The provincial government will not be going with the proposed regional governance model suggested by a joint working group on the subject.

The report, which was released in early 2022, recommends a model that would see regional governing bodies set up, essentially pooling the resources of smaller towns and local service districts that otherwise do not have the capacity to provide many services on their own.

Government says that model posed significant challenges, particularly the province’s large geographical area and lack of population density, which would not provide the necessary tax base to support an additional layer of government.

Municipal and Provincial Affairs Minister Krista Lynn Howell is disappointed that they couldn’t find a way to implement that model of regional government.

“I really wanted this to work, I really did,” says Howell, who notes that they could not find a way to make it functional at this time.

Now, government has announced $500,000 to communities to help address service gaps by creating a community self-assessment tool and doing a review of regional service boards.