Regina City Hall cleanup could be pushed to spring, Masters says

Mayor Sandra Masters said the estimated cost of repairing the grounds at Regina City Hall is $60,000.

That number is according to the administration through city manager Niki Anderson.

The price tag comes in the wake of the houseless encampment that was erected at City Hall in June. The tents were removed and 11 people were arrested when police moved in on July 28.

Fencing subsequently was erected around the grounds.

Fences and signs ring the lawns in front of Regina City Hall on July 31, 2023. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME file photo)

Masters said the fencing around City Hall remains intact due to the grounds being a safety concern.

“The site hasn’t been cleaned yet and it was quite polluted,” Masters said after a board of police commissioners meeting Tuesday.

Although it’s concerning for Masters, she said the work isn’t at the top of their priorities at the moment.

“It’s a matter of whether we get to it this year in terms of bulldozing and peeling up what’s there or we do it next spring,” she said.

There currently isn’t an estimated timeline on when the fencing will come down and the grounds will be repaired.

Masters said administration will decide when the city can tackle that job.

She said the fence has been adjusted to make access points available from both side streets.

According to Masters, the people living on City Hall grounds dispersed to various areas.

She said there was an expansion of units at the Regina Treaty/Status Indian Services (RTSIS) site. An additional 15 units were made available, for a total of 55 units.

Masters said there is still some shelter space available across the city, but she acknowledges that they all have different rules. Some are dry facilities, for example, and those using drugs can’t consume them there.

She said people either went home or back to their home communities.

“There was about 40 people staying (at the encampment) every night but there were 83 tents. So some folks had set up tents just to come and stay and hang out during the day but (they) had shelter. Some folks returned to their home communities; they’re not necessarily from Regina,” she said.

She said the Ministry of Social Services continues to work with those seeking shelter. To her understanding, some of the people living there have been housed as well.

Masters didn’t mention any of the various encampments that have popped up across the city since the one at City Hall was taken down.

Other encampments have popped up on the grounds of the former Taylor Field and on a vacant lot beside Carmichael Outreach.