Sandra Masters

Masters moved to Regina in 1999 and worked for Richardson Agriculture as the manager of credit for the Prairie Provinces.Sandra has 4 children.{{Cite web |last=McNally |first=Ryan |date=2020-11-16 |title=Sandra Masters enters Regina mayoral race |url=https://www.620ckrm.com/2020/09/16/sandra-masters-enters-regina-mayoral-race/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525004252/https://www.620ckrm.com/2020/09/16/sandra-masters-enters-regina-mayoral-race/ |archive-date=2023-05-25 |access-date=2020-11-16 |website=CKRM |language=en}} Since 2014 she had served on the board of Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL), but she resigned her role as board chair in order to run for mayor.{{Cite web |last=Solomon |first=Michaela |date=2020-09-16 |title=Former REAL board chair Sandra Masters enters Regina mayoral race |url=https://regina.ctvnews.ca/former-real-board-chair-sandra-masters-enters-regina-mayoral-race-1.5107245 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004002946/https://regina.ctvnews.ca/former-real-board-chair-sandra-masters-enters-regina-mayoral-race-1.5107245 |archive-date=2020-10-04 |access-date=2020-11-16 |website=CTV News Regina}}

Masters launched her campaign for Regina's mayoralty on September 16, 2020. The campaign focused on developing an anti-poverty strategy for the city, supporting the Regina Police Service and local businesses, and reducing city administration costs by 15%.{{Cite web |last=Salloum |first=Alec |date=2020-09-25 |title=Sandra Masters lays out platform in race for Regina mayor |url=https://leaderpost.com/news/politics/regina-votes/sandra-masters-lays-out-platform-in-race-for-regina-mayor |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005101229/https://leaderpost.com/news/politics/regina-votes/sandra-masters-lays-out-platform-in-race-for-regina-mayor |archive-date=2020-10-05 |access-date=2020-11-16 |website=Regina Leader-Post |language=en-CA}}{{Cite web |last=O'Donovan |first=Connor |date=2020-10-08 |title=Sandra Masters unveils mayoral platform promising 'a Regina for every citizen' |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7387016/sandra-masters-unveils-mayoral-platform/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113154051/https://globalnews.ca/news/7387016/sandra-masters-unveils-mayoral-platform/ |archive-date=2021-01-13 |access-date=2020-11-16 |website=Global News |language=en-US}} Masters won the election, unseating two-term incumbent mayor Michael Fougere in a nine-person race with 46.4 per cent of the vote.{{Cite news |date=2020-11-09 |title=Regina's Sandra Masters becomes first woman voted to mayor's office in major Sask. city |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sandra-masters-defeats-michael-fougere-regina-election-1.5796027 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110220027/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sandra-masters-defeats-michael-fougere-regina-election-1.5796027 |archive-date=2020-11-10 |access-date=2020-11-16 |work=CBC News |language=en-CA}} This made Masters the first person since Pat Fiacco to become mayor of Regina with no previous city council experience.{{Cite web |last=Salloum |first=Alec |date=2020-11-12 |title='I'm one of eleven,' says Sandra Masters of her approach to leadership |url=https://leaderpost.com/news/politics/regina-votes/sandra-masters-says-her-approach-to-leadership-is-im-one-of-eleven |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113072205/https://leaderpost.com/news/politics/regina-votes/sandra-masters-says-her-approach-to-leadership-is-im-one-of-eleven |archive-date=2020-11-13 |access-date=2020-11-16 |website=Regina Leader-Post |language=en-CA}} She was sworn in as mayor on November 23, 2020.{{Cite news |last=Mattern |first=Ashleigh |date=2020-11-24 |title=Regina's new city council ready to get to work, says Mayor Sandra Masters |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-new-city-council-2020-2024-1.5813669 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124123425/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-new-city-council-2020-2024-1.5813669 |archive-date=2020-11-24 |access-date=2020-11-24 |work=CBC News |language=en-US}}

As Mayor, Masters became a backer of Regina's catalyst committee, which was tasked with overseeing the potential development of five downtown revitalization projects worth nearly $500 million, including new baseball, soccer, and aquatic facilities, a new event centre, and a modernized central library.{{Cite news |last=Quon |first=Alexander |date=2022-12-27 |title=Regina mayor's legacy is beginning to take shape — whether she wants it to or not |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sandra-masters-year-end-1.6680250 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227205534/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sandra-masters-year-end-1.6680250 |archive-date=2022-12-27 |access-date=2022-12-27 |work=CBC News}} In 2022, Masters hired the city's first female manager, Niki Anderson, following the dismissal of Chris Holden.{{Cite news |date=2022-09-27 |title=Niki Anderson selected as Regina's new city manager |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-names-new-city-manager-1.6597116 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927230611/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-names-new-city-manager-1.6597116 |archive-date=2022-09-27 |access-date=2022-12-27 |work=CBC News}} However, by the mid-way point of her mayoral term, Masters found herself leading a divided city council that saw in-fighting, persistent formal complaints against councillor Terina Nelson, and a fractious debate over affordability and a plan to address homelessness. The latter included councillor Andrew Stevens being part of a lawsuit, filed by lawyer and fellow councillor Dan LeBlanc, against Anderson over budgetary procedural matters. Masters labelled the lawsuit as sexist and was accused of retaliating against LeBlanc by pushing for his removal as the City Council representative on the board of directors of Community and Social Impact Regina.{{Cite news |last=Quon |first=Alexander |date=2023-01-25 |title=Councillor says Regina mayor choosing to 'retaliate' after lawsuit to address homelessness in city budget |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-leblanc-mayor-sandra-masters-1.6723494 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125132239/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-leblanc-mayor-sandra-masters-1.6723494 |archive-date=2023-01-25 |access-date=2023-05-18 |work=CBC News}}{{Cite news |last=Quon |first=Alexander |date=2023-02-08 |title=Regina councilor ousted from board position over lawsuit to address homelessness in city budget |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-ousts-leblanc-homelessness-1.6741766 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209203544/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-ousts-leblanc-homelessness-1.6741766 |archive-date=2023-02-09 |access-date=2023-05-18 |work=CBC News}} After LeBlanc's removal from that board, over 100 citizens submitted a letter to Masters condemning her response to the controversy.{{Cite news |last=Birrell |first=Alex |date=2023-04-16 |title=Sexism and Sandra Masters' city |url=https://saskdispatch.com/articles/view/sexism-and-sandra-masters-city |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421232704/https://saskdispatch.com/articles/view/sexism-and-sandra-masters-city |archive-date=2023-04-21 |access-date=2023-05-18 |work=Sask Dispatch |publisher=Briarpatch}} In September 2023, after continued debate over the homelessness issue, Masters revealed continued division on council when she stated that she did not trust Stevens, Leblanc, or councillors Shannon Zachidniak or Cheryl Stadnichuk, who all voted in favour of a motion to declare a homelessness emergency in Regina.{{Cite news |last=Iatropoulos |first=Nicholas |date=2023-09-14 |title='We don't trust them:' Masters on fracture in Regina city council |url=https://www.cjme.com/2023/09/14/we-dont-trust-them-masters-on-fracture-in-regina-city-council/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914192112/https://www.cjme.com/2023/09/14/we-dont-trust-them-masters-on-fracture-in-regina-city-council/ |archive-date=2023-09-14 |access-date=2023-09-15 |work=CJME}}{{Cite news |last=Schick |first=Lisa |date=2023-09-14 |title=Regina city councillors react to Masters' claims of loss of trust |url=https://www.cjme.com/2023/09/14/regina-city-councillors-react-to-masters-claims-of-loss-of-trust/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241005182729/https://www.cjme.com/2023/09/14/regina-city-councillors-react-to-masters-claims-of-loss-of-trust/ |archive-date=2024-10-05 |access-date=2023-09-15 |work=CJME}}

In December 2022, Masters stated that her accomplishments to that point in time centred on bolstering local pride in Regina. However, in March 2023 Masters courted controversy as part of a failed bid to re-brand Tourism Regina as "Experience Regina," a campaign that was ultimately accused of promoting the city through the use of sexual innuendo. Although Masters criticized the campaign in the wake of the controversy, it was reported that her office ordered merchandise from the campaign, including a sweatshirt branded with the controversial phrase, "the city that rhymes with fun."{{Cite news |last=Quon |first=Alexander |date=2023-05-18 |title=Making the city 'sexy' was always part of the plan for Experience Regina |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/experience-regina-internal-documents-1.6844020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518222416/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/experience-regina-internal-documents-1.6844020 |archive-date=2023-05-18 |access-date=2023-05-18 |work=CBC News}}

In March 2024, Masters confirmed that she would seek a second term as mayor in that fall's election.{{Cite news |last=Favel |first=Mick |last2=Prisciak |first2=David |date=2024-03-07 |title=Sandra Masters announces intention to run for second term as Regina's mayor |url=https://regina.ctvnews.ca/sandra-masters-announces-intention-to-run-for-second-term-as-regina-s-mayor-1.6798608 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321124109/https://regina.ctvnews.ca/sandra-masters-announces-intention-to-run-for-second-term-as-regina-s-mayor-1.6798608 |archive-date=2024-03-21 |access-date=2024-10-05 |work=CTV News Regina}} Masters was ultimately joined in a crowded field by ten other candidates.{{Cite news |last=Quon |first=Alexander |date=2024-10-30 |title=Public safety, affordable housing focus of Regina mayoral debate |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-civic-election-1.7368229 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241116202559/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-civic-election-1.7368229 |archive-date=2024-11-16 |access-date=2024-10-31 |work=CBC News}} In the November election, she was defeated by political newcomer Chad Bachynski, ultimately finishing in third place.{{Cite news |last=Prisciak |first=David |last2=Brezinski |first2=Caitlin |date=2024-11-14 |title=Chad Bachynski defeats Sandra Masters to become mayor of Regina |url=https://regina.ctvnews.ca/chad-bachynski-defeats-sandra-masters-to-become-mayor-of-regina-1.7109707 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241114175723/https://regina.ctvnews.ca/chad-bachynski-defeats-sandra-masters-to-become-mayor-of-regina-1.7109707 |archive-date=2024-11-14 |access-date=2024-11-14 |work=CTV News Regina}}

• List of mayors of Regina, Saskatchewan

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• [https://www.regina.ca/city-government/city-council/mayors-office/ Mayor of Regina]

{{Mayors of Regina, Saskatchewan}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Masters, Sandra}}

Category:Mayors of Regina, Saskatchewan

Category:Living people

Category:Women mayors of places in Saskatchewan

Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:21st-century mayors of places in Saskatchewan