Queen City Improvement Bureau

Council has been over achieving on at least one metric this week: number of meetings held. So, to find out if Aidan is an AI Chatbot or not, we quiz him to see if he can puzzle out some of the wacky things that have been going during all this extra meeting time. Plus, we premiere our radio documentary: Queen City Parking Cops. Thanks to parking supervisor Harwinder Singh and Jason Weitzel from Parking Services for taking part. Music by Ryan Hill (aka Guidewire). Occasional music by Kimberley Fuery. Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

The city's Manager Of Housing, Bill Neher, visits the sub basement to talk about the Finding Middle Ground Design Competition, how the Housing Accelerator Fund program is going and he also gives us an update on the North Central Community Land Trust. The Bureau also looks at council's new budget process and how the Smart Investments In A Sustainable Regina Motion went. Theme by Guidewire (aka Ryan Hill) with incidental music by Kimberly Fuery. Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

Ward 3 councillor Shanon Zachidniak visits the subbasement to talk about her "Smart Investments for a Sustainable Regina" motion. Also discussed during this Very Serious Meeting: Changes to the budget process, Electrical buses!, What's up with that big borrowing meeting?, How's HAF doing? and an update on the free transit for highschool kids pilot program. Theme by Ryan Hill (aka Guidewire). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

Ward 3 councillor David Froh visits the subbasement to discuss the his successful motion to establish a Municipal Grasslands Biodiversity Reserve on a chunk of land by the Callie Curling Club. Also on the agenda: houselessness, encampment strategy, REAL and downtown revitalization. Theme by Ryan Hill (aka Guidewire). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

Back from summer hiatus, the Bureau examines council discussion of the Renewable Regina update (which, spoilers, is not great). The Bureau also plays a round of "Can Council Make Aidan's Head Explode?" Theme by Guidewire (aka Ryan Hill). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

Ward 5 councillor Sarah Turnbull finds her way to the subbasement to talk to us about her first eight months as a city councillor, runs us through council's decision on the Indoor Aquatic Facility. Also… she politely endures our questions about council's decision to fire city manager Niki Anderson. Theme by Ryan Hill (aka Guidewire). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

Canada's nicest yootoob pundit, Steve Boots, visits the subbasement. We talk about yootoobery, Clr Bezo's proposed Very Serious Plan to put a roof over Wascana Pool and Gunn's Superman. Theme by Guidewire (aka Ryan Hill). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

“HELLS YA! GIT A BASEBALL STADIUM, REGINA!” says a new report heading to council sometime later this year. It was prepared by DCG Philanthropic and paid for by Living Sky Sports & Entertainment and by the City of Regina, and considering how many times councils-past have rejected the idea of using public funds for a baseball facility, one wonders if this’ll be the bottom of the ninth Hail Mary pass that’ll KO the naysayers, come in under the wire and win baseball fans a knock for six for all the marbles! In this QCIB, we talk about what the report says and what it, strangely, leaves out. Then, drop by Cozy Haus on Albert St and have a coffee and a chat with former ward 3 city councillor, Andrew Stevens, about this baseball report. Plus, Aidan conspires to get me cancelled by the state of Louisiana. Theme music by Guidewire (aka Ryan Hill). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR.

On this week's agenda: New housing minister has thoughts on housing prices, Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant update, money for Taylor Field Redevelopment, borrowing bucks for infrastructure. Music by Ryan Hill (aka Guidewire). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

This week was supposed to be slow one at city hall so this meeting was going to be about The Herculoids. But then council happened! And they had to go and give nearly $7 million as a ransom to keep the city's second Costco location notionally within our borders. Also, fluoride. Music by Guidewire (aka Ryan Hill). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

Crazy goings on at city hall. City manager on leave. Senior staff let go. Budget crows come home to roost. Council plans to kill a day re-litigating water fluoridation. Music by Guidewire (aka Ryan Hill). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

Singer/songwriter Belle Plaine and guitar operator Bryn Besse visit the subbasement to play some tunes, talk some shit. Very music rich QCIB, this one. Music much too good for the likes of this office. We got v lucky. Theme music by Ryan Hill (aka Guidewire). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

Following up on last week's game of "Can Council Make Aidan's Head Explode", the Bureau does what Certain Councillors were too chicken to do: We put questions to the Good Trouble Network directly. Tiro & Kale are visiting the sub-basement to talk about the food assistance program they're bringing to the Heritage neighbourhood. Theme music by Guidewire (aka Ryan Hill). Additional music by Kimberley Fury. Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

Don't you love it when council has a perfectly benign motion on their agenda that should pass quickly and be a good news story but somehow they find a way to make it gross and awful? And by "don't you love it?" I mean, "don't you hate it?" In this case, it's Clr Victoria Flores' food security motion which Clrs Bezo, Tsiklis & Rashovich brought so much of their conservative brand of yuck to. Aidan hadn't listened to any of this council meeting so I collected a bunch of representative audio clips and we got to play a new game I like to call "Can Council Make Aidan's Head Explode?" Music by Guidewire (aka Ryan Hill). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio in Regina.

So… we sent our intern and CJTR’s erstwhile Prairie Naturalist, Sharrod Claerge, out to get us coffee like… years ago… (he insists his name is actually "Jared Clarke" and that he now has a “real job” but we don't believe him because that's exactly the kind of thing Sharrod would say, the jokester). Sharrod’s back - coffee-less (sigh) - to talk about "Salthaven West" and "wildlife rescue" and "conservation" and "nature" and… I don't know, man. I just wanted a coffee. The Typical 18-Year Old Girl also drops into the subbasement for a conversation about the week at Executive Committee and housing platforms in advance of the April 28 federal election. It's a real cavalcade of QCIB secondary characters this week. Music by Ryan Hill (aka Guidewire). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

Ward 6 councillor Victoria Flores visits the subbasement. She updates us on her Manufactured Homes motion and talks about the budget. Music by Guidewire (aka Ryan Hill). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

Jon & Kelly from the Queen City Urbanist Bookclub are back to chat about the four-day 2025 city budget process. It was… an adventure! Based off some councillors' performance, you should probably look up "Dunning Kruger Effect". It's a phrase that may come up a lot. Music by Ryan Hill (aka Guidewire). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

Ward 8 councillor Shanon Zachidniak visits the subbasement to talk about what it's like being the lone two-termer on council, the upcoming week of budget discussions, the Energy & Sustainability Framework, recycling, composting, housing and much more. Music by Guidewire (aka Ryan Hill). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR, AccessNow community radio.

John Kennedy and Chris Matchett visit the subbasement to promote the Not A Birthday Fundraiser on March 13 at the Exchange — which the QCIB will be hosting, as it happens. Plus, we discuss council voting down rental housing and their repeated failure to understand how referral motions work. Chris performs a couple songs. Theme music by Ryan Hill (aka Guidewire). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR AccessNow community radio.

The Bureau gets a visit from the Jon and Kelly Lorenc from the Queen City Urbanist Bookclub. Music by Guidewire (aka Ryan Hill). Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR.