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With 100 days to go until the civic election, Winnipeggers finally have a fresh alternative for mayor. Today, Kaj Hasselriis launched his bid for the city's top job at an Exchange District studio filled with supporters from the entertainment and arts, business and education communities.

“Winnipeg needs a vision for the future that excites young people and convinces them that this is the best place for them to live,” said Hasselriis, 32, a journalist and community activist who led the fight to save Bus Rapid Transit.

“For too long, City Hall has resisted progressive ideas. The current mayor is killing projects instead of championing new ones,” said Hasselriis. “I will offer Winnipeggers a clear, alternative choice, as a forward-thinking mayor who isn't afraid of new and exciting ideas.”

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A left-leaning activist says Sam Katz has fallen far short as mayor -- and it's up to him to fill city hall's top job instead...

"Winnipeggers from all over the city tell me they're disappointed. There were high hopes when he came in and those hopes have been dashed," Hasselriis told supporters at a press conference announcing his candidacy earlier this week.

"Winnipeg needs change. Winnipeg needs momentum. Winnipeg needs to be a city of the 21st century."...

A vocal critic of Katz's 2004 shelving of a rapid-transit plan tabled by former mayor Glen Murray, Hasselriis vowed to push ahead with a similar bus-based system announced by a task force last September.

Hasselriis said he will "encourage the growth of pre-existing neighbourhoods" rather than push for suburban sprawl while attracting newcomers to the city and retaining youth by boosting their opportunities.

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Winnipeg mayoral candidate Kaj Hasselriis says he would let immigrants and refugees vote in civic elections if he were elected mayor.

Hasselriis made the remarks while unveiling his civil rights platform Tuesday.

Hasselriis said if his idea is implemented, as many as 10,000 new people would be eligible to cast ballots in municipal elections, like the upcoming Oct. 25 election he's running in.

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[ 19 September 2006: Message edited by: spatrioter ]

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Marianne Cerilli was born in Toronto and grew up in Winnipeg. She has two degrees from the University of Manitoba, a Bachelor of Physical Education and Recreation Studies and a Bachelor of Education. She has traversed the political rapids as the youngest woman elected so far to the Manitoba Legislature, 1990-2003. Before pioneering new trails as an eco-feminist MLA she has gone from recreation leader and youth advocate, to volunteer and youth program consultant, to guidance counselor. Still trail blazing to the beat of her own drum, Marianne is starting her own community development business. Her business card says, Marianne Cerilli Change Agent: Community Development for Health, Sustainability and Peace. She is currently teaching part time at the University of Winnipeg, courses in women in politics, health education and Gender and Education. She is also currently an Advocate/Mentor in the core of Winnipeg at the West Central Women’s Resource Centre, a women’s advocacy and community development organization. With a career path that has been neither straight nor narrow, Marianne is also a mother/parent (with Glen) to six year old Mira, a writer and poet.

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U of Winnipeg Women's Studies bio of Cerilli

Cerilli looks to be a pretty solid feminist, environmentalist and activist. She even taught young activists about feminism at the youth activist retreat.

CBC: Former NDP MLA Cerilli enters mayoral race

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CBC: As of Monday, there were four other people vying for the mayor's job, including incumbent Sam Katz and candidates Kaj Hasselriis, Ron Pollock and Gordon Warren.

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Supplemental: It looks like only Cerilli, Katz, Hasselriis and Pollock filed Nomination Papers. So there will be only four candidates for Mayor.

[ 20 September 2006: Message edited by: N.Beltov ]

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Originally posted by N.Beltov:
Marianne Cerilli is also running for Mayor. Cerilli was an NDP member of the Provincial Legislature for a number of years. She's also worth looking at.

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* Cerelli spoke about actual "planning" such as Plan Winnipeg

* Good public services with equal access

* Poverty Action Committee

* Whistle-Blower protection

I haven't seen it yet but I understand she's also in favour of civilian review of the police. Sounds good to me. Kaj Hasselriis, on the other hand, wants to cut some business taxes. Hmm. And, despite the fact that he's an environmentalist, he's still in favour of the City of Winnipeg using the nerve toxin malathion to gas fog the citizens of Winnipeg. No thanks.

Katz has a big lead and seems to be hiding from the electorate. Typical conservative strategy when they're leading. No thanks again.

Supplemental: For the first time in our history, all voters are required to present identification before they will be allowed to vote.

[ 10 October 2006: Message edited by: N.Beltov ]

[ 11 October 2006: Message edited by: jas ]

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jas: Do you think either of these candidates (Kaj and Cerilli), or even the combined progressive vote, have a chance of toppling Katz ?

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While the results have yet to come in, I am quite apprehensive. Some progressive or progressive-leaning councillors are facing serious challenges (particularly Mark Lubosch in North Kildonan and Donald Benham in River Heights) from openly Conservative candidates. It is likely that a right-leaning candidate will take the open St. Charles seat, Dan Vandal is in a much-too-close-for-comfort race to knock off buffoonish Magnifico, and other right-wing councillors like O'Shaughnessy and Eadie are likely to survive due to vote splits. All in all, a pretty bleak picture.

Why I'm particularly apprehensive is that Winnipeg municipal elections can be a barometer of where things are going provincially. I think back to 1998, when Glen Murray became mayor and left-leaning candidates like Harvey Smith and Jenny Gerbasi were elected.

All in all, it was a very good night for the left in Winnipeg. A Tory of mine told me a few years ago that many in the PC party felt the Winnipeg election was the writing on the wall for Filmon. Sure enough, in the 1999 election the PCs got a massive rejection notice from the city, winning a mere 5 seats out of 31 (I believe the Free Press headline was: "Get out!" City voters tell Tories").

[ 25 October 2006: Message edited by: jas ]

The only bright spots are Dan Vandal's return to council from St. B and Eadie's ouster (finally!) from St. James.

On a personal note, I'm very saddened by Mark Lubosch's loss. He was a good councillor and progressive, but he was clearly on the outs with Katz. People in NK decided to ditch him because of some fucking two-bit issue (barricades on McIvor Avenue that made it harder for assholes to speed in a fucking school zone) for a 29-year-old Tory hack whose work experience consists of being a party hack for the Tory caucus and working in Daddy's real-estate appraisal business.

I can only hope that Browaty will be out on his ass in four years when he fails to deliver on his promise to have the Chief Peguis Trail extension built, which he apparently thinks can be done by sometime in February, now that he's on the case.

I hate municipal politics, especially in Winnipeg. Pothole politics. What a fucking waste of time. I'm glad I left.

[ 25 October 2006: Message edited by: ghoris ]

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CBC: Katz defeated former NDP MLA Marianne Cerilli, who secured 22.5 per cent of the vote; Kaj Hasselriis, who had 13.2 per cent; and Ron Pollock, who won 2.6 per cent of the vote. ....

Voter turnout was near an all-time low, with 171,395 votes cast on Wednesday — about 38 per cent of the 450,000 registered voters in the city. In the 2002 civic election, 48.7 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots.

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Sam Katz 104,379
Marianne Cerilli 38,227
Kaj Hasselriis 22,401
Ron Pollock 4,444

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2006/10/25/wpgelex-update.html

Among the councillors re-elected, Harvey Smith noted:

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"The fact is when things are not done in the ward, generally you can give credit for no action to EPC [executive policy committee] and the mayor."

Smith added that he expects much of the same from Katz in the next four years.

"He's going to go pursue his agenda. And his agenda is not in my mind in the interests of the citizens of Winnipeg," Smith said.

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So, bad news in regard to the Mayoralty race even if the results went pretty well as expected.

However, it was good to see that clown Franco Magnifico get the heave-ho. He was a very obsequious yes-man to the Mayor. But the bad news - both Benham and Lubosch lost, who could have been solid allies against the rightist agenda of the Mayor. Of course, Gerbasi won easily, even though the right-wingers only ran one candidate against her.

1. Point Douglas

Mike Pagtakhan incumbent [Liberal/ right wing] defeated NDPer Tim Bednarski

2. Old Kildonan

Mike O'Shaughnessy incumbent [right wing] defeated disabled rights activist Ross Eadie

3. Mynarski

Incumbent Harry Lazarenko won. Harry is all over the map, politically.

4. North Kildonan

Conservative right winger Jeff Browaty defeated incumbent Mark Lubosch.

5. Daniel McIntyre

NDP incumbent Harvey Smith won a close race over Trudy Turner.

6. St. Charles

Conservative Grant Nordman won.

7. St. James-Brooklands

Scott Fielding, who was appointed to the board of the Winnipeg Convention Centre by Mayor Katz, defeated 25 year councillor Jae Eadie, Green Constance Menzies, and one other candidate.

8. Charleswood-Tuxedo

Businessman and EPC insider Bill Clement won easily.

9. River Heights-Fort Garry

Brenda Leipsic, one of the candidates endorsed by Katz, defeated incumbent Donald Benham. Benham, an articulate and intelligent critic of the Mayor was targetted by the right wingers.

10. St. Norbert

Justin Swandel, former assistant to retired Liberal councillor John Angus, defeated Green Glenda Whiteman

11. St. Vital

Liberal incumbent Gord Steeves handily beat NDPer Leslie Fingler and Green Markus Buchart.

12. Elmwood-East Kildonan

Incumbent Lillian Thomas won handily.

13. Transcona

Incumbent Russ Wyatt won easily.

14. Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry

Jenny Gerbasi, as expected, trounced her sole opponent, Wilf Makus, who skipped the CBC question on low-income housing.

15. St. Boniface

Daniel Vandal defeated the right wing clown Franco Magnifico. Great news.

So, we have 9 of 15 known right wingers and/or individuals supported or appointed by the current Mayor. More of the same.

Sad about Benham. Never even heard of Leipsic.

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jas: Well, except that you live near the conjunction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers ...

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When it's safe enough to skate on, the Assiniboine River is OK. But it's typically December or even January before that happens. And it isn't really safe to skate at night on an unlit river skate trail. Many of the outdoor rinks, particularly in the better-off neighbourhoods, have Zambonis and night lights. My local skating surface gets a perfunctory flooding, is never cleared, and turns into a snowfield for the winter. Not much good.

I've worked for candidates in the past but I didn't do so this time. In hindsight, maybe I could have helped Benham. mea culpa.

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Hopefully this will mobilize the left in working harder to protect the provincial NDP.

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ETA: I'm specifically referring to Brandon results.

[ 28 October 2006: Message edited by: Aristotleded24 ]