The Regina Floral Conservatory is gauging city council’s interest in partnering to build a new greenhouse estimated to cost $48 million by 2030. On Tuesday, volunteers with The Regina Floral Conservatory Committee proposed a five-year capital fund project for a new conservatory in the city asking city council if it would be willing to contribute 20 per cent of the projected costs. The remaining 50 per cent would come from the federal government, 20 per cent from the province, and the final 10 per cent from the Regina Garden Associates. “We realize that funding a project of this magnitude will likely not be possible to fund in just one year by any level of government, but perhaps could be considered over a multi-year timeline,” Ron Sharpe told city council, president of The Regina Floral Conservatory Committee. The proposal for a new conservatory comes as the current 60-year-old building faces infrastructure deficiencies resulting in repairs and replacement, Sharpe pointed out. The new facility is expected to be 42,000 square feet with plans to be built by 2030 at Wascana Park. Ward 9 Coun. Jason Mancinelli asked the committee on its set timeline for the project. “One of the reasons that that we picked 2030 as the completion date was because of the anniversary of the province, the 125th anniversary,” said Jolene Norleen, volunteer and chair of the committee. “We thought that would entice people to jump in and join the legacy of the project by making donations.” Through their presentation, the committee said its membership “doubled” after the city’s budget deliberations in December 2025 leading to 7,000 signatures of support for the conservatory. It also emphasized that over 3,000 students participate in its educational programs. “The decision before us begins today with the simple truth, communities are not defined only by the services that they provide, but the public spaces that lift people’s expectations of what life in the city and province can be,” Sharpe told council. “The vision that inspired our floral conservatory remains unchanged. What changes is the capacity to serve the community, inspire visitors and enrich Saskatchewan for generations to come.” The floral conservatory’s presentation comes before city council’s fourth preliminary budget meeting which is intended to help the development of the 2027 City of Regina budget. The committee said it would be seeking funding as soon as 2027.
