Election June 22 2004
While he decides whether or not he wants to run policy for Sam Katz (who knew that the People's Mayor was a true blue Tory?) Hugh McFadyen, no longer content being an eminence gris, tries to put a final nail into the coffin of Glen Murray and the New Deal. (Funny that the WFP never mentions the years that Hugh spent working for Gary Filmon.)
He has already hired Ryan Craig, a 29-year-old former Conservative political aide, to work as his chief of staff. Katz is also trying to hire lawyer and Tory party organizer Hugh McFadyen to his staff. McFadyen -- who helped organize Katz's mayoral campaign and worked on Belinda Stronach's recent federal Conservative leadership bid -- said his role with the new mayor remains "up in the air" for now.
The Winnipeg Real Estate Board all but declares victory in the recent civic elections. All of the new politicians elected this week are signatories to their Quality of Life Pledge. "We must grow the supply of housing--including choices about design, cost and location." These same politicians will stand in judgement on Waverley West this fall. Are they free to vote anyway else but in support of Waverley West? Is Waverley West now a done deal. as Cliff King alludes?
Katz takes charge
Grand slam for Sam
Sam Katz Rookie mayor in fishbowl
Winnipeg Sun June 23 2004 Goldeyes owner wins mayoralty
Winnipeg Sun June 22 2004 We're down to Katz and Vandal
Cliff King, president of the Winnipeg Real Estate Board, said his organization supported Katz's promise to streamline the development process and make more land available for development.
There was no mention, for example, of the Waverley West subdivision proposal, an indication, perhaps, that he now knows what it is but is not sure yet what he thinks about it.
In the next few weeks, Katz will likely field tough questions on everything from what kind of larvicide city staff use to kill mosquitoes to more theoretical urban planning questions raised by the proposed Waverley West subdivision.
It was painfully clear, however, from the first day of his last-minute entry into the race (fully 20 days into the 41-day campaign) that Sam Katz also has a weak grasp of the many elements to city business -- Waverley West? What's that? -- and the magnitude of the mayor's job.
Morrison is an instrument technician in the city's water and waste department. He also ran in the 1998 mayor's race. Morrison wanted to dissolve power in the mayor's office by changing the makeup of the executive policy committee every six months. He also wanted to help control city sprawl by ditching plans for a new subdivision called Waverley West.
EIGHT losers are licking their wounds today but one thing they can take comfort in is knowing they're in good company.
Former provincial cabinet minister MaryAnn Mihychuk and two former city councillors -- Garth Steek and Dan Vandal -- vacated their seats to vie for the position of mayor and lost.
Bob Silver, chairman of Destination Winnipeg, (and co-owner of the Free Press) was clearly pleased with Katz's win.
"He's a friend of mine," Silver said. "This is going to be very interesting."
In separate conversations, he and Stew Duncan, Destination Winnipeg's CEO, both spoke about how Katz's interests in growing the economy, increasing tourism, and improving the attitude and image of the city mirror the goals of Destination Winnipeg.
In a telephone interview from Green Bay, Wis., Arni Thorsteinson, president of Winnipeg-based Shelter Canadian Properties, said, "I was delighted to hear that Sam won. He has a great love and understanding of the city and that is an important thing. He does have great marketing and promotion abilities and that's what being mayor is all about."
2004 Federal Election Results