New Regina mayor, council 'likely' to toss motion calling to scrap new aquatics facility

Regina’s city council is “likely” to toss a motion put forward from a previous councillor that would see plans to build a new aquatics centre scrapped or moved to a different location. 

It was put forward by former Ward 4 Coun. and mayoral candidate Lori Bresciani, and  asks city council to reconsider the approved building of the new indoor aquatic facility at the current site of the Lawson pool, task administration to explore additional funding options to repair and upgrade the current facility and possibly build the new pool somewhere else.

Bresciani’s mayoral election platform included the reconsideration of the project. She cited “fiscal responsibility” in her reasoning.

“My first reaction is we should be looking at other options,” Bresciani told reporters at a pre-election campaign event on Nov. 5. “[The cost] has gone up 50 per cent.”

In March 2023, council approved the project with a $160 million capital cost.

In August 2024, costs had swelled to over $245 million.

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The former iteration of council approved the new costs at its final meeting before the civic election break.

“We’re still going to pay for that and costs are still going to escalate,” Bresciani said before the election.

Bresciani’s motion is just one part of the outstanding motions list put forward by city clerk Jim Nicol.

“[The new council] has to say if [they’ll] continue with this, or not,” Nicol explained at a post election press conference on Nov. 14. “Someone has to say, ‘is it still council’s priority?”

Elected and sworn in last month, Regina’s new city council will have their first full meeting on Wednesday.

Members CTV News spoke to explained that Wednesday’s meeting agenda outlines which of the motions may continue and which may not.

There are a total of 12 outstanding motions to consider.

Five of the motions have recommended dates for debate within the chambers. The remaining seven, including Bresciani’s pool motion, do not.

Councillors say that means it is “likely” the motions without dates will be disposed of.

However, a vote will commence on each item before a final decision is made.

Other outstanding motions with no recommended dates for debate include proposed flag protocol amendments, establishing respectful communication towards the city manager and staff, dissolving the human resources sub-committee of city council, reconsideration of a previously voted down homeless shelter location and rink ice time conflicts.

The motions were put forward by a variation of former and re-elected councillors.

Some of the motions are recommended to be tabled to the Jan. 29, 2025 council meeting. While a motion establishing civic Indigenous framework is recommended to be tabled to April 2025.

Any of the tabled items, regardless of recommended timelines or not, have the ability to continue on the floor of council.

If a date is not recommended currently, one is expected to be set later.