From politics to boy band? Outgoing mayor Bowman cheeky about what comes next By: Joyanne Pursaga Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Tuesday, Sep. 27, 2022

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Brian Bowman has no intention of hitting the road.

But Winnipeg’s outgoing mayor won’t be pinned down on what’s in store for him after the Oct. 26 election.

“I love Winnipeg. My expectation is I’ll continue to reside here and be there to support the next mayor and council. I want them to be successful. I will continue to look for opportunities to contribute to community and community building,” said Bowman, who has spent two terms leading council.

During a wide-ranging interview to mark his upcoming departure, the politician joked his next job would explore his musical talents.

“My plan right now, I’ve had dialogue with retired mayors (Naheed) Nenshi (Calgary), Don Iveson (Edmonton), and Gregor Robertson (Vancouver) about forming a retired mayor’s boy band,” he quipped.

Bowman, who was a privacy lawyer before getting into politics, called his career path “a topic for another day.”

While he stopped short of ruling out the idea, he said he has no plan to run for provincial, federal or municipal office. He dismissed speculation he was poised for a Senate seat, ambassador appointment or other similar position as mere “rumours.”

He shied away from declaring what he deems his greatest accomplishment, stating Winnipeggers are best suited to judge his record. He did note he’s proud of his work to advance reconciliation and human rights, repair roads and secure funding for the first phases of North End sewage treatment plant upgrades.

“I would have liked to see our community be more effective at ending homelessness.”

He also challenged the next mayor to complete a civil suit, launched by the city in 2020, over the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters construction project. The budget infamously soared to $214 million from about $135 million, while an audit found it was severely mismanaged.

“I don’t think Winnipeggers should assume that the next mayor and council will be committed to seeing that to its conclusion. I am really worried that it will go away,” said Bowman, noting the price of the legal battle has hit millions of dollars.

Since the province hasn’t granted the city’s request to call a public inquiry into the headquarters project, Bowman says the court case is the “only hope” to ensure accountability and potentially reclaim millions of dollars in damages.

“We’ve come so far. What I’m worried about is the next mayor and council are going to go back, not just on the legal action but on the broader issue of restoring trust and confidence to municipal government. There is a cost to that,” he said.

When asked what has been the most frustrating challenge he experienced in office, Bowman said he’s disappointed homelessness remains so prevalent in Winnipeg.

“I would have liked to see our community be more effective at ending homelessness. I think the outcomes shouldn’t give anybody a sense of accomplishment… In a country as wealthy as Canada, we shouldn’t have as many people affected by homelessness in Canadian cities like Winnipeg. That is something that I’m saddened that we don’t see the outcomes I think we all desire,” said Bowman.

Since health, social services and housing fall primarily under the jurisdiction of other governments, he stressed the city alone can’t solve the problem.

Of course, Bowman, who was born and raised in Winnipeg, would have preferred to reopen Portage Avenue and Main Street to pedestrians, something he promised not to pursue after 65 per cent of voters rejected the idea in a non-binding plebiscite in 2018. He said there was a lack of support on council to achieve that goal during his first mandate, from 2014 to 2018.

“The reality was we didn’t have the support of council in (my) first term. The overwhelming majority of members of council opposed that idea. There are some votes you win and some you lose,” he said.

Meanwhile, amid concerns online attacks against politicians could be deterring potential candidates from entering politics, Bowman confirmed he has been subjected to threats.

Mean Tweets: Last Call#meantweets #Winnipeg pic.twitter.com/yjwJ6dUQTf

— Brian Bowman (@BrianTDBowman) September 23, 2022

“There is a toxicity in modern-day politics, certainly online. I’ve tried to make light of that in (my videos about) mean tweets… We’ve certainly had our share of threats over the years and intimidation. But I would still encourage folks to enter public life. You can make a positive difference,” he said.

He said he has received death threats during his time in office, which he did not elaborate on, but still felt safe and considers the overall experience positive.

Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga