Op-Ed: How Did Scott Moe Become Premier of Saskatchewan? Ties to Regina Bypass Scandal and Leadership Failures Emerge

Nestor Mryglod, Regina

Jan 15, 2025

The comparison between the Coquihalla Highway and the Regina Bypass underscores dramatic differences in cost, terrain challenges, and public scrutiny. The Coquihalla Highway, completed in 1990, spans 325 kilometres through some of Canada's most rugged and mountainous terrain. At the time, despite its extensive features and technical challenges, construction cost was 855 Million Dollars, or roughly 1.63 Billion Dollars today when adjusted for inflation. It wasn't just a four-lane highway; it was a lifeline through the mountains, complete with 38 bridges, 319 vehicular underpasses, 8 avalanche dams, containment basins, and the imposing Great Bear Snowshed, designed to shield travellers from the wrath of winter's fury.

In stark contrast, the 2 Billion Dollar Regina Bypass, a price that has sparked significant criticism, is a 40-kilometer highway built on flat prairie land in Saskatchewan. Including additional service roads and resurfacing work, the total project encompasses about 120 kilometres of roadway. Unlike the Coquihalla Highway, the Regina Bypass faced no major geographical or technical hurdles, such as mountainous terrain, avalanche protection, or massive river crossings. So where did the money go?

These issues are now tied directly to Premier Scott Moe, who took office in 2017 after Brad Wall's sudden resignation amidst an RCMP investigation into the $2 Billion Dollar infrastructure project.

The Regina Bypass Scandal: A Legacy of Mismanagement

Initially estimated at $400 Million Dollars in 2014, the cost of the Regina Bypass ballooned to over $2 Billion Dollars by the time construction concluded. The project was fraught with allegations of land profiteering by politically connected developers, questionable route changes, and contacted to Vinci, a French Company deeply rooted in Scandals in Europe, money Laundering, Bribery, and Human Rights Issues. Despite calls for transparency, no Judicial Public Inquiry, Forensic Audit, or Criminal Investigation has been conducted to address these concerns.