Pandemic created unique challenges, emphasized existing ones in 2021, Regina's mayor says

Regina Mayor Sandra Masters stands beside her desk in council chambers at City Hall. (File)

It was an ever-changing first year in office for Regina Mayor Sandra Masters as she took the reins of the city while navigating the community’s poverty crisis through a pandemic.

The challenges posed by COVID-19 exacerbated issues with Regina’s most vulnerable and marginalized citizens as it limited access to services and caused capacity issues.

“We saw some people who were disconnected from services and relationships that were established in kind of more normal times,” Masters told CTV News. “So really trying to reconnect folks with services or community-based organizations to continue to offer help getting to some of those root causes.”

On Oct. 6 the Anti-Poverty Ministry and Knox Metropolitan United Church hosted a community gathering to address the issue of homelessness and draw attention to the need for more support. This sparked the creation of a tent community in Pepsi Park, which hosted about 200 people before being dismantled in mid-November.

Camp Hope, an outdoor camp for those experiencing homelessness, was taken down in November 2021 and moved to an emergency shelter. (Wayne Mantyka/CTV News)

After more than a month of the city’s most vulnerable living in near-winter outdoor conditions, an emergency shelter was secured by the City of Regina and Regina Treaty/Status Indian Services (RTSIS).

The emergency shelter provides 40 beds – and is routinely running a long waitlist for those in need of the shelter and its services – further emphasizing the community's need for such support.

When the shelter opened on Nov. 15, Erica Beaudin, the executive director of RTSIS, said she was pleased with the partnerships built between the city, social services and other community stakeholders to find a temporary solution to this issue.

Masters said community-based organizations and services are available at the indoor facility including Social Services, housing, income support, detox, mental health and humanitarian aid.

EFFICIENCY REVIEW

During the 2020 mayoral race, Master promised to conduct an efficiency review for the city's operations. The city is taking a multi-phased approach to formalizing and implementing an Efficiency Review Program. During the first phase, a third-party consultant, Deloitte LLP, was tasked with reviewing six to eight city services by the end of the year.

According to the review, 53 opportunities to increase efficiency were identified, totalling an estimated annual benefit of $26.9 million.

Masters said she was pleased with the information that came out of the review and now knows the areas that need to be invested in.

“We need to invest in a transformation or change management office in order to, you know, adopt that performance management system that's necessary as well as the customer service management system that we need to put in place,” she said. “I'm pleased it gave us an area to focus on and identified the tools that we need and ways to find some savings or some cost mitigation.”

The last independent efficiency review was performed in 2004. Over the past four years the city has found $20 million in savings through internal reviews.

‘WE’LL CONTINUE MOVING ON’

For a fresh mayor and council, the return of larger events following a slow pandemic year made a big difference.

Masters said the vibrance of the city returned with events like the QCX, Saskatchewan Roughriders games and the Canadian Western Agribition.

“The sense you got from people of how excited they were to be back but always then at the same time, keeping in your mind, everyone has to remain safe,” Masters said.

“I don't think we can let our guard down quite yet but we'll continue moving on.”