Longest-serving Winnipeg city councillor endorses Gillingham for mayor

Another Winnipeg city councillor is endorsing Scott Gillingham for mayor.

Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) is backing Gillingham, who's currently the councillor for St. James. He's the second sitting councillor to do so, after Coun. Markus Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River).

"I believe you've got to hit the ground running. The fact that he's from the current council, not from a council 20 years ago — he knows the real issues that Winnipeg is facing today," Browaty said at a news conference on a rainy Monday.

Browaty has been on city council since 2006, making him the longest-serving councillor in Winnipeg. He said the city needs someone like Gillingham who has the financial know-how to help the city climb out of the hole COVID created.

"Winnipeg has faced $220 million in COVID-19-related extra expenses and unprecedented loss of revenue," Browaty told reporters.  "Scott, through the fiscal management plan, has been able to weather that storm as best as humanly possible."

Though he knows other declared and potential mayoral candidates, Browaty said Gillingham is the best person for the job right now.

"In 2018, I endorsed Jenny Motkaluk. Jenny and Trevor are friends of mine. I was at their wedding," said Browaty.

"Rochelle Squires — I've known her from back before either of us were in politics. I think they're all good people. But again, I think on the balance, Scott is the best candidate for mayor."

The St. James councillor also said his campaign is bringing together people from different points of view.

"Councillor Chambers is someone who represents the political centre. Councillor Browaty, more of the political right," said Gillingham.

"I think it's indicative of the kind of team that we need to build at the city of Winnipeg, where we have voices from all different perspectives."

Loney wants green projects to help with wastewater

Elsewhere, another mayoral candidate wants to see the City of Winnipeg emphasize green infrastructure to reduce the amount of wastewater flowing into the river system.

Shaun Loney said he wants to continue the city's current work on the combined-sewer overflow system, while also created eco-friendly ways to catch rainfall and snowmelt.

"Yeah, because Winnipeggers are really quite alarmed and disturbed to think that we're dumping so much raw sewage into our waterways. And I commend city council for, you know, having a strategy, Loney said. "We just think this is a more effective way of going about addressing the problem and addressing it sooner."

Loney used the example of a concrete parking lot — there's nothing to stop or soak up water when it lands. He said green infrastructure could mean anything from planting more trees to soak up water, to building water retention basins.

Loney said he'd use the city's existing green infrastructure funds built into the current budget to make this happen.

There are nine people running to be Winnipeg's next mayor. The civic election is Oct. 26.