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Photo by Heywood Yu /Regina Leader-PostOne of the largest private firms in Saskatchewan, known as a major farm equipment supplier, is taking control of Regina’s event district as part of its sports and entertainment business expansion.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorBrandt Group of Companies, owned by the Semple family in Regina, will close a $6.5-million takeover of half the city’s entertainment district next week.The deal to acquire seven buildings has extended to managing four more, including the Saskatchewan Roughriders stadium.Regina’s city council green-lighted the takeover proposal at its Wednesday meeting, giving Brandt’s entertainment division the entire district to manage over the next decade.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again“We've seen that the entertainment business is a very risky, challenging business,” Regina mayor Chad Bachynski said after council voted.Regina-headquartered Brandt is known foremost for manufacturing, selling and financing industrial and farm equipment. It has branched into sports and entertainment, adding the Western Canadian Baseball League's Regina Red Sox to its portfolio alongside the Western Hockey League's Regina Pats.Brandt is rapidly advancing its expansion plans to build a one-stop entertainment hub in Regina. It’s spending a whopping $70 million to construct a distillery and a live music venue at the exhibition grounds.That’s on top of the $15 million it is required to spend partially upgrading the seven run-down buildings in the first two years of ownership. A total estimated $73.5 million worth of upgrades is needed to those buildings after years of Regina deferring maintenance work.This deal allows Brandt to operate and broker all contracts for the district. It would oversee and reap the profits from running Regina’s 33,000-seat football and concert stadium. The handover comes before Mosaic Stadium hosts the CFL Grey Cup championship game in November 2027.Mosaic Stadium in Regina, shown on Wednesday. Heywood Yu / Regina Leader-PostObtaining management rights on the newer buildings could mean Brandt can secure better returns on Queen City Distillers, its new food and beverage operation.Brandt will open Queen City Distillers early next year. The two-storey live music venue will feature a sports bar, a restaurant, a speakeasy and a liquor store with its own spirits and beer made on site.Regina’s entertainment district reported food and beverage sales across all the facilities make up about a quarter of its total revenue. In 2027, projections put food and drink revenue at $14.5 million.The district is currently run as a not-for-profit by an arms-length municipal organization which has run a deficit since 2021. It forecasted that it would be able to right the ship in 2026 with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization projected at $394,000 this year and $18,000 in 2027.Brandt’s chief executive, Shaun Semple, says this investment into a one-stop entertainment hub is unlike the carefully calculated rate of return used on the business’s equipment side.“It's super risky, and the returns are problematic. There's no doubt,” Semple said about the distillery project.But Semple doesn’t go into any business thinking he can’t make money.Brandt views sports and entertainment as a growth business. It took over sole ownership of the Pats in 2021 and the Red Sox in October 2025.“These won't be the only sports teams we buy,” Semple said previously in an interview. “They won't be the only restaurants that we'll open. This is a new vertical for Brandt.”The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark leaderpost.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.