Democracy Just Became A Civic Election Issue In Winnipeg
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Scott Gillingham should be worried – very, very worried. Not just because he’ll likely win
the upcoming mayoral race for no better reason than the lack of a tenable, progressive
alternative, but because longtime, and in some cases, progressive councillors are currently
quitting his administration.
And they’re not going quietly.
Just take Sherri Rollins’ recent announcement that she would not be seeking re-election.
When she cited the reasons why she won’t be running again, she dropped a bit of a
bombshell.
In addition to citing the mayor’s lack of transparency on issues like homelessness, she also observed that he and his advisors “increasingly sideline the public service.”
In other words, Mayor Gillingham doesn’t listen to the advice of his own experts.
Worse still, she maintained that she and other councillors have struggled to even get a
meeting with Gillingham to discuss critical issues like homelessness, public safety and
affordability.
But if that sounds bad, the worst was yet to some. In fact, the most damning and alarming
comment in her exit interview was this:
“As a councillor, I have come to believe that I can no longer do the work in the way I think it
should be done ... It looks increasingly like an executive team that is valuing compliance
and not fearless advice from council”
Yup, I can almost hear your response, and believe me, I said pretty much the same thing:
“Are you kidding me? An executive council with Gillingham at the head is running our city?
Did this city suddenly morph into a corporation? Is democracy in Winnipeg under threat?”
Well, if Councillor Rollins is right, the answer to that would be – “Yes, it is.”
Because here’s the thing. Your representative on council is supposed to be there to
represent your interests. And if your representative is being shut out of key aspects of the decision-making process then so are you and every other citizen who voted for them.
And that, my friends, is anti-democratic.
So, short of begging somebody else to run for mayor, what the devil are we supposed to do?
Well, what we should definitely not do is buy into the belief that this is all somehow
unstoppable, or worse, inevitable.
Instead, we need to get informed about who is running for council in each of our wards and
then vote. Because right now we have the chance to stem the anti-democratic tide, by
ensuring that whoever replaces councillors like Rollins are outspokenly progressive.
That is – outspoken enough to publicly call out the mayor’s office and his executive policy
committee of five, when they act like they run this city and can blithely ignore the concerns
of 10 other councillors.
And, the good news, based on my research, is that we have quite a few progressive
candidates to choose from, not only to replace the 5 councillors who have quit, but also to
challenge incumbents like Jeff Browaty.
First off are Cindy Gilroy in Daniel Mac and Emma Durand Wood from Elmwood-East
Kildonan, who are already on council and have a very good track record as progressives
who put community first.
In addition to working with their constituents to expand greenspaces and upgrade park and
community facilities, both of them voted against the Chief Penguins extension and promote a “fix what we have first” approach to infrastructure spending.
Other progressive candidates include community organizer Natalie Smith in Mynarski, St James’s project manager. Tyler Chritchton, and North Kildonan labour leader, Orvie
Dingwall.
Also on the progressive list are small business owner, Louise May, in St Norbert and
Transcona’s Lora Meseman, Executive Director of the General Council of Winnipeg
Community Centers.
And there are a number of other progressive candidates to choose from in ridings from
River Heights-Fort Garry and St Vital to the Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry ward.
So, if you want to find out who’s running in your ward and ask them some hard questions,
check out the city’s election 2026 web page. All of the candidates are listed there, along
with the websites that outline their priorities.
And please, if you want representatives who will fight to make our city more resilient,
equitable and green then cast your vote for someone who will not only push for that but for
a more transparent, democratic system of governance.
To check out your candidates go to: https://www.winnipeg.ca/city-governance/wards-
elections/2026-election/information-voters/registered-candidates
Over the next 10 weeks the fabulous Ballot Babes will be interviewing the progressive
council candidates in your ward. Have a listen @:
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