River Heights-Fort Garry councillor back at city hall after three-month medical leave

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/10/2023 (1074 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Coun. John Orlikow is returning to city hall after taking a leave of absence for medical reasons in late July.

On Wednesday, Orlikow attended a city centre community committee meeting. In an interview, he confirmed he will also be at Thursday’s council meeting, his first since the leave began.

“I’m back (basically) full time. I still have more tests to do, I’m still working on my health in other areas, so there are times I will need to take days off here and there,” he said.

While the River Heights-Fort Garry councillor did not detail the reasons for his leave when it was announced on July 28, he now says it was due to a sudden hike in blood pressure.

“The blood pressure was just popping out the roof, so it was having a real impact on my brain and my eyesight and everything else, so we had to get that under control,” he said.

Orlikow said he also experienced severe headaches and struggled with staying awake during his worst days.

“You’re so tired, exhausted, you can’t walk, you can’t even get outside the house much, so that was just horrible. I wasn’t in the shape that I could be a decision-maker at that time but now I (am) feeling good,” he said.

Orlikow said changes in medication, diet and exercise have since helped him feel much better, though he will need to continue to focus more on his health than in the past.

The councillor also noted he did not stay away from city hall completely throughout his leave but came to work intermittently to address key ward issues. He said he’s now keen to return on a regular basis.

“People elected me to do a job and I take that as an honour, and also a duty, so I have to go back,” he said.

The councillor, who stepped down from being a member of the executive policy committee and leading the community services committee in July, indicated he doesn’t expect to return to EPC anytime soon.

“I think I can still contribute quite well as a non-EPC member… I’d prefer to have another year, at least, not to be on EPC again. I really enjoy the ward (work),” said Orlikow.

But he said he would consider it sooner, if the mayor asked him to do so.

Orlikow’s departure followed a July 7 judge’s ruling that blamed him for directing city staff to deliberately delay progress on a proposal to develop the former Parker lands. His office promptly stated the leave was not related to that legal ruling.

Orlikow was not a defendant in the case and has told media he was “quite shocked” by the judge’s conclusion and would take steps to clear his name.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X: @joyanne_pursaga