Latest news with #ProvincialGovernment
CBC
8 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
Projected cost of Regina's new aquatic facility grows 16% to $285M
Social Sharing Regina's elected officials must once again grapple with a growing bill for the city's new aquatic facility. A new staff report heading to Regina's executive committee on Wednesday highlights how the budget for the project has increased by $40 million — climbing from the $245.1-million budget approved by the outgoing council in October 2024 to $285.1 million. The increase in cost is the result of market volatility, the limited availability of skilled trades workers and further clarity on the scope of the project, according to the report. Staff are proposing the city cover the budget increase by redirecting $30 million in funding from other projects and take on an additional $10 million in debt financing for a total of $156 million in debt financing. If approved, the city is now on the hook for $205.9 million in a project that was originally forecast to cost a total of $180 million in 2021. The federal and provincial governments are contributing $79.2 million though a federal government infrastructure program. The latest budget update is a Class B estimate, which means it's considered accurate within a margin of error of 10 to 15 per cent. First indoor pool to be built in Regina in 35 years The last time the City of Regina built an indoor pool was in 1990. In 1991, the population of Regina was 191,000 people, a figure which grew to 249,000 as of 2021. The disconnect between a growing population and a lack of aquatic amenities is why a new indoor aquatic facility is the top priority in the city's recreation master plan. A new facility was also a central part of Sandra Masters' successful mayoral campaign in 2020. The new facility will be built on the land that used to house Taylor Field, which is right behind the Lawson facility. The new budget estimate will present this council — some of whom campaigned on cutting waste and expensive projects — with the first chance to make a meaningful decision on the indoor aquatic facility. The two alternative options presented in Wednesday's report are not recommended by city staff. Alternative 1 The first one is to reduce the scope of the project through reducing leisure and competitive spaces. Adjustments include: Reducing the length of the pool equipped with a dive tank and dive towers from 50 metres to 30 metres. Eliminating the program lane swimming space. Eliminating the cold plunge pool. Eliminating one of the waterslides. Reducing other leisure amenities such as the length of the lazy river and the size of the wave pool. This option would still require an additional $30 million in funding, meaning the City of Regina would only save $10 million from the staff recommendation. It would also limit the ability for the facility to serve community growth, reduce capacity for national events and require significant additional costs and time for redesign. Alternative 2 The second option would eliminate the leisure aquatic spaces in the facility. Staff note this would require a substantial rescoping of the project and reallocating an additional $21.7 million from reconstruction of outdoor pools. "This option is the least developed and requires the most time for design, carries more risk than the other options and could not be delivered within the current budget," the report says. While it does maintain the ability to accommodate national level aquatic competitions, staff say segments of residents will likely have the perception that the facility does not provide the modern leisure experience offered in other municipalities. It would also reduce accessibility and eliminate the accessible waterslide approved by city council. This alternative would also further delay the projects it requires a redesign. That could mean additional costs, according to staff. The staff report says maintaining the current scope of the project will help the available pool space keep up with the expected growth of the community over the next 20 years, while also centralizing services in one section through a connection to the fieldhouse. Geothermal facility One feature not included in the potential rescoping is the geothermal heating system meant to heat the facility. Council could reconsider the geothermal system if it chooses to reduce the scope of the entire project. The geothermal heating system is currently budgeted at $28.5 million. If council were to instead use natural gas as the fuel source, approximately $9 million in debt funding could be redirected. However, that could raise problems relating to the federal and provincial grant program, the report notes. Staff do say the facility will help the city get to net-zero carbon emissions, which is a key goal of Regina. The City of Regina has confirmed construction on the aquatic facility is set to begin this fall with the completion set for 2029.
GMA Network
6 days ago
- General
- GMA Network
Indigenous art, Baybayin training held in Limasawa, So. Leyte
The Limasawa Pot Replica Painting and Baybayin Lettering Training is a five-day training geared at 'promoting and preserving Filipino cultural heritage by engaging participants in creative activities that highlight traditional practices.' According to a post of the Provincial Government of Southern Leyte, the initiative encourages appreciation for 'indigenous art forms and the pre-colonial script of the Philippines.' Local youth and community members took part in the meaningful cultural education, which does not only foster artistic skills but also 'deepens understanding of the province's identity and historical significance.' The Provincial Government of Southern Leyte pointed out that the program is part of its continuing efforts to 'strengthen cultural pride and creative expression among Southern Leyteños.' The training started officially on July 15, 2025, at the Limasawa Municipal Hall, and will wrap up on July 19, 2025. The five-day cultural activity is a joint initiative of the Provincial Government of Southern Leyte, the Municipality of Limasawa, and the Provincial Tourism Office, in partnership with the Provincial Culture and Arts Council, featuring presentations by Dr. Rolando Borrinaga, an esteemed historian and professor from the University of the Philippines. Further, it was learned that participants were introduced to the cultural significance of the Limasawa Pot, including the historical context of the Bakalag (human sacrifice) ritual artifacts, and the Baybayin pre-colonial writing system. The training is led by Engr. Gershon Destora, member of the Provincial Culture and Arts and Heritage Council, and supported by Nedgar Garvez, Provincial Tourism Office head. (Info courtesy: Provincial Government of Southern Leyte)
CBC
10-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Many City of Edmonton buildings highly vulnerable to climate risks, report finds
Hundreds of municipal buildings in Edmonton are highly vulnerable and at risk to climate-related hazards, according to an external report that has not yet been shared with city council. The City of Edmonton hired Stantec Consulting Ltd. in 2022 to conduct a climate vulnerability and risk assessment for its building portfolio and identify which buildings were most at risk. The December 2023 report concluded that wildfire smoke, intense rainfall, heavy snowfall, storms, extreme cold and winter freeze-thaw pose the highest risks to the city's building portfolio for the 2030s. Once a manageable issue, extreme heat is now becoming a more prevalent risk. The report, which cost $400,000 and was funded in part by grant money from the provincial government, said that as the climate changes, so will risks to the city's buildings. The report said the risks dramatically shift for the portfolio in the 2050s and 2080s, with the risk of wildfires, droughts, extreme heat, extreme weather events and freeze-thaw events increasing. The document predicts that buildings or assets surrounded by forests could be susceptible to wildfires, extreme heat and high winds could lead to power outages and HVAC systems blocked by smoke could lead to poor indoor air quality. Other impacts could include flooding, roof damage, cracked foundations and higher insurance premiums. CBC News recently obtained a copy of the report through a freedom of information request. Though the most at-risk buildings, the costs of retrofits and the costs of inaction were redacted in the report provided to CBC, a post about the risk assessment on the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre's website says 39 per cent of assessed structures (or 343 of the city's 884 buildings) need immediate action because of their high risk, age and condition. Mackenzie Boilard, a 19-year-old University of Alberta student and member of the community organization Edmonton Youth for Climate (EYFC), said she worries about climate change damaging municipal buildings to the point where the public can no longer use them. "I want to be able to walk into a building and be comfortable and be able to operate and do my work," she said in an interview this week. She and Tristan Dell, 24, also a U of A student and EYFC member, read the 2023 report and said the city should be mitigating risks now to avoid more dire consequences later. "I think that it's easy for people to kind of turn their heads away from it," he said. Chris Webster, a communications adviser for the City of Edmonton, said while 39 per cent of the buildings were initially assessed as being exposed to medium- to high-climate risk and vulnerabilities over the coming decades, many of the buildings have not been visited to definitively confirm work required. WATCH | These Edmonton neighbourhoods are vulnerable to climate change: Which Edmonton neighbourhoods are more vulnerable to climate change? 12 months ago Duration 3:18 Where you live could impact how your health is impacted by our changing climate. Using data from a variety of sources, an Edmonton research group has mapped the city to determine which neighbourhoods, and the residents in them, are most vulnerable. He said climate vulnerability risk assessments would have to be done on specific sites before major renovations take place. Webster said Stantec's report can help prioritize buildings for the city's retrofit program but additional assessments will better confirm potential climate risks, allowing for the most appropriate action. He also said Stantec has produced a more recent version of the report, which is under review. Webster said the city is still reviewing the findings from the report, no actions have been taken and the report has not yet been shared with city council. "Any potential projects or expenditures resulting from this report could be submitted as part of the 2027-2030 budget process for consideration and approval by city council," he said. The report makes more than a dozen recommendations for the City Edmonton, including creating a frozen pipe policy, training staff to respond to extreme climate events and seeking out opportunities to divest at-risk and low-value buildings. The document also lists dozens of possible adaptation measures, such as insulation upgrades, green roof design, passive solar cooling and ventilation systems, increasing stormwater drainage capacity and providing back-up power. The report said not adapting the city's buildings to prepare for the effects of climate change would lead to assets needing to be replaced or rehabilitated earlier, increased operation, capital and maintenance costs, and reduced service levels for residents. Jason Thistlethwaite, an associate professor in the faculty of environment at the University of Waterloo who researches climate risk management, said municipalities have the most exposure to climate change but the least amount of money to mitigate it. He said there is a consensus now among experts that investing in retrofits now is worth doing. "The benefits of investing in preparedness, mitigation, and defending your community from climate risk far outweigh the cost," he said. The report said the costs to retrofit the buildings fully by 2040 or even later is "beyond available revenue-based funding." "I see the position they're in, but we need to start prioritizing this and not doing business as usual," said Haley Pukanski, an organizer with the Climate Justice Edmonton collective. She criticized the city's recent decision to extend the Community Revitalization Levy downtown instead of spending the millions of dollars on climate action. Ramla Qureshi, an assistant professor of civil engineering at McMaster University who researches structural resilience against extreme hazards, said based on her work, even municipalities that have seen buildings damaged by wildfires continue to build in the same places and don't seem to be offloading at-risk structures. "Even when cities know the risk and they understand, leaders just don't have the capacity to make all these changes," she said. Webster said the majority of new municipal buildings since 2008 in Edmonton have been built to meet the LEED Silver green building standards and that a climate strategy and action plan guides the city's efforts to conduct impact assessments on buildings, maintenance programs, retrofits and new infrastructure developments.
IOL News
01-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Knysna's future now in MEC Bredell's hands
Knysna mayor Thando Matika. Image: Facebook KNYSNA mayor Thando Matika has defended the municipality against the provincial government's plan to dissolve the municipal council, saying Knysna remained on the correct path to recovery. Local government MEC Anton Bredell recently notified the municipality of his intention to appoint an administrator until a newly-elected leadership takes over the municipality. Matika on Monday said they have implemented structural reforms and enhanced service delivery since the Council adopted the Consolidated Executive Obligations Monitoring and Enforcement Framework (CEOMEF) in June 2024, 'The journey is far from over but Knysna is on the correct path. A series of administrative and governance improvements were undertaken in August 2024, as outlined in the initial implementation report. 'By February 2025, the municipality had finalised the appointment of critical senior managers, achieved 97% completion of the Audit Action Plan, broadened the rollout of smart metering for both water and electricity. Tabled a budget-funding plan addressing sustainability beyond the 2024/2025 financial year, improved revenue management and expenditure control practices.' 'A multi-stakeholder Steering Committee, comprising representatives from the municipality, Provincial Government, and National Government, was established since the adoption of the Diagnostic and Support Plan on 1 March 2024 to oversee implementation and ensure accountability. Regular Steering Committee meetings, held both virtually and in person, provided a structured platform to monitor progress, escalate issues, and coordinate support across all three spheres of government. 'The latest Section 154 progress report was tabled before Council on 12 February 2025, supported by a comprehensive monitoring and reporting framework.' In his statement last week, Bredell said the municipality continued to experience 'serious challenges in governance and service delivery'. He cited several years of diagnostic assessments of the municipality's governance, financial, and service delivery matters. 'The assessment revealed deep-rooted governance failures, including a regressing audit opinion, an organisational culture of fear and uncertainty, political interference in administration, critical vacancies at senior levels, and a marked decline in service delivery." After Knysna municipality failed to adopt another report in December 2023, Bredell issued a notice of intention to intervene in terms of section 139 of the Constitution in the Knysna Municipality. However, at the time he said after considering the representations of the municipality, they developed the CEOMEF cited by Matika for the municipality to implement. According to Matika, by the close of 2024, a number of critical environmental and infrastructure achievements marked a turning point, notably the newly upgraded waste transfer station. To address Knysna's water and sanitation challenges, Matika said pumping stations and reticulation networks were upgraded, as well as 'increased functionality at the wastewater treatment works", among others. "The municipality responded to a notice from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) regarding wastewater non-compliance in May 2025. Mechanical defects at the wastewater treatment works were promptly addressed. A multi-stakeholder workshop held in April included DFFE, BOCMA, DWS, the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency (MISA) and provincial departments to address discharge regulations. The municipality committed to weekly effluent quality reporting and applied for a coastal discharge permit," the mayor added.
Globe and Mail
27-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Alberta finance minister to deliver update on last year's budget, $5.8-billion surplus forecasted
Alberta's finance minister is set to deliver the final bottom line number today on last year's provincial budget. Nate Horner's new figure will close the books on the budget for the fiscal year that ended in March. That budget was last forecast to come in with a nearly $6-billion surplus. Alberta's new budget year is now a few months old, but its expected bottom line number is deep in the red. This budget, introduced by Horner in February, predicts Alberta will register a $5.2-billion deficit at the end of March 2026. It also predicts deficits will continue for years after that due to declining oil prices, tax cuts and global events like the trade tariffs imposed by the United States.
