Recently, on a radio show, Regina City Councillor Jocelyn Hutchinson said a new domed stadium for the Roughriders “will be a great link between downtown and the entertainment district” as if it were a done deal. This was "will" not "if." It seems a new stadium--with a potential cost of $350 million--could be in surprisingly advanced stages with taxpayers left in the dark.

So how did we get here? In March 2007, an engineering audit of Mosaic Stadium noted it was in good shape. Later, the city earmarked $5.8 million for basic upkeep, plus new washrooms, concessions, and better wheelchair accessibility. The Roughriders also shared a conceptual design for a renovated stadium with the city.

At first, Riders CEO Jim Hopson downplayed the idea of a new stadium. In fact, this spring Hopson said, "I'll be honest. If six months ago somebody would have said to me, there's a shot that you'll be playing in an indoor stadium in a few years, I would have said, you're smoking something."

Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco once felt the same way. "I don't think there's an appetite for a new stadium here,” Fiacco said in April 2008. “The City of Regina does not have the dollars to build a new stadium."

Fiacco was right. A survey commissioned by the Leader-Post in February 2009 showed that only 42 per cent of Regina residents favoured a new stadium, while the rest preferred the status quo or renovations to the current facility. Strangely, however, Fiacco had changed his mind by then, and said he would be “very disappointed” if a new stadium wasn’t built.

Premier Wall also seems to lean in this direction. Regarding the option of renovations, he said, “I don't think we would rule that out down the road if the feasibility of something else just doesn't seem to be there.” Translation: we want a new stadium.

The reason for a domed stadium, apparently, is to have a year-round facility that can be used for concerts and trade shows. Given the price tag, that makes no sense to Neil Donnelly, VP of events and entertainment at Evraz Place in Regina. He says that B.C. Place in Vancouver has only had two or three concerts per year for each of the last three years. To him, a 10,000 seat hockey arena makes more sense for music fans than a domed home for the Riders.

In fact, that’s almost here already. Taxpayers have already dished out $60 million for additional arenas at Evraz Place, while the Brandt Centre will soon seat 8,000 for concerts. Won’t the next level of trade shows and concerts be at that venue? As for concerts, Mosaic Stadium will already be good enough for AC DC, Aerosmith, and ZZ Top this summer.

Shortly before the Riders first pre-season game, Hopson said the team was "well-positioned" to have a new stadium, and that an announcement is coming at the end of June. Presumably, taxpayers will then get a chance to see most of the $70,000 provincial report on stadium options.

Will taxpayers still have a meaningful say? Or have eager football executives, Regina City Hall, and the Premier's office already made up their minds? There's still more provincial debt than the funds needed for a dozen domed stadiums. And, despite the hype, much of the public remains unconvinced of the need for a new home for the Roughriders. Taxpayers deserve full disclosure and a meaningful say in this process.