What to know in River Heights-Fort Garry ward before Winnipeg's election
Incumbent announced he was leaving to run for mayor — then changed his mind
About River Heights-Fort Garry
The race in River Heights-Fort Garry looked like it would be wide open at one point, after Coun. John Orlikow announced he was running for mayor.
But Orlikow changed his mind a few months later and instead joined the race for his longtime southwest Winnipeg council seat along with two other candidates.
He'll now face off against project manager Brant Field and business owner Gary Lenko to represent the ward, which includes the neighbourhoods of Crescentwood, Grant Park, Wellington Crescent and Linden Woods.
People in Winnipeg will head to the polls on Oct. 26 to vote for a new mayor, school trustees and councillors in 13 of the city's 15 wards. Councillors in the other two wards have already been acclaimed — meaning they automatically hold on to their seats — after no one ran against them.
In the 2018 election, less than half of the people eligible to vote in River Heights-Fort Garry — just under 49 per cent — cast a ballot for their ward's council seat, data from the city clerk's office shows.
Here's what you need to know before election day in River Heights-Fort Garry.
Who's running?
Brant Field is a construction project manager and a lawyer who has practised at a firm in Alberta and articled and volunteered at Winnipeg's Legal Help Centre.
Gary Lenko is a business owner who has spent decades renovating houses and used to run a dance studio. In 2018, he ran in the ward and placed third.
Lenko also has a lengthy record of civil litigation, including a fight with Manitoba Hydro, a suit over a residential home-improvement program and what was one of the first challenges of Winnipeg's use of red-light cameras.
John Orlikow has been the ward's councillor since getting voted in during a 2009 byelection after incumbent Brenda Leipsic died from cancer.
In February, he said he planned to leave the seat after 13 years to run for mayor — but he changed his mind three months later, when he declared the path to the mayor's office "washed out." Orlikow has held several positions during his time on council, including deputy mayor.
What are they promising?
Field says he'd work to reduce property crime, improve traffic flow, protect Winnipeg's tree canopy, prioritize street maintenance, push to use tax dollars wisely and speed up planned combined sewer upgrades while working to mitigate runoff.
Lenko says he'd focus on addressing traffic problems caused by construction and improving communication between the city and other levels of government on issues like housing. He'd also work to improve accountability at city hall and advocate to abolish the executive policy committee, which functions like the mayor's cabinet.
Orlikow says he'd focus on fixing streets and sidewalks, protecting the city's tree canopy, reducing crime and spending more on spray pads and play structures.
More CBC Manitoba ward profiles
- Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood
- Daniel McIntyre
- Elmwood-East Kildonan
- Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry
- Mynarski
- North Kildonan
- Old Kildonan
- Point Douglas
- St. Boniface
- St. James
- St. Norbert-Seine River
- St. Vital
- Transcona
- Waverley West
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
