REGINA - Economic Development Regina is feeling bullish about Regina, and have launched some new initiatives to get the word out about what’s positive about the city.
“I'm an optimistic guy,” said Chris Lane, CEO of Economic Development Regina.
“... We're setting up to be, you know, one of the best jurisdictions in Canada for the best things... that's coming down the pipe. And I think, you know, I don't want to be Pollyanna about it. I mean, it kind of inspires us all to work together to improve the things that we know need to be improved so that we realize that opportunity.”
Lane made those comments to reporters soon after the State of the City address by Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski. At the event at Conexus Arts Centre last Thursday, Mayor Bachynski announced two new initiatives being spearheaded by Economic Development Regina.
The first is Regina 25, which are awards to recognize 25 deserving local achievers. There will be 25 winners, with five each selected in the categories of entrepreneurs, innovators, newcomers, mentors and community leaders.
“Really, we're looking for ways to celebrate what's great about Regina,” said Lane. “And one of the greatest things about Regina is always its people. So what can we do that just allows people, kind of gives the community permission to celebrate their neighbor or their friend or their co-worker. It's one of those things that's so part of the fabric of what makes this city great. So let's platform it and let's celebrate everybody we know doing great things.”
Residents can get involved by filling out an online form on the Economic Development Regina, and the Regina 25 website has also been launched.
The second initiative announced by Bachynski is a talent recruitment campaign being spearheaded by Economic Development Regina. It’s aimed at residents outside the city, urging them to break up with their current communities and move to Regina.
The focus is on residents of other cities such as Vancouver, Toronto or Halifax and the “pain points” those residents face on a daily basis, whether it be cost of living or long commute times. The plan is to sell those folks on Regina’s advantages and help the city attract more residents.
“The whole point is that if we work together, we can continue to grow our city. That includes the economic side,” said Mayor Bachynski to reporters. “We've got lower cost of living, we've got shorter commute times, we have a lot of things to offer.”
Lane indicated this initiative has been a major effort, with a lot of planning going into it.
“The talent attraction piece where you go out and you talk about Regina and other places, you know, that's a little bit more cost intensive because we've spent 18 months doing the work and the research to make sure that we've understood what the motivation might be, what is Regina's value proposition, and then how do we get it in front of the right people at the right time.”
Still some challenges ahead
Economic Development Regina is feeling enthusiastic, even in spite of some economic headwinds such as the threat of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump, including ones on steel announced this past week. The main challenge is the uncertainty.
“I think unpredictability is one of the biggest challenges,” Lane said. “I think we know that obviously as an export-based province and an export-based city around the things that we make and we produce and we value add here, it's a big deal…
So yes, it's a risk, but yes, I see also some good things being done that maybe unifies a bit of the country around some things we were complacent about in the past. So I'm hopeful that maybe we've found our voice, and as Regina, between that issue and the things that we're talking about today, we get to stand up a little bit straighter and we can be a little bit more proud. I think there's opportunity to put a little bit of swagger in the step here of Regina, and I think if we do that, we'll be okay.”
Overall, Lane is feeling good about what the future holds for Regina.
“I think the city is, you know, it's got some things we always need to constantly be working on,” said Lane.
“But as a city in Canada, it's one of the best. And not just because it's my job to say it is, because that's what the data says. That's what the trends say. I think the city is ready to pop economically and we just have to do our work to make sure we steward that in a way that benefits everyone as we grow that way... I think population, economic factors, business growth and investment, we've got a lot of things looking up. And we need to wrap our arms around that metaphorically and make sure that we do it in the way that's best for the city.”
