Firefighters back Murray for mayor

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This article was published 10/07/2022 (802 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The firefighters union is supporting Glen Murray’s bid to once again become Winnipeg’s mayor.

Murray, who was mayor from 1998 to 2004, thanked the United Firefighters of Winnipeg for endorsing his campaign on Twitter Monday.

“I’m incredibly excited to announce the formal endorsement by the United Firefighters of Winnipeg for my candidacy for mayor. I will work in partnership with them to help make Winnipeg a safer city,” he tweeted.

The UFFW has endorsed many political candidates in the past, recently backing Heather Stefanson in her successful race to become Progressive Conservative leader, which also made her Manitoba’s premier.

On Monday, Murray released his five campaign priorities, which include making Winnipeg a “beautiful city in a state of good repair” by 2040. In a release, he said there would be fewer potholes and each neighbourhood would have infrastructure performance standards and reporting.

He wants the city to have “Canada’s leading innovation economy.” He also envisions the city becoming a leader in healthy communities and crime reduction, by shifting away from “reactive policing and helicopters,” in a reference to the city’s police chopper.

“By 2040, the city has led a community health revolution through local health centres and health outreach programs, leading a shift to community safety and dealing with local crime with neighbourhood-based strategies,” Murray’s vision says.

His plan calls for the restoration of funded neighbourhood housing plans and community development partnerships.

Murray said he wants to make the city prosperous and resilient by 2040.

If he is elected Oct. 26, he promises “to introduce a quick-start program for our first 100 days in office, and lay out the first of four, five-year planning targets. We will be more than 50 per cent of the way to our 20-year goals within 10 years.”

Meanwhile, former Point Douglas city councillor Mike Pagtakhan said he is endorsing Coun. Scott Gillingham’s mayoral bid.

Eleven people have announced they are running for mayor. In addition to Gillingham and Murray, candidates are: Jenny Motkaluk, Shaun Loney, Rana Bokhari, Rick Shone, Don Woodstock, Christopher Clacio, Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Idris Ademuyiwa Adelakun and Desmond Thomas.

Election day is Oct. 26.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca