Regina News Nov. 24, 2025: Dewdney Avenue Reopening Nears, House Fire Probe, NDP Push on Overdose Treatment Beds

As Regina heads into winter 2025, businesses along Dewdney Avenue wait for a long‑promised reopening, firefighters investigate a pair of house fires with no injuries, and a surge in overdoses in Regina and Saskatoon prompts fresh NDP demands for more addictions treatment beds.

Regina, Saskatchewan – Monday, November 24, 2025.

The new week opens with three major local storylines converging in Saskatchewan’s capital and its largest city:

• downtown businesses still coping with the disruptive but nearly finished Dewdney Avenue Corridor Revitalization Project,
• a spate of recent house fires that, fortunately, caused no injuries, and
• a sharp spike in drug overdoses that has triggered health alerts in both Regina and Saskatoon and renewed political pressure for more addictions treatment.

Here’s what you need to know today.

Dewdney Avenue: Businesses count down to the reopening of a vital corridor

For nearly two construction seasons, Dewdney Avenue between Albert Street and Broad Street has been a maze of fencing, excavators and detours as the City of Regina replaces aging underground pipes and rebuilds the street through the historic Warehouse District. [1]

What the project is changing

According to city and business association documents, the Dewdney Avenue Corridor Revitalization Project is designed to: [2]

• fully replace underground water, storm and wastewater infrastructure,
• rebuild the roadway,
• add much wider sidewalks and new lighting,
• create multi‑purpose outdoor spaces and patios, and
• add trees and landscaping to make the area more walkable and welcoming.

To keep workers and the public safe, sections of Dewdney have been closed to traffic for months at a time. At various points in 2025, the road was closed from Albert to Lorne and from Scarth to Broad, with a short stretch in the middle kept open at reduced speed for two‑way traffic. Free parking at The Yards and temporary transit stops on 8th Avenue have tried to offset the disruption, while the north sidewalk has generally remained open so customers can still reach businesses. [3]

‘Open for business’ – but not easy to reach

Despite repeated assurances that the Warehouse District is “open for business,” owners say getting customers through the construction has been a grind.

In late October, Rebellion Brewing CEO Mark Heise told local radio that communication about changing road closures and access routes has often been confusing, forcing the brewery to spend heavily on marketing just to remind people they’re still open and explain how to get there. [4]

Nearby Bushwakker Brewpub reports more frequent conversations with the city and the Warehouse District than in the first year of work, but still notes that business has been down during the construction period and that some tourists simply avoid a street that looks fully blocked off. [5]

Yet, for all the frustration, business owners who’ve seen the nearly finished sidewalks, lighting and boulevards say the transformation is impressive and expect the area to be more attractive once the work is done. [6]

When will Dewdney finally reopen?

In early October, City of Regina deputy city manager Kurtis Doney said work on the Dewdney corridor was on track and that the road should reopen to full traffic by the end of 2025, with only landscaping and some decorative elements left for next year. [7]

A few weeks later, another update reiterated that the city still expects Dewdney to reopen before winter, with “finishing touches” continuing into 2026. [8]

Online discussions in the local community echo that timeline, with residents being told to expect the major work to be completed this year and only minor planting to follow. [9]

For now, though, many Warehouse District businesses are still waiting for the moment when construction fencing comes down and drivers and pedestrians can once again use Dewdney as a straightforward east‑west route through central Regina.

New grants open today for Dewdney and downtown

One piece of good news arriving exactly today, November 24, is financial: the City of Regina has opened a new intake for its City Centre Incentive Program grants, which help property owners upgrade storefronts or fit up vacant spaces. [10]

Key points of this intake: [11]

• Applications open November 24, 2025 and close February 23, 2026.
• A total of $250,000 in grant funding is available.
• Grants can cover up to 50% of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $50,000 per project.
• Priority will be given to projects on 11th Avenue downtown and along Dewdney Avenue in the Warehouse District—exactly the areas most affected by recent construction.

That means businesses that have endured months of torn‑up streets may now be able to tap city funding to refresh facades, improve signage or retrofit interiors in time for Dewdney’s reopening.

Timing matters: Agribition opens with Dewdney as a key access route

The timing is especially important because Canadian Western Agribition—one of Regina’s biggest annual events—runs November 24–29, 2025 at the REAL District. One of the main vehicle entrances to the grounds is via Princess Street and Dewdney Avenue, alongside other entrances on 11th Avenue and 10th Avenue. [12]

As tens of thousands of visitors pour into the city this week, how open and navigable Dewdney feels will shape not just traffic patterns, but also whether out‑of‑town guests venture into the Warehouse District’s restaurants, bars and breweries.

No injuries reported after recent Regina house fires

While construction crews worked above ground, Regina Fire & Protective Services spent the past few days responding to a series of house fires in and around the city—thankfully, with no reported injuries in the most recent incidents.

Wascana Street blaze in early hours of November 20

Just after 2 a.m. on Thursday, November 20, firefighters were called to a home on Wascana Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues. Crews arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the structure. [13]

Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control. The only person inside at the time managed to get out safely before crews completed their searches. A fire investigator is now working to determine the cause. [14]

Weekend fire in central Regina also leaves no one hurt

On Sunday, November 23, Regina fire crews were called to another house fire in central Regina. A local online radio outlet reports that firefighters gave the all‑clear with no injuries reported after tackling the blaze and securing the scene. [15]

That Sunday fire follows several other 2025 incidents in the city and surrounding area where firefighters have, in some cases, rescued pets and in others dealt with significant property damage—but again with no loss of life. [16]

Investigations continue into both the Wascana Street blaze and the more recent central Regina fire. Residents are reminded to check smoke alarms, plan escape routes, and ensure exits are clear as colder weather pushes more heating and electrical load into older homes.

Overdoses surge in Saskatoon and Regina as NDP renews push for more treatment beds

The most urgent public‑safety story heading into November 24 is not on the roads or in the fire halls, but in the health system.

Provincial health officials and frontline agencies are warning of a dangerously toxic drug supply in Saskatchewan’s major cities, with a spike in overdoses in mid‑November and a growing political showdown over how many people can actually access treatment.

104 overdoses in a week in Saskatoon

On November 20, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health issued a drug and overdose alert for Saskatoon after the city recorded 104 overdoses in just one week, including two deaths. [17]

According to reporting from 650 CKOM and harm‑reduction workers: [18]

• The Saskatoon Fire Department saw a steep jump in overdose calls between November 11 and 19.
• Many patients needed multiple doses of naloxone and sometimes resuscitation and hospitalization.
• Drug checking at Prairie Harm Reduction found extremely potent fentanyl analogues mixed with medetomidine, a veterinary sedative that causes deep, prolonged unconsciousness and slows breathing and heart rate.
• Because naloxone reverses only opioid effects, it is less effective when powerful sedatives or benzodiazepines are also present.

The Ministry’s alert warns that “dangerous drugs are in the area” and that the risk of serious overdose or death remains high for anyone using street drugs in Saskatoon. [19]

Overdose alert extended to Regina

A day earlier, on November 19, the province issued a similar alert for Regina after Regina Fire & Protective Services responded to an unusually high number of suspected overdoses in a single day, including cases involving unconsciousness and cardiac arrest. [20]

Key points from that alert: [21]

• Several Regina cases also required multiple naloxone doses and emergency medical intervention.
• The exact substance involved is unknown, but some people believed they were buying crystal meth, raising concerns that stimulants may be contaminated with opioids or other toxic additives.
• The alert for the Regina area is scheduled to remain in effect until November 26, 2025.
• Residents are reminded that the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects people who seek emergency help during an overdose.

NDP: Government “scrambling, but not acting fast enough”

The overdose wave has triggered a fresh political clash at the Legislature.

On November 21, Saskatchewan NDP Mental Health and Addictions Critic Betti Nippi‑Albright told CJWW Radio that the government is not treating the crisis with the urgency it demands, pointing to more than 100 overdoses and two deaths recorded between Saskatoon and Regina during the week of the alerts. [22]

She also criticized Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr for acknowledging in question period that the province does not know how many people are currently waiting for addictions treatment, arguing that this gap makes it impossible to plan a sufficient treatment response. [23]

Frontline worker Chantel Huel, who supports people transitioning out of gang involvement and addiction, told CJWW that people trying to enter detox often face daunting barriers—such as needing to call every day at a specific time, relying on a phone they may not consistently have access to, and struggling to get through when lines are busy. [24]

NDP’s five‑point plan for addictions and treatment beds

In October, the Saskatchewan NDP released a five‑point plan aimed at addressing what it describes as a full‑blown addictions crisis in the province. The party says drug toxicity deaths have more than doubled since Premier Scott Moe took office and estimates that nearly one person per day has died of overdose or poisoning in Saskatchewan in 2025. [25]

The plan calls for: [26]

1. Expanding voluntary in‑patient treatment, including more beds both on‑ and off‑reserve.
2. Increasing detox and stabilization capacity and ensuring seamless transitions from detox to long‑term treatment.
3. Funding more sober‑living homes that provide safe, supportive environments with wrap‑around services.
4. Building a strategic workforce plan to recruit and retain addictions and mental‑health professionals, especially in underserved communities.
5. Ensuring involuntary treatment is reserved for a small minority of people whose addictions pose serious risks, and only with strong safeguards.

The government has pointed to new investments and legislative changes—including declaring some drug‑related items “street weapons”—but critics argue that without a major increase in publicly funded treatment beds and supportive housing, the province will continue to issue overdose alerts rather than prevent them. [27]

Staying safer amid the overdose alerts

Public‑health and harm‑reduction organizations continue to emphasize practical steps that can reduce (but never eliminate) risk for people who use drugs: [28]

• Carry naloxone and know how to use it; kits are available free in many pharmacies and community organizations.
• Avoid using alone; if that’s not possible, contact services like the National Overdose Response Service so someone can call 911 if things go wrong.
• Go slow and test a very small amount first, especially when using a new supply or substance.
• Use supervised consumption or drug‑checking services where available.
• Call 911 immediately at any sign of overdose—extreme sleepiness, slowed breathing, blue lips or fingertips, or unresponsiveness.

The bottom line for November 24, 2025

As Regina wakes up on this chilly Monday, the city finds itself at a crossroads—literally and figuratively.

• Dewdney Avenue is poised to reopen as a showcase corridor after two grinding construction seasons, with new grants opening today to help businesses refresh their storefronts just as one of the province’s biggest events, Agribition, gets underway.
• Regina Fire & Protective Services is coming off a series of house fires where quick response and good luck meant everyone walked away.
• And in both Regina and Saskatoon, a toxic and unpredictable drug supply has turned November into one of the most dangerous months of the year for people who use drugs, intensifying debate over how many treatment beds—and what kind of supports—Saskatchewan truly needs.

For residents, the message is mixed but clear: stay patient with the cones and detours a little longer, stay alert to fire and overdose risks, and stay engaged as the province decides how to respond to a crisis that is now taking lives almost every day.

References

1. www.regina.ca, 2. reginachamber.com, 3. www.regina.ca, 4. www.620ckrm.com, 5. www.620ckrm.com, 6. www.620ckrm.com, 7. www.cjme.com, 8. www.620ckrm.com, 9. www.reddit.com, 10. www.regina.ca, 11. www.regina.ca, 12. www.todocanada.ca, 13. www.620ckrm.com, 14. www.620ckrm.com, 15. 979thecowboy.evoradio.ca, 16. 979thecowboy.evoradio.ca, 17. www.ckom.com, 18. www.ckom.com, 19. www.ckom.com, 20. www.ckom.com, 21. www.ckom.com, 22. www.cjwwradio.com, 23. www.cjwwradio.com, 24. www.cjwwradio.com, 25. www.ndpcaucus.sk.ca, 26. www.ndpcaucus.sk.ca, 27. www.ckom.com, 28. www.ckom.com