What to know in St. Vital ward before Winnipeg's election
Car refinisher, small business owner hoping to unseat ward's longtime councillor
About St. Vital
Two challengers are trying to unseat the councillor of a southeast Winnipeg ward this election.
St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes will go up against journeyman Derrick Dujlovic and small business owner Baljeet Sharma in the race to represent the area.
The ward includes the neighbourhoods of Glenwood, Norberry, Kingston Crescent, Minnetonka, Sage Creek and Royalwood.
People in Winnipeg will head to the polls on Oct. 26 to vote for councillors in 13 of the city's 15 wards as well as mayor and school trustees. Councillors in 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 St. Vital — about 44 per cent — cast a ballot for their ward's council seat, data from the city clerk's office says.
Here's what you need to know before election day in St. Vital.
Who's running?
Derrick Dujlovic is a journeyman collision refinisher and a volunteer with Skills Canada Manitoba.
Brian Mayes is the ward's current councillor. He was first elected in a 2011 byelection after former councillor Gord Steeves left the seat to launch an unsuccessful bid to enter provincial politics.
Mayes has held several positions during his time on council, including serving as chair of the water and waste committee and being named to the executive policy committee, which functions like the mayor's cabinet.
He was also a member of the Winnipeg Police Board until he stepped down earlier this year.
Baljeet Sharma is a small-business owner who has run for public office several times over the last few years — including in the same ward he's running in now in the 2018 civic election, when he came in second.
What are they promising?
Dujlovic says he'd focus on addressing property crime, improving communication between citizens and city hall and preserving green spaces and trees in the ward.
He'd also push to improve road repair and construction, increase infill development in older neighbourhoods and improve accountability for property owners and developers.
Mayes says he'd work to fix roads and potholes and push to start work on a community centre that's already planned for the area.
He also hopes to work to address homelessness and lobby the city to buy and preserve 20 acres of forest in the ward.
Sharma says he'd advocate to review Winnipeg's use of photo radar cameras, improve snow clearing and focus on addressing homelessness, crime and potholes in the city.
He'd also push to freeze salaries for public sector workers making more than $75,000.
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
- River Heights-Fort Garry
- St. Boniface
- St. James
- St. Norbert-Seine River
- Transcona
- Waverley West
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