Janine Gibson broke out into song when she learned she would be the new leader of the Manitoba Green Party Sunday afternoon.

Before belting out a rendition of “There Comes a Time” by Saskatchewan singer-songwriter Connie Kaldor, Gibson promised to build increased membership in the Green Party in her time as leader.

“I urge folks to stand up for involvement in the Green Party, to stand up as a candidate, to help find a candidate, to stand up for more membership in encouraging those you know, who share our values, put your values into action, join us by standing,” she said Sunday

Gibson is an agriculture consultant and long-time Green Party member who’s no stranger to politics — she has run for an MLA position four times and plans to run again in LaVerendrye this year.

“I am totally prepared to be big and bold and green, as I have known to be for my whole career,” she said.

The first runner-up was IT worker Dennis Bayomi, followed by third-place candidate Donovan McIntosh and Nicolas Geddert in fourth.

Gibson said she will appoint her three competitors into deputy leader and shadow minister positions, and all three will serve as MLA candidates in the upcoming provincial election: Bayomi in Kirkfield Park, McIntosh in Wolseley and Geddert in Elmwood.

Overall turnout for the election was 54 per cent.

Gibson is the first new leader for the party in 15 years. James Beddome took the position in 2008 and called finally leaving it “a little bittersweet.”

“But at the same time, after a few years, there is a time where it’s time to pass the torch on,” Beddome said Sunday.

Beddome announced he would be stepping down from the party leadership after his last term expired in fall 2022, saying he wanted to spend more time focusing on his personal life and work as a lawyer.

He said he will still remain in the party and volunteer during the upcoming provincial election.

Gibson said her first goal is to ensure the Green Party has 57 candidates in every electoral district in Manitoba in the upcoming provincial election.

Priorities for the new leader range from advocating for a universal living wage to working with leadership in northern and remote communities to promote environmental sustainability.

“I think Manitobans deserve that,” she said.

“We know that we have a lot of environmental impact activity across Manitoba and that citizens are concerned about what we’re doing to ensure they have their basic needs met, that includes clean water for all. And there are still far too many Manitobans that have issues with that.”

The Green Party has never had a seat in the Manitoba legislature, but grew under Beddome’s leadership, receiving 6 per cent of the vote in 2019’s election.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca