Regina Votes: Jim Elliott's platform aims to address racism, environment
Elliot is one of five candidates running to be the city's mayor
CBC Radio's The Morning Edition is speaking with all five mayoral candidates in Regina this week. Today's candidate is Jim Elliott. He is one of five candidates running for the office of mayor.
Elliott previously ran for mayor in 2012 and is running again this time around.
If elected, one of the things he plans to address is racism and marginalization in the city. The chair of the police commission is the avenue he wants to use, but first the culture needs to change, Elliott said.
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Chair of the police commission
"That's one area where I think we need to change the culture of that institution and be a little more involving, a little more engaged in the community," he said.
"Hopefully, we'll get away from the stereotypical thing around carding and profiling of individuals on the street."
Elliott mentioned the case of Simon Ash-Moccasin, who claims he was racially profiled by Regina police when he was stopped and detained in 2014.
"He was approached by the police and was expected to be a criminal in some respects when, in fact, he didn't fit the profile of even who they were suspecting to be the person in that neighbourhood," Elliott added.
He said he would like to get to know the officers of the police service as well.
Elliott entertained the idea of potentially having a police accountability council, instead of just the police commission.
Developing a better community relationship
"A lot of people don't know what the Indigenous community is," he said of Regina.
Elliott thinks people in Regina could get more involved in community events.
He added he was at an event in the North Central neighbourhood recently and it was almost exclusively First Nations people at the event.
Elliott also advocates bringing more culture into council meetings.
"At the recent discussion last night around [the Regina Indian Industrial school] cemetery and all that, I think this is the first time I'd been to a council meeting where they even acknowledged that we were on Treaty 4 land."
Other platforms
Elliott also wants to address environmentalism and business in the city.
"I guess the aspect of environmentalism or activism, I don't see that necessarily as a problem either," Elliott said of his platforms reaching a broader audience and gaining a wider appeal.
"That's always been my way, getting out in the community, talking to people and listening to people," Elliott said.
When it comes to business, he said he does not necessarily have a problem with businesses.
His issue is with how some businesses conduct themselves.
He said he'd like to see businesses attempt to be more sustainable, environmentally friendly, socially conscious and have more community participation beyond simply selling goods to the community.