Historic mayoral win for Sandra Masters

Sandra Masters was obviously happy Monday night when she arrived at City Hall after winning the mayoral seat, but she was also measured in her remarks.

Masters made a point of thanking her campaign workers, her family and the voters for entrusting her with the office. She also thanked outgoing mayor Michael Fougere for his 23 years in Regina politics.

“His dedication to public service is acknowledged and commended,” said Masters.

Masters won comfortably with 46 per cent of the vote (18,177 votes).

Masters is one of few people in recent memory to unseat a sitting mayor in Regina. She’s also the first woman to be elected to the mayor’s seat in Regina.

Doreen Hamilton served as interim mayor for six weeks in 1988 following the resignation of Larry Schneider.

When asked how she felt about it, Masters said she didn’t really know how to talk about it right now. She said she has always just lived her life as she is, and said none of her kids thought it would be odd for a woman to be in leadership or for her to be in the position she is now. But Masters did acknowledge that’s not always the case.

“The feedback that I get from other parents is one of deep appreciation for the representation,” she said.

And in her opening remarks to media, Masters did mention the achievement.

“I’m going to give a little special shoutout to my granddaughter who doesn’t have a concept yet, but will grow up with a grandmother who served as the first elected female mayor of the city of Regina,” said Masters.

Masters talked about being a single mother and her now-grown children often during her campaign, and she said she’d spoken to them after learning of her win.

“I think it’s safe to say they’re proud?” She looked to the back of the room where one of her daughters was watching. “Yeah, I got a thumbs-up on that one.”

She said she’s honoured and humbled for the privilege of the office, and that this vote shows that voters are ready for change and ready to be ambitious. Masters said she believes wanting change is just a natural thing after a period of time having the same kind of leadership.

“People just want something different,” she said. “They want to see if there’s a way to kick-start (and) have some fresh eyes look at the situation in our city.”

Masters said when watching the polls, she came to the conclusion that she’d won only when the polls hit 87 per cent reporting, even though some members of her team were pretty excited before that. It shows a pragmatic approach to things that seemed to be a theme throughout her campaign.

In the coming days and months, Masters said the city is depending on a COVID recovery plan for the next two years, and she wants to get council and administration together to figure one out.

She said she believes it’s important to work with police and community organizations on the ground to figure out how to deal with the rising problem of drug overdoses in Regina. She called it an order of first priority over the next few months.

Other first priorities she mentioned were an efficiency review for City Hall, putting together a poverty reduction strategy in the next year, and getting a fuller understanding of the budget to see how she might be able to deliver on her idea of multi-year budgeting.

But Masters wasn’t making any promises.

“I’m going to caution and say those are my ideas. I want to sit down at a table with 10 other individuals who were elected this evening to discuss, and some of my priorities might get bumped for some of theirs,” said Masters.

She said, Tuesday being her first day, she’d likely have a lot of meetings scheduled to figure things out.

Masters joins five other new faces on Regina city council.

Fougere concedes race, ending 23 straight years on council

After 23 years as a member of city council, Fougere is moving on.

It was an emotional night for the incumbent mayor as Masters cut short his hopes of re-election.

“No one wants to be on the losing end of an election, that’s for sure, and I won’t hide that fact, but I’m also proud of the fact that we did everything we could,” Fougere told reporters after the news of his loss.

He served as councillor for Ward 4 from 1997 to 2012 and then served as mayor for eight years.

While it’s difficult to let go of a position he has held for so long, he’s glad to have had the experience.

“I am so blessed to have been able to serve the public for 23 years. It’s a gift that I hold near to my heart all the time …,” he said.

“I’m very proud that I was able to bring our city forward in so many ways. The people of the city are really what drives my energy and my attention all the time. I’m very proud of the councils I led (and) that I was a part of … I’m very proud of what I have done. I hold my head up. I have no regrets.”

He would have liked to continue as mayor, but he took the time to wish Masters well.

“At the end of the day, the public made the right choice. Obviously, I’m disappointed … I wish Ms. Masters well (and) I wish the council well … What’s key here is that Regina continues to be the great city that it is and that we have new leaders who are going to come in and speak to how we are going to continue to be the best city in Canada,” Fougere said.

Before the final poll was counted, yet it was clear Masters would win, Fougere called her, offering his congratulations and help in the future.

“I said, ‘If you need any help and you want to speak about issues, feel free to call me at any time,’ ” he explained.

Reporters asked if Fougere would consider running for elected office again at some point in the future. He wasn’t yet ready to make that kind of call.

“I’m going to take my time and reflect on what I’m going to do next,” he said. “I have some time on my hands, so I’ll just relax and consult with people, (spend time) with my wife and my kids and just take my time.”

— With files from 980 CJME’s Dom Lucyk