Tony Fiacco hopes to follow in brother’s mayoral footsteps

Tony Fiacco is hoping to carry on the family tradition of being Regina’s mayor.

His younger brother, Pat, held the office from 2000 to 2012.

It’s Tony’s second try at running for mayor, and he finds the brotherly connection can be a mixed bag on the campaign trail.

“You get reaction from both sides. You have those naysayers, and you have those that are thrilled,” he said with a chuckle in an exclusive interview with 980 CJME.

“I admire what my brother has done for the city … We both have a passion for Regina, so I want to bring that passion back to city hall … We need to bring that pride back to Regina … We want people to talk about the greatness of the city.”

As for how he hopes to achieve that, he has a few main priorities to hit if he’s elected in the Nov. 9 election.

His top issue is pushing for more mental-health and addictions services in the city, as well as providing more funding for police.

He hopes that could help officers focus on crime, while giving help to those who need it.

“The majority of police calls are related to mental health and addictions, and we want to address that so city police can actually deal with crime. We need the resources to have professionals deal with mental health and addictions, and to provide a proper support system,” he said.

Fiacco would also aim to increase city council’s transparency to the public.

While campaigning, he has been running a weekly feature called “Tuesdays with Tony,” during which he answers questions from prospective voters. It’s a habit he wants to keep up if elected, though he’s not sure if he would have the time to do it every week.

There is more to Fiacco than his political goals. In his spare time, he enjoys watching sports, especially football and hockey.

He’s a big Saskatchewan Roughriders fan, and he loves going to Regina Pats games.

“Every opportunity I have to go to a Pats game is great … It’s amazing to see the players’ progress, to watch them go from junior hockey up to the NHL and knowing they’re a part of Regina … There are moments of pride,” he said.

In his younger years, he played football as a defensive back, something that he said has taught him many life lessons.

“City council is teamwork, and you learn that from within sports,” he said.

He has also done fundraising and promotion for the Lonsdale Boxing Club, at which his brother Frank is a coach. It’s something that the elder Fiacco both enjoys and sees as important to the community.

“They have a love for the youth of Regina … That’s an avenue to bring kids out of the crime environment, giving them hope. It’s invaluable, to give them something to look forward to, something to succeed at,” he said.

Fiacco has moved through a few different careers before trying to run for office. He worked as an IT technician for multiple businesses, and also founded First Choice Designated Drivers, which operates in Regina, Saskatoon and Fort McMurray.

Through it all, the most important thing to Fiacco is his family. He has a wife, seven children, and 10 grandchildren.

“Family means a lot, it really does. Being able to spend time with my grandkids, my kids, my brothers, my mom and dad … It’s invaluable,” he said.

Sadly, Fiacco’s oldest son was killed by a drunk driver at age 18.

“That’s our driving force. That’s what made me what I am today, to look at how I can be a better Tony for everybody … Once you’ve suffered loss … that brings you to a different stage in your life and a different perspective as to what is important,” he said with tears in his eyes.

“That’s why I’m running for mayor. I want to make a difference.”