“It’s never a good feeling to stand up and call out a person and a leadership position, but going forward as the new mayor, there’s no way I see that we could continue with the current leadership,” Rick Shawn said Thursday. standing in front of Winnipeg police headquarters on Graham Ave. Morale problems among police officers, an increase in violent crime and a decline in public trust in the police are all reasons Shawn cited for replacing Smith as chief. Shawn acknowledged that the mayor does not have the power to unilaterally hire or fire the police chief. The Winnipeg Police Board has this power, with five to seven members of that board appointed by city council. Shawn said he would sit on the police board until he fulfills that promise and a replacement for Smith takes over. Smith’s contract expires at the end of November 2023. As an example of why he feels the chief should lose his job, Shawn pointed to the Winnipeg Police Association blaming Smith for morale problems among officers after a Winnipeg constable took his own life last year. Shawn also criticized the chief’s comments earlier this summer, following a spate of violent incidents at The Forks, when Smyth said “this is not new”. The mayoral candidate compared the situation to a losing sports team. “We can work with the squad and change the players and try to inspire them and motivate them as much as we can, but at some point we all know there comes a time when we have to change the captain,” said Sean. “We need to change leadership, and in this case, it’s much more serious than a sports team, and this is one of the highest-paid positions in the city.” A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Police Service said it would not comment on political announcements by political election candidates.
Loney promises more jobs
Winnipeg mayoral candidate Shaun Loney, meanwhile, pledged Thursday to expand the number of social enterprises in the city — businesses that create some form of public benefit, such as hiring people who have struggled to find work. Loney, founder of five social enterprises, said if elected mayor next month, he would change the city’s procurement practices to prioritize those community-oriented businesses when the city selects vendors and services. He set a goal of creating 1,000 new jobs in Winnipeg for people with disabilities, criminal records or other barriers to finding work. “A lot of employers are desperate for workers right now,” Loney said, standing in front of a North End building being renovated by Purpose Construction, one of the social enterprises he founded. Shaun Loney, center, pledged to employ 1,000 more people through community-oriented businesses. He spoke at a Mountain Avenue business being renovated by Purpose Construction, a social enterprise he founded. Loney spoke alongside Purpose staffer Joey Fagnan, left, and supporter David Newman, former Manitoba Progressive Conservative MLA. (Bartley Kives/CBC) Loney was joined in his announcement by David Newman, a former provincial Progressive Conservative cabinet minister. Earlier this week, former NDP minister Tim Sale spoke on a Loney promise to build more housing. Both Sale and Newman endorsed Loney for mayor, with Newman calling Loney “the least flawed mayor since Bill Norrie”. Norrie served as mayor from 1979 to 1992.
Gillingham promises better construction
Mayoral candidate Scott Gillingham, who has been making infrastructure announcements all week, pledged Thursday to keep construction costs in check by announcing road projects up to three years ahead of actual construction. This move will reduce some of the uncertainty surrounding labor costs, said the St. James in a statement. Gillingham also promised to revamp city construction contracts to match those across Canada and said he would make sure Winnipeg uses more recycled materials. Gillingham, Loney and Shone are among 15 people running for mayor. Idris Adelakun, Rana Bokhari, Chris Clacio, Vincent Gabriele, Kevin Klein, Jenny Motkaluk, Glen Murray, Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Jessica Peebles, Govind Thawani, Desmond Thomas and Don Woodstock have also declared mayoral campaigns. The registration deadline is September 20. Candidates must also complete the nomination process from September 14 to 20 in order to appear on the Election Day ballot on October 26.
