Mayor Chad Bachynski: Regina's new mayor embraces a steep learning curve
Municipal politics can be a confusing mechanism for those not familiar with how it operates. Still, that didn’t stop Chad Bachynski from deciding to run for mayor of Regina last November.
Municipal politics can be a confusing mechanism for those not familiar with how it operates. Still, that didn’t stop Chad Bachynski from deciding to run for mayor of Regina last November.
Despite his background as a mechanical engineer and project manager before entering politics, Bachynski was still elected as Regina’s 36th mayor. To highlight how much of an outsider he was, he received widespread praise for running a campaign that cost only $12,000 – far less than his competitors spent.
Since his victory, Bachynski has found himself diving deeply into the ins and outs of municipal politics. To say the least, it hasn’t been easy.
“It’s been eye opening. It’s taken a lot of listening. A lot of learning. That learning, it’s a big lift. It’s maybe even bigger than what I could have imagined,” Bachynski said. “There have definitely been things that weren’t on my bingo card. But I’ve been trying to keep that consistent approach of listening, learning, and leaning into – and leaning on – our experts.”
In-Person Public Connections
Being the mayor brings with it considerable attention. In some respects, Bachynski was spared some of the worst for not having a social media presence. Putting his every thought and idea out on the internet wasn’t part of his regular routine.
Still, Bachynski said he has had conversations with many people during the campaign. He considers it a testament to his campaign that all those conversations were face to face. It was word of mouth that organically grew his campaign.
Bachynski said he has always been comfortable making connections with people, having those personal conversations.
“Social media is a beast, and it comes with a lot of challenges,” Bachynski said, adding that the need for the online world has been something of an adjustment.
But even so, he still maintains his tried-and-true personal approach. Including, but certainly not limited to, the line at the grocery story.
“My wife makes fun of me for it, but I was always the one that would strike up a random conversation with somebody in the line (at the grocery store) just because,” Bachynski said. “Now, it’s just more mutual. It’s more of a two-way street. In person, 99 times out of 100, even when somebody has concerns about something, it’s a reasonable conversation. So that part of it’s been actually OK.”
An Encouraging Challenge
Bachynski has found his first six months or so in office to both encouraging and challenging.
The learning curve in city procedures, he acknowledged, has been steep. The council’s processes, especially legislative and amendment procedures, have proven to be unlike anything he has ever encountered.
“That’s been a beast to learn,” Bachynski said, adding that by its nature, politics is “a very clunky process.” For example, initially, council meetings were overwhelming. But he has grown more comfortable with each session and expects continued progress as he refines his approach to governance.
One positive Bachynski is quick to celebrate is how he has been deeply inspired by the dedication of stakeholders, community members, and organizations who genuinely care about Regina’s future.
“There are people that are coming out all the time and in support of initiatives that we have, trying to offer support in a variety of capacities to try and move the city forward in a positive way,” Bachynski said. “That’s been extremely encouraging, and it really leans into why I wanted to get into this in the first place, to move the city forward in a positive light.”
Housing and Infrastructure
“There has been a lot that’s happened in the first six months here,” Bachynski said. There is a momentum, he said, among the city’s partners who want to do good work in the community while also promoting business, events, and how ideal Regina is as a city to live in and raise a family.
Bachynski said he senses “a lot of hope and optimism” for what residents have to look forward to. That said, Bachynski said there are several areas he is looking to focus on going forward. Those areas include dealing with the two big issues moving forward: housing and infrastructure. And it is that infrastructure issue that Bachynski said is most problematic.
“We know we have a deficit there (in infrastructure) that creates challenges around some of the work we need to do in terms of creating homes and affordable homes,” Bachynski said. “These lend themselves to some of the community challenges that we also face. It’s really focusing on those two things.”
Faith in Community Spirit
Like most municipalities, Regina is grappling with not only the housing crisis but also other complex issues, such as homelessness and inadequate mental health support. And that doesn’t even include the growing issues that stem from the tariff challenges presented by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Still, Bachynski said he feels confident in the city’s path moving forward. For one thing, he grew up in Regina and has friends, family, and co-workers that he has grown up with since elementary school.
Many people, he said, have stuck out the tough times in Regina and having growing families and careers to show for it.
Regina is a city “full of extremely hardworking people that care about the community,” Bachynski said. That’s vitally important, as Bachynski said there are always going to be challenges. That’s just the reality of life today, regardless of whether it’s in people’s personal lives or in the municipality, the province, or around the globe.
But it is in those good people that Bachynski said he knows solutions can be found.
“What gives me hope is we have good people. I know we do. I see it every day,” Bachynski said. “I see the good things that people are doing in our community, and that’s what gives me the hope. That gives me the drive to come in and face whatever crazy challenges might be in the office on any given day.”
Personal Lessons Learned
Bachynski admitted he never considered himself to be “an overly patient person.” He has been used to seeing a problem and then working directly to fix it. But over the past six months, he said, he’s done better with that.
He said that it has been about leaning into learning and understanding that there are a lot to get a handle on before jumping into things. That might sound like something of a copout to some people. But Bachynski said there wasn’t some kind of “flight or fight moment.” Instead, he realized that being patient is what is necessary in the political space.
And whether he’s in a council meeting or some other related circumstances, he has learned he just has to have the right approach.
“When I say patience, I definitely mean trying to get to that desired outcome. It’s just recognizing there are things I don’t have control over,” Bachynski said. “If I don’t have control over something, I’m not going to dwell on it. I’m going to understand what can I do? I don’t dwell on the things that I can’t control. I try and focus on the things that I can.” MW
✯ Municipal World Executive and Essentials Plus Members: You might also be interested in Mary-Anne Dempster’s article: A boost to municipal public engagement.
Sean Meyer is digital content editor for Municipal World.
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