Reality Check: Mixed messages on Regina Bypass leave the public paying more, scratching their heads

The Sask. Party’s mismanaged bypass went from costing Saskatchewan people $400 million to $2 billion. And much like the price tag, the number of concerns around the project that the Sask. Party put in the hands of a foreign conglomerate has ballooned.

For example:

Truck drivers find the Regina bypass roundabouts too small to navigate;
When a truck got stuck in a roundabout, trapping diverted truck traffic in the town of Balgonie due to a blocked exit, it took more than 12 hours for the conglomerate to actually do something about it;
The then-Deputy Minister to the Premier and later Sask. Party leadership candidate Alanna Koch dismissed the frustrations of Balgonie residents over the Regina Bypass’ clustertruck as “urban myth hysteria”;
Over 1,100 minor deficiencies have so far been detected in phase one alone.

As for major deficiencies? Well, the Sask. Party can’t quite decide whether there were or weren’t any.

(Spoiler alert: there were. But we don’t know how many, or how much they cost to repair because the Sask. Party won’t say.)

This week, current Highways Minister Lori Carr said twice in the Legislature, “there are no major deficiencies on this bypass.”

This is puzzling, when a Freedom of Information request revealed a list of major deficiencies in an email from an official in highways, with the details redacted. And Former Highways Minister David Marit admitted there were major deficiencies, listing a breached aquifer on Wascana Creek as an example.

Does the Sask. Party think that redacting information makes it go away? That would explain a lot about their approach to transparency.

Stories are changing, information is being withheld, and redacted information is being treated as redacted reality — but taxpayers are still on the hook for the huge cost.

With $2 billion of public money on the line with this project, you’d think the Sask. Party government could be straight with the people who have to pay the bill.

Latest posts

CARLA BECK’S TEAM WANTS ANSWERS ON WHO WILL PAY TO POWER DATA CENTRE JUST OUTSIDE REGINA

Scott Moe, Sask. Party Continue To Hide Details On Impact Of Massive Project

REGINA – Carla Beck’s team has written to the president and CEO of SaskPower seeking full transparency on how the new AI Data Centre project in the Rural Municipality of Sherwood, just outside of Regina, will be powered, who will pay to power it and more.

BIG RIVER SAWMILL CURTAILMENT LATEST IN SERIES OF SCOTT MOE FAILURES, BROKEN PROMISES ON FORESTRY

Jobs Lost, Communities Take Major Hits As Data Shows Forestry & Logging Activity Shrinking Under Sask. Party
SASKATOON – Carla Beck’s team is calling out Scott Moe for failing to support Saskatchewan’s forestry sector — and the communities and workers relying on it — in the wake of a major curtailment at sawmill in Big River, announced Thursday.

SCOTT MOE’S TRADE MINISTER TELLS PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET TO SUCK IT UP

Warren Kaeding Tells Podcast Audience Those Complaining About Affordability They’re Lucky They Weren’t Living In The 1980s
REGINA – Scott Moe’s out-of-touch Trade Minister has dismissed widespread concerns among Saskatchewan people about the sky-high cost of living, saying things were much worse 40 years ago.

CARLA BECK'S TEAM SOUNDS ALARM AS SASKATCHEWAN LOSES 6,900 JOBS IN FIRST HALF OF 2026

Prince Albert & Northern Saskatchewan Hit Particularly Hard With 2,400 Jobs Lost

PRINCE ALBERT – Carla Beck's team is calling out Scott Moe for failing Saskatchewan workers, as the province lost nearly 7,000 jobs over the first half of 2026.

NDP Caucus Office