc said Tuesday morning outside the Court of King’s Bench.
“The second, more practical reason is simply, money that is in a draft budget is more likely to stay there than money that’s not.”
LeBlanc said he is passionate about the homelessness issue in Regina, and believes his fellow councillors are as well.
He said that is why they all voted in favour of putting the money in the draft budget back in June.
Last week, Mayor Masters spoke on that vote, saying that she, and many of the councillors interpreted the vote as approval of looking for the numbers to be included in the budget book, which she said they are, and debating the budget.
The mayor added that she believed legal action to be unnecessary saying, “If you’re asking me as the head of council, it would be clearly a court application and a matter of court. If you’re asking me personally, I think it’s disgusting.”
Regarding the mayor’s response, LeBlanc said he was taken aback.
“I was surprised by it, frankly, it’s actually quite a narrow technical originating application in court, it’s about the office of city management rather than the individual who holds that office.”
“So I was surprised by the almost moral revision at the idea that we would go to court to try and get folks in houses. It is surprising to me to see people more upset about a lawsuit than about our neighbours freezing to death on the street,” he added.
On Nov. 24, the City of Regina said it would not comment further on the matter while it is before the courts.
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting sexually active gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
A team of preteen Ukrainian refugees that have been scattered across Europe by war arrived Wednesday in Quebec City, where they'll get the chance to compete in a renowned hockey tournament.
Nearly a year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, community organizers say there is still work to be done to help the thousands of Ukrainian refugees looking to start a new life in Canada while coping with the hardships they've faced coming here.
After a tiny radioactive capsule went missing in the Australian outback, an expert in Canada says the likelihood of the same happening in this country is unlikely, given our strong regulations governing the handling of radioactive materials.
As Black History Month gets underway, Canada Post has unveiled a new stamp honouring Chloe Cooley, a young Black woman who was known to challenge her enslavement in the late 18th century.
The organization regulating medical care and services in Manitoba is apologizing for racism directed towards Indigenous people when accessing health care in the province.
Calgary police are looking for suspects involved in an altercation that lasted for approximately an hour, spanned several communities and ended with a gun being fired.
Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service officials are encouraging any local victims to come forward following the arrest of actor Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Las Vegas on sex assault charges.
Alberta's former chief medical officer of health has landed a new role in British Columbia. Dr. Deena Hinshaw was named a deputy provincial health officer for B.C. on Wednesday.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
Hundreds of tenants at a midtown Toronto apartment building have been without heat for a week now, and many are worried with the arrival of bitter-cold temperatures.
Ottawa ranks 45th out of 62 cities across Canada and the United States in a study on downtown recovery, with activity levels at 51 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
While crews have resumed operations in an attempt to open the Rideau Canal Skateway for its 53rd season, an NCC spokesperson tells CTV News Ottawa the canal will not open in time for the first weekend of Winterlude on Friday.
B.C.'s Ministry of Health is continuing its multi-year trend of paying millions more dollars each year to private surgical centres for the delivery of public health care, CTV News has learned.
Changes to the amount of time the public gets to voice their opinion during Surrey City Council meetings has caused controversy among former councillors.
Canada's new special representative on combating Islamophobia has apologized for words that hurt Quebecers after leaders in that province called for her resignation.
Montreal police say two men are in hospital Wednesday night with stab wounds after an altercation in a home in the city's Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.
A homicide investigation is underway on Quadra Island, B.C., after a 39-year old woman was found dead in what investigators believe was a targeted killing.
Alberta's former chief medical officer of health has landed a new role in British Columbia. Dr. Deena Hinshaw was named a deputy provincial health officer for B.C. on Wednesday.
A new 911 dispatch system in New Brunswick means that now fire departments aren’t getting dispatched to all medical calls leaving residents waiting and first responders in the dark.
More than four months after Hurricane Fiona hit Atlantic Canada, people are still dealing with damaged homes as they wait for help from insurance companies and provincial aid programs.
Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service officials are encouraging any local victims to come forward following the arrest of actor Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Las Vegas on sex assault charges.
A hearing is underway to determine if Udo Haan is not criminally responsible for the death of his wife Edra Haan, who was found in the aftermath of the 2018 house explosion in Kitchener, Ont.
Chief Mark Crowell made a presentation at a council meeting Wednesday justifying the proposed $214 million budget for the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS).
Regina City Hall can be seen in this CTV file photo.
