Mayor claims progress being made on REAL, board replacement months away

Proceedings at Regina’s city council moved at a snail’s pace – with the meeting dragging on to the late evening hours. Mayor Sandra Masters says some progress was made on the topic of the Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL).

A review of REAL was on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting – covering many aspects of the organization’s business model, financial plans and its interim board.

Speaking to CTV Morning Live Saskatchewan from Baltimore, MD. on Thursday, Masters said the hiring of a new CEO and board for the troubled company is still months away.

“I think one of the key initiatives that came into yesterday, in addition to an independent board coming in to do the governance and to help implement some of the direction that council wants to go, is learning that the Regina Exhibition Association belongs to a consortium to book concerts. Right now, I think there's about 300 organizations in it,” she explained.

“They've managed to book 10 concerts at the Brandt Centre. So we just need folks to buy tickets and go out and to participate in that.”

An MNP review recommends council give REAL a “fresh start,” focussing on four areas to provide the organization stability.

Those areas are a new mandate, business model, management and money.

“It’s what I would call a ‘back to basics’ program,” consultat Craig Kutarna Gates said. “It does build upon some of the items that have come before council in the past.”

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Masters also said council will be looking deeper into the issue of balancing local need with commercial needs at REAL.

“I think that the commercial viability piece is an important one that's going to require further analysis. We [have] community based organizations in there and so if they can't be there – where can they be?” she said. “From a city perspective, equally important from deliberative community programs. We're going to post [the positions] and get a board of directors and we'll continue moving forward.”

The organization has faced several years of fiscal challenges, in addition to controversy with the Experience Regina campaign.

In November of 2023, city council voted to replace the organization’s board with an interim board made up of city employees.

In January, REAL’s CEO, Tim Reid, was removed following a unanimous board vote.

“The situation REAL finds itself in didn’t happen over night,” acting President & CEO Roberta Engel told councillors. “It’s going to take some time to recover.”

The organization’s fiscal issues were top of mind during the meeting – with Masters identifying the debt load from the pandemic as a “big deal.”

“I think the pandemic is the one of the biggest parts of this. Capital has always been an issue there. You've got hundreds of millions of dollars worth of assets that you just can't sell enough tickets to cover that off and given other city assets,” she said.

“When we host a concert, if that organization makes $100,000 off of that concert, the city has a better economic impact. So understanding that sometimes you're hosting events so that you bring in new money into the city as well.”

“But that pandemic debt is a really big deal.”

It is expected REAL will identify a new board of directors by the fall. They will be approved by council before being finalized.

Over the course of Wednesday’s meeting, some councillors felt it was best council assume the role while the organization seeks out a new board.

“I’m just looking to have this organized, up and running,” Ward 9 coun. Jason Mancinelli explained while motioning to dissolve the current interim board. “It has to work for the people of Regina.”

“I’m fundamentally opposed to this motion because I don’t want to functionally be on the REAL Board of Directors,” Ward 6 coun. Dan LeBlanc responded.

At times, councillors have called the interim board “illegitimate,” and “riddled with conflict of interest.”

“If you’re wondering why I talk about it being a politicized room, just take a look at the faces of council right now,” Mancinelli added.

Regina City Manager and REAL Interim Board Chair Niki Anderson challenged his notion.

“It’s an interesting notion that it’s less politically charged to have REAL report to council,” she said. “[Council] has been absolutely fractured by the dissolution which you voted to do.”