Four mayoral candidates gone from race

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Judy Wasylycia-Leis (DAVID LIPNOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES) Photo Store

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Sam Katz (DAVID LIPNOWSKI / FREE PRESS ARCHIVES)

Some of Winnipeg's long-shot mayoral candidates now have no shot at all.

After a tense scramble Tuesday that saw several candidates troll the downtown for last-minute nomination signatures, four were disqualified -- Avery Petrowski, Nancy Thomas, Ed Ackerman and Ron Dyck.

Ackerman, a filmmaker, challenged his disqualification well into the evening, retiring into the bowels of the clerk's office with chief returning officer Marc Lemoine to go over each name on his forms. Ackerman was short at least 80 signatures.

Mayoral candidates needed at least 250 signatures from registered voters in order to get on the ballot, and the deadline to submit nomination papers was 4:30 p.m.

Council candidates need only 25 signatures and every one of the 51 candidates made the cut.

Petrowski, a young West Broadway resident, was short about 70 signatures, in part because he canvassed students who likely aren't on the voters' list. He was philosophical about the disappointment.

"My target audience was people who don't normally vote. It highlights the exact reason I decided to do this," he said. "I'm not done."

Others, including Nancy Thomas and candidate Rav Gill, arrived early in the afternoon to drop off their papers and raced out for more signatures when dozens were disqualified. Gill squeaked in but Thomas did not.

"It's not like not making it on American Idol," said Gill, who canvassed for signatures in some condo buildings on Bannatyne Avenue. "But it was a little nerve-wracking."

The last-minute disqualifications reduce the mayoral field to four candidates -- Gill, Brad Gross, Sam Katz and Judy Wasylycia-Leis.

None of council's 12 incumbents -- Katz and 11 councillors -- will run unopposed. That means there will be no acclamations in Winnipeg for two straight elections.

On Wednesday evening, city election officials will hold a lottery to determine the order candidates will appear on the Oct. 27 ballot.

maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca

Big-name support

Candidates filed their nomination papers Tuesday. Here are some well-known Winnipeggers who signed them.

MAYOR

Judy Wasylycia-Leis:

Kristine Barr, school trustee

Linda Asper, former NDP cabinet minister

Wayne Helgason, head of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg

Jean Friesen, former NDP cabinet minister

Sandi Mowat, nurses' union president

Sonia Kowalewich, former head of the provincial NDP

Mike Davidson, CUPE Local 500 president

Muriel Smith, former NDP cabinet minister -- Liam Martin, NDP organizer

Rebecca Blaikie, NDP organizer

Marianne Cerilli, former NDP MLA and mayoral candidate

Fred Morris, frequent candidate and civic affairs gadfly

Sam Katz:

Gord McNaught, owner of McNaught Motors

Scott Taylor, former Free Press sports columnist

Alex Forrest, president of the firefighters' union

Jackie Sneesby, school trustee

Trevor Sprague, former Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce chair and one-time Alliance candidate

Ken Lee, Conservative party treasurer

Brent Olynyk, former provincial Tory candidate

Jeff Browaty, councillor for North Kildonan

Dale Smeltz, former provincial Conservative party president

Heather Stefanson, Tory MLA

COUNCIL CANDIDATES

St. Charles

Grant Nordman: Kelly de Groot, provincial Tory candidate

St. James-Brooklands

Deanne Crothers: Former Manitoba Federation of Labour president Rob Hilliard, NDP-endorsed Daniel McIntyre candidate Keith Bellamy

River Heights-Fort Garry

John Orlikow: Liberal MP Anita Neville, school trustee Jackie Sneesby, Liberal candidate Paul Hesse, NDP strategist Leslie Turnbull

St. Norbert

Louise May: Former NDP cabinet minister Linda Asper

Justin Swandel: Tory MP Rod Bruinooge

Mynarski

Jenny Motkaluk: Trevor Sprague, former Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce chair and one-time Alliance candidate

Ross Eadie: Ron Wasylycia-Leis

Old Kildonan

Devi Sharma: Coun. Mike O'Shaughnessy

St. Boniface

Dan Vandal: Couns. Harvey Smith and John Orlikow

Daniel McIntyre

Keith Bellamy: Justice Minister Andrew Swan, former NDP cabinet minister Jean Friesen

Cindy Gilroy-Price: Ernie Gilroy, former Glenn Murray adviser, now head of the Floodway Authority

Point Douglas

Mike Pagtakhan: Liberal MLA Kevin Lamoureux

Charleswood

Paula Havixbeck: Tory MLA Heather Stefanson, David Filmon

Number of confirmed council candidates: 51

Number of women candidates: 11

Number whose nomination papers were rejected: 4

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 22, 2010 B2