Ex-director of cultural centre set to be Liberal candidate
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/02/2025 (408 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Ginette Lavack knows she has big shoes to fill.
She’s the only candidate to seek the Liberal nomination for the Saint Boniface-Saint Vital riding in Winnipeg, to replace the sitting MP, Dan Vandal, who announced months ago he won’t run again.
Lavack resigned as director of Centre culturel franco-manitobain, this week. While Lavack isn’t the official candidate, nominations have closed and all that’s left is to have an official meeting to confirm Lavack as the candidate.
“I’m excited,” Lavack, 50, said on Friday. “I really appreciate everything Dan has done for our community. I’ve worked with him for the last few years. I look forward to working in that same way for our community.”
As for Vandal, he calls Lavack “a very strong candidate (who) has worked hard in the community.”
Last month, the NDP chose Thomas Linner, the former provincial director of the Manitoba Health Coalition, to carry its standard in the riding. The Conservative party has yet to choose a candidate while the People’s Party of Canada’s candidate is Gilles Pelletier, an entrepreneur.
The riding has been mainly a century-long Liberal stronghold. The former Progressive Conservative party and the Conservative Party of Canada defeated the Grits just five times in the 29 elections held since 1925.
Lavack was the centre’s director for seven years and before that she helmed the Festival du Voyageur for seven years, starting in 2010.
She was married to Kevin Walters, who organized major events including the Grey Cup, Juno Awards, and Manitoba Homecoming 2010. He died in 2014.
Lavack said she thought about taking a leave of absence from her job, but decided it was better for the organization if she made a clean break.
“We don’t know when an election will be,” she said. “I did feel I was putting the (centre) in an awkward position. This frees them up to look for a candidate — that perfect person.
“I really want to give the election process my full attention.”
An election will be held this year.
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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