City restaurateur elected president of federal Liberals

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This article was published 11/05/2023 (1243 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A longtime Winnipeg businessman and restaurateur says it’s been “an absolute whirlwind” since being elected president of the national Liberal party at its weekend convention.

“We started a year ago. I’ve travelled across the country from coast to coast from Halifax to British Columbia and everywhere in between,” said Sachit Mehra.

“I’ve met with Canadians and Liberals across the country. I’m now the chief volunteer and the chief partisan for the party.”

The 46-year-old, who is known in these parts as part of the family which owns the East India Company Pub and Eatery here and in Ottawa, said he has been connected with the Liberal party for more than 32 years.

“I was 15, a kid in Winnipeg, in the late ’80s and early ’90s, when I first heard people in the party talk about inclusion and diversity. I remember thinking here is a bunch of people talking my language and my values.”

Soon, Mehra was president of the Manitoba Young Liberals and he went on to hold several executive positions within the Liberal party including president of the Manitoba Liberal Party.

“I’m pretty certain I’ve knocked on every door in Winnipeg at least once,” he said. “I’ve always engaged in the process.”

Mehra, married for 25 years and the father of two sons, has also been chairman of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, a member of the 2015 Grey Cup steering committee, community relations chair of the 2016 Canada Summer Games, and sponsorship chair of the International Downtown Association’s annual conference which was held here in 2017.

In 2014, Mehra stuck his toe in the water of civic politics, but ended up losing the election to Janice Lukes.

Local Liberal MPs were effusive in their praise of the new party leader.

“I’ve known the family for over 30 years,” Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid said. “Nobody works harder than Sachit… We are lucky to have him as our national president. He will be focused on the things that will get us elected.

“Sachit will make sure we are ready for the next election.”

Winnipeg North MP Kevin Lamoureux said, “I’m sure we will do exceptionally well under his leadership.

“He is full of energy. And having a president who understands Western Canada will help us.”

Kelly Saunders, an associate political science professor at Brandon University, said it is beneficial for the Liberal party to have Mehra as its president because “it is important a national party has a sense of the different areas of the country.

“It can’t hurt them and it will help them getting Manitoba and prairie issues brought forward.”

Mehra says his new position is voluntary and will last for two years, with the chance to run for another two years.

Mehra looks forward to helping the party grow in Western Canada, where the Conservative party is popular.

“I want to make sure the party is in the most ready state the party can be,” he said.

“Undoubtedly, I’m bringing a certain perspective. I’m the first president from Manitoba since Gil Molgat and the first from the west in decades. Having a western voice around the table is significant.

“It is important and I think it is a tremendous opportunity.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca