The City of Regina is pushing to steadily grow the share of its procurement dollars that go to Indigenous-owned businesses, with officials pointing to early gains from a policy adopted nearly three years ago.
The city held its Indigenous Procurement Business Gathering in Regina on Monday, part of an ongoing effort described by officials as building economic reconciliation into how the municipality spends money. Kim Krywulak, the City of Regina’s corporate controller, said the city has set a goal of directing a minimum of 20 per cent of its total procurement spending to Indigenous-owned businesses.
Regina city council unanimously approved the Indigenous Procurement Policy in February 2023, and Krywulak said spending with Indigenous businesses has climbed gradually since then. She said year-to-date spending in 2026 has already reached $5.2 million, up from $2.5 million over the same period a year earlier, with four months of 2026 spending data still to be recorded.
City’s Broader Procurement Picture
Krywulak said the city typically spends between $100 million and $150 million annually on procurement, though the figure shifts depending on the scale of major projects underway in a given year. She pointed to several large builds as sources of potential opportunity, including the Indoor Aquatic Facility, the recently completed Eastern Pressure Solution, and an upcoming wastewater treatment plant project.
She said the city encourages prime contractors on major projects to bring in Indigenous subcontractors even when the lead contractor is not Indigenous-owned, citing the Indoor Aquatic Facility as an example of that approach.
Local Contractor’s Experience
Mike Hanson, owner of Indigenous-owned Synergy Construction, said his company has already completed projects for the city and has seen a noticeable increase in opportunities for Indigenous businesses in recent years. Synergy Construction has operated for 15 years, and Hanson said the pace of that growth has picked up markedly over roughly the past four or five years.
Hanson said the company’s goals extend beyond winning contracts for itself. Operating as a general contractor, Synergy Construction also works to bring other Indigenous-owned firms into its projects as subcontractors, including electricians and mechanical trades, in what he described as a focus on “second-tier spending.” He added that while the company does not set formal employment targets tied to Indigenous hiring, it maintains a high internal standard on that front.
Hanson said gatherings like Monday’s event in Regina are valuable for connecting Indigenous businesses directly with different levels of government and municipalities in one setting.
No Fixed Deadline for the 20% Goal
Krywulak said the city is aiming to raise its Indigenous procurement spending by at least one percentage point each year, but stopped short of committing to a specific date for hitting the 20 per cent target. She said the pace of progress depends on a range of factors, including fluctuations in overall city spending and the capacity of Indigenous businesses to take on additional work. Her stated commitment, she said, is to sustainable, incremental growth from year to year.
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