13 candidates file papers to run for Winnipeg council seats on 1st day of registration

Thirteen candidates who hope to represent Winnipeg city council wards made their intentions official at the city clerk's office on Saturday, the first day candidates were able to register their campaigns.

That allows them to raise and spend money in the hopes of landing a seat on council on Oct. 24.

Flanked by their kids, friends and spouses, the first group that registered Saturday morning included some new faces like Michael Thompson, who works at a security firm and is the director of the Iron Man Outdoor Curling Bonspiel.

He is one of four who registered to run for the Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry ward that Coun. Jenny Gerbasi will leave open this fall after 20 years on council.

Past Manitoba Liberal Party president Peter Koroma was also among the first to register to run in the ward.

Winnipeg School Division chair Sherri Rollins soon followed, filing her papers to register to run in the ward.

Harry Wolbert also registered to run in Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry.

First-time city council candidate Nancy Cooke, who registered to run in the St. Norbert-Seine River ward, showed up outside city hall with a throng of supporters who held signs.

Cooke was a campaign director for the provincial Progressive Conservatives in 2015 and has taken a leave of absence from her work as special assistant to the minister of infrastructure.

The Social Planning Council's Josh Brandon is also making a council run, hoping to unseat incumbent Cindy Gilroy in the Daniel McIntyre ward, where he has long been an anti-poverty and community advocate.

Miah Sarowar also registered to run in Daniel McIntyre.

Gilroy and several other incumbent candidates registered their campaigns Saturday, including Janice Lukes (South Winnipeg-St. Norbert), who registered her campaign in the newly created Waverley West ward.

Matt Allard will seek re-election in St. Boniface, as will Brian Mayes in St. Vital.

The newly expanded St. James ward will see a race between two incumbent councillors — Scott Gillingham (St. James-Brooklands) will face Shawn Dobson, whose current ward, St. Charles, will be wiped off the electoral map in October due to boundary changes.

The 13 registered council candidates join seven candidates registered to run for mayor.

Registered candidates for council still need to secure 25 nominations from voters in the ward they hope to represent. Mayoral candidates require 250 signatures.

The registration period closes until Sept. 18 at 4:30 p.m.

Here is the full list of candidates who had registered campaigns as of the end of day Saturday:​

DANIEL MCINTYRE

• Josh Brandon.
• Cindy Gilroy.
• Miah Sarowar.

​FORT ROUGE-EAST FORT GARRY

• Peter Koroma.
• Harry Wolbert.
• Sherri Rollins.
• Michael Thompson.

ST. BONIFACE

• Matt Allard.

ST. JAMES-BROOKLANDS

• Scott Gillingham.
• ​Shawn Dobson.

ST. NORBERT-SEINE RIVER

• Nancy Cooke.

ST. VITAL

• Brian Mayes.

WAVERLEY WEST

• Janice Lukes.