In case you missed it… posted a new song yesterday — or, rather, a very new version of an old one. It's about a suburban Regina donut shop. Video is from our bike trip out to try & buy donuts at its drivethru. We were turned away. #yqrcc
youtu.be/KDK9xLW-b6o?...
Regina is far too controlled by the Semple family, the Hill family and other business interests like developers. They don't want to make Regina better; they just want to make more money. Reinforcing #CarCulture is part of that. #yqrcc #yqr #circus
I wish Regina valued its citizens for more than their money, because the city throws up unnecessary barriers if you don't have it. Not having reliable transit that respects people's time restricts or blocks their access to important opportunities like jobs and cultural events. #YQRCC #YQR #Regina
Want to hear ward 8 Clr Zachidniak talk about climate action, water infrastructure, the library & that bonkers debt report? You're in luck! She was doing that very thing on the Queen City Improvement Bureau this week. Originally broadcast on 91.3FM CJTR. queencityib.com/podcasts/202... #yqrcc
You can download the mp3 of Sustainable Donut with sprinkles mix on the QCIB website queencityib.com/blog/2026/4/... #yqrcc
Once we were sent away though, my wife was like, "I didn't really want donuts anyway," so we got banh mi at a really nice Vietnamese place in a nearby multi-use building — retail on ground floor, seniors housing on top. It was very good. #yqrcc /5
I didn't film our encounter with the guy who said "bikes aren't allowed at the drive-thru window" b/c he was nice about it & just doing his job. /4 #yqrcc
So … yeah … biking there was a challenge b/c that end of the city is not meant for cyclists. And our plan was to go through the "sustainable" Tim's drive-thru window on our bikes & get donuts. B/c: Sustainability! But they turned us away. /3 #yqrcc
It was built in a part of the Greens On Gardiner that was supposed to promote high-density housing & walkability, so it's 2 huge drive-thru lanes were, 'natch, against the zoning. They won their discretionary use application easily though b/c of these other "sustainability measures." /2 #yqrcc
If you're not a Regina resident & avid Regina city council watcher, this song requires some explanation. The Tim's on Chuka is a suburban donut shop that is "sustainable" in that it has a green roof & a rainwater reclamation system. But it still has a massive 2-lane drive-thru. /1 #yqrcc
Last May, we biked from downtown to The Greens to experience the Tim Horton's on Chuka Blvd in all its sustainable majesty. Finally turned that experience into a music video.
Here's the Sustainable Donut with sprinkles mix. youtu.be/KDK9xLW-b6o?... #yqrcc
Posted a new QCIB music video to Youtube.
Sustainable Donut — with sprinkles mix.
youtu.be/KDK9xLW-b6o #yqrcc
HEY! Tomorrow on the Queen City Improvement Bureau… Sask Urban Municipalities Assn's annual conference is in Regina this year. It's coming up in 2 weeks. Clr Zachidniak is council's rep w/ SUMA so we'll be talking to her about Sask cities & recent events in ours. 7pm Thu on CJTR! #yqrcc
Just checked & discovered that the "Recycle the right stuff" magnet that's on our fridge is old & includes verboten items like glass.
But my question is: Into which bin do I toss a "Recycle the right stuff" fridge magnet?
#yqrcc
And that's it for the April 1 Regina Exec Cmte meeting. Thanks for following everybody. Turns out the April Fools joke was that this was a nice, short, informative and normal meeting. #yqrcc
The glass bins that used to be next to the big blue bins for cardboard were very well used. Now that glass is in the landfill, not Sarcan. #yqrcc
And Exec Cmte passes resolution to go to private session (which is effectively adjournment of the public portion).
FTR… a private session happens after every Exec Cmte meeting. #yqrcc
The use of bins is very different. I wonder if there would be less money coming in if the city charged by use. Some households don't put out their bins every collection day. Some overfill the bins every week. #yqrcc
Vote on waste plan update: unanimous. #yqrcc
Burton: Person who contacted me felt persecuted. Is there communication so that they don't feel like they're being picked on?
Admin: Thanks for feedback. When you inform someone an audit is occurring, you don't get as accurate information. #yqrcc
Admin: 100 households are chosen to be representative in a year & they are checked in each of four seasons. #yqrcc
Burton: A resident asked about bin audits & said they'd been audited more than once. How are they done?
Admin: We do go back to the same one sometimes to see if there are improvements. We do that so we have all these great stats to show to council. #yqrcc
Mancinelli notes that hazardous waste like oil containers are collected at Coop retail locations in other cities, but not here.
Admin: Used oil products are managed by the province by SARRC. Can't speak to other cities. That is a good point & we'd be amendable to setting this up. #yqrcc
Mancinelli is the deputy mayor this month & he was away for the first part of the meeting. That's why the mayor was chairing. If you were curious. #yqrcc
Mancinelli: I'm asked about mill rates every year. I tell people the cost of expanding the landfill is millions a year. Is that fair?
Admin: Yes. If use a rough number like $100mil to expand, calculated over 25 years that's $4million a year. #yqrcc
Mancinelli: Good to see we've added 3 years to the life of the landfill. #yqrcc
Admin: We can take away that there is interest in charge on glass from our council & bring to our partners. But we don't have a lot of authority on that matter. #yqrcc
Is this anywhere in the planning budget? We know we have this huge bill down the line. I don't see this as the future "commercially sensitive" items. #yqrcc
Admin: Glass can't go into the blue cart any more b/c high risk of it breaking & becoming a contaminant. Province is in charge of recycling. #yqrcc
