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As we embark on a new chapter as a city, Winnipeggers want a civic government that is united in rebuilding our economy, revitalizing our urban core, and renewing our pride. Achieving those goals will require innovative and thoughtful policy, backed by collaboration and determination.

In order to make sure that good ideas were being discussed in the mayoral campaign, The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce released its Performance Playbook in July, after extensive consultation with our members.

The Playbook includes five major priorities (below) and 28 supporting recommendations:

1. Make Winnipeg the easiest City to do business in Canada
2. Finance the new reality – Modernize revenue models and maintain a competitive tax structure
3. Reignite downtown
4. Build faster, smarter and denser – create diverse neighbourhoods with amenities close by
5. Get Winnipeg moving – modernize our transportation systems

Each mayoral candidate was sent a copy of the Playbook and we requested meetings with each of them to discuss your priorities and how they would work to achieve them, should they be elected mayor on October 26.

Discussions with each of the candidates who accepted our meeting request centred around the following questions:

• What is your vision for Winnipeg?
• What stood out to you in our Playbook?
• How would you make it easier to do business in Winnipeg?
• How will you create good relationships with City Councilors, as well as the provincial and federal governments?
• What will you do to enhance Winnipeg’s competitive position and address revenue challenges?
• Will you be a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion? What does that mean to you and for Winnipeg?
• What is your plan to address challenges regarding the movement of people and goods?
• How will you support the downtown and work to build partnerships with other municipalities in Winnipeg’s metro region?

One of the most important priorities identified by Winnipeg Chamber members is the state of our downtown, which took a hit during COVID and has yet to fully recover.

To bring focus to this issue, meetings that were accepted by mayoral candidates took place in and around the downtown area.

Ahead of our Mayoral Debate– The Future of Our City– on October 21, we will be sharing our conversations with mayoral candidates in the order of which we met with those who accepted our meeting request to help you make the most informed decision on voting day.

MAYORAL CANDIDATE BLOGS
(in order of which we met with each candidate)

• Rick Shone
• Jenny Motkaluk
• Glen Murray
• Scott Gillingham
• Robert-Falcon Ouellette
• Shaun Loney
• Kevin Klein
• Rana Bokhari
• Idris Adelakun
• Chris Clacio
• Don Woodstock

Read the full list of mayoral candidates participating in our debate as well as our full statement HERE.

October Luncheon: Mayoral Debate – The Future of our City
Friday, October 21, 2022  |  11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg