Regina community partners to discuss well-being, safety downtown in Wednesday panel discussion

Regina community partners are coming together for a panel discussion on Wednesday night aimed at exploring ways to enhance the city's downtown.

The Regina Public Library (RPL) Central Branch is hosting the event at its film theatre. The start time is 7 p.m. and the public is encouraged to join.

"We want downtown to be a positive place in the city, a place that people feel that they belong, but we also acknowledge that we do have some challenges,'' Amber Christensen, the executive director of the RPL Central Branch said on CBC Radio's The Morning Edition.

Christensen is one of the panellists for Wednesday's discussion. The RPL has plans to build a new central library — which is one of the catalyst committee projects meant to reshape Regina's downtown core — along with a new arena, a non-vehicular trail and an aquatic centre.

She said it will take community partners coming together to improve safety and drive more people to Regina's downtown.

"Together collectively thinking through how do we address this … it's one of the steps to continue a conversation and engage everybody with the hope that we are all engaged and working toward making Regina feel good for people, including in our downtown,'' Christensen said.

"I do think that a thriving downtown is key to having a really strong community.''

New police unit aims to address downtown crime

The Regina Police Service (RPS) has a new unit whose main goal is to reduce crime in the city's downtown area. 

RPS Alternative Response Unit Coordinator Sgt. Laurie Alexander said the unit was formed following an ask from community members to better address downtown safety. Eight constables — whose job is to be just downtown — will hit the streets in October. 

"It's a different way of a newer version of policing,'' Alexander, who will speak at the Wednesday panel discussion, said.

Regina police released its mid-year crime statistics on Tuesday. It revealed total crime is down three per cent from last year but up 14 per cent from ten years ago. 

The RPS report states there have been increases in arson, level one assaults and assaults against police officers from 2023 but there have been decreases in robberies, threats, extortion and break and enters.

Alexander said crime started increasing downtown in 2021 and is more prevalent downtown than some other areas of the city. She added her unit has met with the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID) on how crime affects downtown foot traffic and commerce.

"I think that it certainly has an impact. Anything we can do to help, we know that having increased police visibility in the downtown certainly does help,'' Alexander said. 

"It's a deterrent, it's a proactive form of policing and so we would like to hopefully have a positive impact in those areas.''

Additional data from RPS shows there have been 81 apparent drug overdoses deaths as of the end of July. That is the lowest number of such deaths for this time of year since before the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time last year, there were 140. 

Safer downtown is better for business

The Cornwall Centre, a popular mall in downtown Regina, will also be represented at the panel discussion.

"I think for us, our overarching theme for Cornwall is that we don't want to be a building downtown," Kendra Wren, Cornwall Centre's general manager, said. 

"We want to be an active community partner."

Wren said she hopes the panel discussion can create a collective unit that promotes positive and effective change in Regina's downtown area. 

"We all want to work collectively toward building an even better downtown, that's what we should be doing and seeing how we can encourage everybody to come downtown,'' Wren said. 

"A thriving downtown is not only good just for the downtown, but it's great for Regina as we attract tourism, new business, new retail.''

Wren added the conversation needs to continue past this panel discussion. The RDBID is holding another panel discussion on Sept. 25 aimed at bringing together a diversity of perspectives and visions for downtown Regina.