Regina committee unanimously supports annexation plan

The city of Regina’s annexation plan took another step forward Wednesday, receiving a unanimous endorsement from council’s executive committee.

The proposal, released on Friday, would see large sections of land annexed from the RM to allow the city to grow to a potential population of 500,000 people. That population is still several decades away, but councillors believe now is the time to plan.

“We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know for sure cities grow, and we know that cities grow at varying rates,” said Wade Murray, chair of council’s executive committee. “We do know today that our city is growing, it may continue to grow at the same rate, it may not, but somewhere in the middle we have to find that number.”

Delegations both for and against the plan spoke to the committee, including former mayoral candidates Jim Elliot and Chad Novak, each believe planning so far down the road is a futile effort.

Speaking in support of the plan, Regina Chamber of Commerce President John Hopkins and Vice President of Dundee Developments Ned Kosteniuk who each said moving forward with this plan will provide certainty for developers.

Also speaking in favour of annexation was Pastor Jerven Weekes of the Rosewood Alliance Church, whose building sits on land in the RM of Sherwood on Regina’s western edge. It is land Dundee wants annexed into Regina to build a new neighbourhood, and the church wants to take part.

“We would love to be able to provide attainable housing for those who (need) housing, we would love to be able to provide attainable housing for seniors,” Weekes said after the meeting.

The endorsement by the committee doesn’t set the plan in stone; negotiations will still need to be held with the RM of Sherwood. Councillor Murray hopes the two sides can come together and build a long term plan that will see both communities benefit.

“We want this to be collaborative, we want this to work forward, we want it to be something where we’re all on the same page and we’re all part of the same discussion.”