Council to talk REAL, housing and water treatment plant

On Wednesday afternoon, Regina city council will discuss the idea of dissolving its Regina Exhibition Association Limited.

The possibility was raised during last week’s executive committee meeting while council was discussing REAL’s finances.

REAL runs the Brandt Centre, Mosaic Stadium and events like Canadian Western Agribition.

Council was addressing a report by MNP, a third-party accounting firm that had been hired by administration to develop an independent financial scenario that would help give the city a better understanding of REAL’s long-term sustainability.

The report highlighted REAL’s unsustainable business model and an inability to break even if it continued on its trajectory.

The report also said REAL’s operation isn’t self-sufficient in the short or medium term.

MNP gave council four different scenarios on how to deal with REAL going forward and one of them was the option of dissolving REAL and having its assets and responsibilities absorbed by the city.

During the executive committee meeting, Ward 4 Coun. Lori Bresciani suggested that administration come up with a report to look into the idea’s viability. Her motion passed 5-4.

If approved, city administration is to report back to council with a report on the “steps and impacts” of dissolving REAL.

Earlier this month, council decided to take back Tourism Regina from REAL.

REAL had also asked council for nearly $6 million for its operating budget in 2024, but further talks on that are set to occur at budget deliberations on Dec. 13.

Buffalo Pound water

The meeting Wednesday is also expected to feature a presentation from the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation on its semi-annual report.

The corporation is responsible for the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant, which dealt with an algae problem earlier this summer.

Accelerating housing

Housing is another issue that’s to be discussed at Wednesday’s meeting, and it has been a fairly contentious issue for council in the past.

Council is slated to discuss a motion that would allow for more housing units to be built — either through creating new buildings or adding to existing ones.

Ten delegates are expected to speak at the meeting for this motion.