REGINA, Sask. – Any hopes that the Legislature will be recalled early will have to wait, at least until crews are done addressing issues inside the Legislative Assembly chamber itself.
The Assembly chamber was a maze of scaffolding that reached as high as the roof on Thursday, with plastic wrapping covering the MLA's seats. Speaker Todd Goudy confirmed to reporters that water damage had been spotted at the Assembly, and repairs were under way to address the issue.
Goudy told reporters the issue was caught just in time. Workers spent the day Thursday inside the Chamber conducting repairs and were expected to come back to finish the job Tuesday, following the long weekend.
As for what caused the water damage it is not clear. However, Regina has seen some major rain events this year, including a major deluge on Aug. 30 when underpasses on Albert Street and Broad Street were flooded.
The Legislative Assembly is not currently in session, with the legislature officially scheduled to return Oct. 27. However, opposition New Democrats had been calling in recent days for the Legislature to be immediately recalled, to deal with affordability supports for those hard hit by the tariffs and trade dispute. The government has indicated it will not recall the Legislature early.
The Legislative Assembly building itself has seen ongoing issues over the years with deterioration of the structure due to age and exposure to the elements, according to previous government news releases. Efforts have been ongoing to maintain and restore the structure over the past several years to keep it up to standard.
In 2016, work was completed at the Legislative Assembly on restoration of the copper on the dome, as well as repairs and replacement of the dome’s limestone, mortar, and water management system.
This year, work has been ongoing for a number of months to restore the front granite steps of the Legislature, with construction work still in progress on that project.
