Sandra Masters will be the first elected female mayor of Regina in the city’s 117-year history.
Since 1903, the City of Regina has had one female mayor, but she wasn’t elected by the people.
Doreen E. Hamilton was a former councillor who served as interim mayor of Regina for just one month, after mayor Larry Schneider resigned.
FULL COVERAGE: Regina Municipal Election 2020
According to the City of Regina, she became mayor because of a coin flip.
But Masters, who was elected Monday, beat out eight other candidates including incumbent Michael Fougere, who served two terms as mayor.
Fougere conceded to Masters on Monday evening through a phone call, wishing her well.
“The support has come from so many and the common passion that you share for our city is tremendous and it’s resulting in history tonight,” Master said in her acceptance speech at city hall on Monday evening.
Masters says she has always lived life on her terms, and hasn’t let her gender stop her from achieving her goals.
“You know it doesn’t occur to my (three) sons a woman wouldn’t be a leader. It doesn’t occur to my daughter this isn’t exactly where I shouldn’t be at this time,” Masters said. “But the feedback I get from other parents is one of deep appreciation for representation.”
Masters ran on a platform that had four main pillars: improving city operations, building a safe community, putting people and jobs into focus, and creating fair opportunities.
“Regina is being out-invested and out-hustled in economic development, our feeling of safety has diminished, we’re losing young people and our city is looking in need of care. And for years we’ve offered symbolism and promises instead of action,” Masters said at a campaign event on Oct. 8.
Her campaign promises included spending $85-million on a new aquatic facility to replace the Lawson facility, and removing the 29-per cent intensification levy on downtown builds and renovations to attract more development.
Key issues of hers are to introduce multi-year budgeting, which she said would help residents maintain their property taxes, and to improve relations with the provincial government.
Prior to being elected as mayor, Masters was the former chair of the Regina Exhibition Board.
Masters has lived in Regina since 1999 and currently works for Richardson Agriculture as manager of credit for the prairie provinces.