For Pat Fiacco, Regina’s four term mayor who is not seeking re-election, the autumn of 2000 was a political coming out party.
Previously known for his time in the ring as a boxer, Fiacco was a political rookie, taking on Doug Archer, who had served in the city’s top job for 12 years.
“I figured that Doug Archer, with four previous terms under his belt, was going to mop the deck with Pat Fiacco,” said Will Chabun, who covered the 2000 election for the Regina Leader-Post. “It turned out exactly the opposite.”
In that campaign Fiacco focused on drawing economic development to the city’s downtown, and working to drop the crime rate. A late campaign endorsement by the Regina Police Service union seemed to turn the tide, and secure the win.
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The 2000 election was the first in a string of big victories for Fiacco. He was unopposed in 2003, and then won in 2006 and 2009 with more than 80 per cent of the vote.
“He is by nature an extrovert,” added Chabun. “So for him going out and talking to strangers and schmoozing is not a big difficulty, he does that almost effortlessly.”
A fierce pride in the city, and his desire to change how Reginan’s and people across the country view the community, led to the creation of the “I Love Regina” campaign in 2003.
During his time in office Fiacco has also presided over a staggering drop in crime, to its lowest level in two decades. Downtown Regina has seen new office towers, and a redeveloped Victoria Park.
His final term would see the biggest project yet. Fiacco, and council, pushed forward with a plan to build a new stadium at Evraz Place, tied to a plan to redevelop the CP railyard just north of downtown and the current Mosaic Stadium site into a new neighbourhood.
It’s that project, and how it turns out, that Chabun feels could cement Fiacco’s legacy.
“I don’t think we’re going to know the true legacy of Pat Fiacco for ten or fifteen years,” said Chabun. “In particular if the revitalization initiative takes off and delivers something tangible to this city.”
Nine candidates are in the running to replace Fiacco in the 2012 election.
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