The Wascana Centre Authority is currently run by a board made up of members from the City of Regina, the province and the University of Regina. That structure will be changing under legislation announced in the provincial budget.
The three parties will work together under a memorandum of understanding to uphold the Wascana Master Plan and be responsible for the sections of the park they own.
This announcement does not sit well with Ward Two city councilor, Bob Hawkins.
“This was done without consultation and suddenly in the provincial budget document. I know now approach to consultations with the city whatsoever,” Coun. Hawkins said.
Central Services Minister Christine Tell said the decision is based on a recommendation made in a 2014 report on the future of the park.
“Something had to be done with Wascana Centre with a very heavy infrastructure deficit,” Tell said.
“We needed to be able to focus on that infrastructure deficit that is currently there.”
However, Coun. Hawkins is worried that this shift in governance will result in the province rushing a decision on the Canadian National Institute for the Blind’s application for a new building. He is concerned because the CNIB is partnered with Brandt Industries on the project.
“We should see the plan for the Brandt Industries office building here. We should have a discussion in public about it, and then we can decide,” Hawkins said.
“But I do want to say this; this is a nature park, not an office building park.”
The Wascana Master Plan outlines very strict building guidelines for any building project that is proposed for the park.
“They’re following the steps, there’s nothing more to do. If people follow the steps that are required under the master plan then this will go ahead,” Tell said.
The old CNIB building has been in Wascana Park for 62 years. The organization had to move recently because of major structural issues with its old office.
CNIB Saskatchewan executive director Christall Beaudry said the partnership with Brandt means a more sustainable future.
“CNIB will live in that building and be taken care of, which means we can reallocate those funds that we would spend to programs and services for our community,” she explained.
The plan is for Brandt to have office space in the same building. The proposed new building would be on the same site.
“It’s actually really the existing footprint of the building in the park, just building up from that existing footprint. We already have two storeys in the park, so it would just be building up on those storeys,” Beaudry said.
The concept design of the new building needs to be approved by the Wascana Centre Authority.
Beaudry said she will be meeting with provincial representatives in the near future to discuss how the governance shift will affect the proposal.
Meanwhile, Coun. Hawkins said there needs to be more transparency with the proposal, such as how office parking and traffic will impact the park.
“We need some transparency here. Transparency which is especially important because something as special as Wascana Park is an issue,” Hawkins said.