Two candidates for council in Elmwood-East Kildonan

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This article was published 29/09/2022 (817 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ELMWOOD-EAST KILDONAN

Two candidates have been nominated in the Elmwood-East Kildonan ward: Jason Schreyer (the incumbent) and Ryan Kochie.

Jason Schreyer (incumbent)

First elected in 2014, Jason Schreyer is looking for a third mandate to represent the ward that he and his family have called home for generations.

Jason Schreyer is running for re-election in Elmwood – East Kildonan ward,
“Both my kids have gone to school here, as did my wife who was raised here in the ward,” Schreyer said. “I walk every street of my ward, hand-delivering pamphlets and food seeds. We’ve had our car broken into, garage broken into, we live the life.”

The son of former Manitoba premier and Canadian governor general Ed Schreyer, Schreyer has lived across Canada, working behind the scenes at the municipal, provincial and federal level, among other jobs. The most pressing concern facing governments today, Schreyer believes, is construction inflation.

“Why has construction cost gone up 10 times higher than the incomes of everyone?” Schreyer said. “It’s not labour costs, we know that. What’s doing it? Every government and every politician, they need to be able to answer that question. And if we can’t, how can we solve other problems? It’s not the police budget that’s causing our problems. It’s construction inflation.”

With regard to his work in the ward, Schreyer said he is particularly proud of leveraging funds and working with the federal government to stabilize the eroding bank of the Red River, which was threatening the foundation of 404 Desalaberry Ave.

“I’m happy that we did that,” he said. “That building will last a long time and we saved that riverbank.”

Schreyer also points to his record of supporting local grassroots organizations, such as the Elmwood Bear Clan and the Glenelm Neighbourhood Association.

“When you look at my record, I have the privilege of helping allocate ward funding to these organizations,” he said.

Ryan Kochie

Ryan Kochie, a 35-year-old chef and father of four, is looking to make the jump from community organizing to civic politics.

Ryan Kochie is running for city council for Elmwood-East Kildonan.

“I want to get in touch with the community more, to support the community,” said Kochie, who runs the popular Parents of Winnipeg Facebook group. “I’m an average guy who works an average salary. I’m an animal lover, a parent. I want to help out the city and help out our ward.”

Supporting existing and co-ordinating more neighbourhood watches and community patrols would be a priority for Kochie if elected.

“I’ve had my garage broken into, my bike stolen,” he said. “There’s a lot of petty theft that’s hard to deal with, I’d like to tackle that more. Tools and bikes that are stolen, you can’t really track easily. There are things we can do about it.”

Making the city and its services accessible to residents is another of Kochie’s primary concerns.

“I’d like to see more focus on community gardens, active transportation, support cycling and public transport better in many ways,” he said. “Less cars on the road, people would be happier with less traffic. There’s a lot to be done to make the city accessible to the public. There are great programs that do a lot for the community and seniors, we need to support more of that in all of our communities.”

Visit Kochie’s Facebook page for more information.