Keeping up with Kinew The Free Press spends a busy December Friday with Manitoba’s new premier, who is up long before the sun — although he’s not happy about it — and ends his last meeting of the day after it sets By: Maggie Macintosh Posted: 1:45 PM CST Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023

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This article was published 20/12/2023 (956 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Wab Kinew is many things — a historic Ojibwa leader, a father of three and a regular in the McDonald’s drive-thru at Portage Avenue and Sherbrook Street, where he is known to order a Sausage McMuffin combo, including a large coffee with two creams and one sugar.

One thing he is not is an early morning person.

When the Free Press put in a request to follow the premier for a day, his press secretary was skeptical about the prospect of a reporter and photographer arriving at his house while it was still dark outside.

Kinew is at his best after 9 a.m., and all senior staffers are warned of that reality, says Emily Coutts, a veteran communications officer for the Manitoba NDP.

Asked to weigh-in on those observations, the government leader lets out an infectious belly laugh.

It’s a rare moment during his rush-hour commute to work on a recent Friday that is otherwise silent, save for small talk with his driver and staff about the previous night’s NFL game and season. (He’s a Kansas City Chiefs fan and, for the record, supportive of tight end Travis Kelce’s budding relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift.)

“That is accurate; I’m not a morning person,” the 41-year-old says, after collecting himself en route to his first meeting of the day scheduled for 8:30 a.m. “But I’ve been a parent for more than 18 years so I’ve long since accepted that early mornings are a part of my life.”

Just over two months into his new job, Kinew is settling into his new title, desk and designated seat in an unmarked SUV that transports him to and from work and related events — with the assistance of specialized RCMP officers.

Manitoba’s 25th premier is getting accustomed to long days filled with meetings and long-standing traditions — for instance, the curious practice of leaders hanging paintings of fish in their office.

A behind-the-scenes look at Kinew’s government, as experienced on Friday, Dec. 15, also reveals how he intends to make his personal mark on the Manitoba Legislative Building.

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Before sunrise: Despite his late chronotype, the premier wakes up early to pray “in the old way” with sweetgrass and sage. He then drinks a cup of coffee, reads the news of the day and gets ready for a morning run around his neighbourhood in central Winnipeg.

“I’m not very fast or very serious about it; I just need to get exercise before I do anything else,” he says.

It’s a quieter-than-usual morning, since his five-year-old son slept over at his grandmother’s (Kinew’s mom, who often helps with child care) because the premier and his wife, Dr. Lisa Monkman, hosted the NDP caucus’s annual holiday party at their home the night before.

His two older sons from a previous relationship, who are in Grade 11 and university, are self-sufficient.

The family moved from the Notre Dame constituency area to Crescentwood in 2017 so the then-rookie MLA could live in his Fort Rouge electoral district. The following year, the boundaries were adjusted ever so slightly to exclude their property; the premier and his family are represented in the legislature by new NDP MLA Mike Moroz.

8:10 a.m. The premier swings his front door shut, walks past his festive ornament-adorned lawn and greets his bodyguard, who swiftly escorts him to the Chevrolet Suburban parked nearby.

Established protocols require Kinew to always enter and exit via the right side of the SUV, sitting directly behind the RCMP officer tasked with ensuring the premier’s safety. The vehicle is stocked with water bottles, tissues, hand sanitizer, his favourite protein bars, a pack of gum and a stain-remover pen.

8:17 a.m. The driver pulls up to a speaker outside McDonald’s and orders the premier’s usual breakfast so he can eat on the final stretch of the ride to work at 450 Broadway. Kinew uses Apple Pay and waves at the cashier through a tinted window.

8:24 a.m. The premier arrives at the Manitoba legislature, where his entourage bypasses security and the metal detector. Kinew makes his way to Room 204, his oak-panelled office overlooking the front lawn, and says hello to every public servant he passes on the way up.

8:31 a.m. The first meeting of the day is with chief of staff Mark Rosner and Sarah Thiele, clerk of executive council and cabinet secretary. The daily conference, along with the next two on today’s schedule, are “topic secret,” so a reporter is locked out.

Over the next half-hour, Kinew is briefed on high-level issues of both a partisan and nonpartisan nature around the conference table in his private boardroom area.

On the table is a full fruit bowl and miniature Métis Red River Cart, a symbol of entrepreneurial spirit.

The premier’s personal quarters are decorated with a buffalo skull — a personal treasure from a sacred midsummer Sundance — and pair of rosary beads that belonged to his late father, who was a respected Anishinaabe elder and university educator.

The latter, a reminder that he is the son of a residential school survivor, have been blessed by the Pope on two occasions.

A poster from Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, an appliqué portrait of the premier and his wife on their traditional wedding day in 2014 — a gift from his cousin — and Manitoba-made paintings belonging to the building’s archives adorn the walls.

There are three photos on his desk, one of each son, along with a name plate bearing the words, “BEST DAD EVER.”

Kinew also displays a portrait of former Thompson MLA Danielle Adams on a stand, beside a dried boutonnière he wore at the NDP memorial service for the young mother who died in a 2021 collision with a semi-trailer on a remote stretch of Highway 6.

9:05 a.m. Next up is a meeting among senior political staffers to discuss the upcoming calendar, recap the latest media coverage and talk about, as Kinew puts it: “News that isn’t news yet.”

The wooden door to the room is shut to keep their conversation confidential, but the participants’ loud laughter penetrates the partition. The administrative employees who staff the adjacent reception area say intermittent giggling from the boardroom provides background noise throughout the week.

Seeon Smith, one of Kinew’s two special assistants, says his “big jokester” boss is responsible.

“This job is pretty serious, but he likes to bring a little levity to it every now and again to keep staff from getting too locked-in,” Smith says.

9:40 a.m. Bernadette Smith, minister of housing, addictions and homelessness, enters Room 204 to meet Kinew for their monthly check-in on her multidisciplinary file.

10:02 a.m. After 90 minutes of meetings, the premier heads out for a field trip.

10:20 a.m. Kinew gets dropped off at a Canada Goose factory in Inkster Industrial Park to tour the local winter coat manufacturer’s production lines.

Heads turn as the premier walks through the warehouse, passing hundreds of stations where sewing machine operators, material handlers and laminators are at work.

Following a loop, during which a guide breaks down the company’s production capacity and touts an in-house training program equipping newcomer employees with English lessons, Kinew sews a logo patch onto a scrap of fabric for a photo-op.

A crowd of 400 employees gathers around to watch the NDP leader program a state-of-the-art device to complete the task.

“Hello Canada Goose!” Kinew says, beginning an impromptu speech on the factory floor that is instantly met with shrieks of enthusiasm reminiscent of a concert stadium packed with die-hard fans.

The shift workers erupt in cheers when the premier declares his respect for “the working people of Manitoba,” reiterates his party’s promise to improve health care, and offers well wishes for the holiday season. Their collective volume reaches a crescendo when he reminds them the provincial tax gas will be slashed by 14 cents per litre on Jan. 1.

“That was a big surprise,” says Xiaoyan Tong, a streamstress who was giddy after successfully snapping a photo with Kinew when a swarm of selfie-seekers formed after the speech. “He smiles so kind; I like his smile.”

11:02 a.m. On the drive back to the legislature, the premier’s SUV passes Jeanne’s Bakery, a Notre Dame Avenue institution known for its traditional cakes made with a shortbread cookie bottom. Kinew refuses to weigh in on the desserts that are equally beloved and detested across the city. Is he a fan? “I can neither confirm nor deny,” is the response.

11:12 a.m. The premier returns to the legislature to shake hands with members of the Portuguese War Veterans Association of Manitoba and snap a group photo on the Grand Staircase.

11:16 a.m. Kinew finds two folders on his desk, one of which is red and labelled “RUSH/URGENT.”

He opens it, takes out a black pen and signs a typed letter addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; the memo applauds Canada’s vote for a ceasefire in the Middle East and calls on Ottawa to welcome refugees from the region.

11:21 a.m. Seeon Smith brings his boss his go-to lunch from Black Market Provisions on Osborne Street South.

Kinew eats his hearty $16 salad of mixed greens with goat cheese, cranberries, herbed chicken breast, red onion, seeds and apple cider vinaigrette, while catching up on texts.

Containers of “The Good Salad” are ordered in bulk and kept in the fridge so he can eat the ready-to-go meal upon request.

11:35 a.m. The premier takes a trip down the hallway to a reception room where a group of more than 50 high school students are putting questions to Health Minister and deputy premier Uzoma Asagwara. He joins in to answer queries about his government’s priorities.

Kinew later invites the students, who are visiting from Beausejour, into his office to snap photos of themselves in his armchair.

Teacher Steve Axworthy says he hopes the teenagers are leaving with a better understanding of the provincial government and how interesting it can be.

“And that there are people inside of the government who actually care and will listen to them,” he says.

12:17 p.m. The smell of hand sanitizer fills the inside of the SUV; Kinew has completed dozens of handshakes already today. Smith then hands him a radio advertising script to review en route to his next stop in St. Vital.

12:26 p.m. The SUV driver parks in front of CHVN 95.1 FM’s studios on St. Mary’s Road. It takes less than 10 minutes for Kinew, a former broadcaster, to record a holiday-themed radio ad that will air on CHVN and its five Manitoba sibling stations in Western Canada’s Golden West broadcasting chain.

12:50 p.m. Back in his office once again, the premier resumes lunch and opens a container of COW Chips (chocolate-covered potato chips) — a recent gift from Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King. He turns on CBC News Network as he awaits a 1 p.m. meeting.

1 p.m. An afternoon check-in with Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine is rescheduled when her team informs his that another meeting was taking longer than anticipated.

1:29 p.m. Kinew’s inner circle of staffers gets together in his office for an informal end-of-year celebration. He gifts each of his colleagues a colourful Yeti cooler.

Asked about his gift choice, the outdoorsman says: “That’s what I would want to get.”

2:09 p.m. While making his way to his next calendar item, the premier runs into Grand Chief Jerry Daniels of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization. The leaders’ teams exchange pleasantries on a staircase inside the Legislative Building.

2:11 p.m. Public servants welcome Kinew to Manitoba Indigenous Reconciliation’s Christmas party. He is greeted with a ticket for the department’s raffle prizes, many of which were donated by a staffer who runs a beaded jewelry business, Aniwind Designs.

“People might think it’s rigged if you win, but that’s OK,” one staffer says, followed by a chuckle.

He’s an esteemed guest — not only because he’s the premier, but because he appointed himself to a cabinet position responsible for Indigenous reconciliation.

Over the next 45 minutes, Kinew mingles with bureaucrats, snacks on some buffet treats and competes in some wholesome holiday games. The “Reindeer Scramble” requires he put a red solo cup on either hand to mimic hooves and attempt to gather as many colourful pompoms as possible in 30 seconds.

During his umpteenth speech of the day, he thanks the partygoers for their professionalism, expertise and dedication, and teases “great things” ahead under the new government.

“But we want to first have a really good culture in the workplace across the civil service; it starts with showing our appreciation, so thank you so much,” says the premier, who is fluent in English, French and Anishinaabemowin.

“Merry Christmas. Happy holidays. Mino-Gichi-Anama’egiizhigan (Merry Christmas)!”

2:57 p.m. The premier retreats downstairs to Room 204 and takes a moment to catch-up on text messages — one of which is a panicked message from his 16-year-old.

“Because we cleaned up the house for the party we had yesterday, he can’t find his basketball shoes so I’m trying to help with troubleshooting,” Kinew says.

3:01 p.m. Coutts slips into her boss’s office and closes the door to have a private conversation.

3:10 p.m.Kinew signs a constituency expense sheet, approving a combined payment of $97.62 on cleaning supplies, envelopes and printer paper.

3:11 p.m. The premier puts his large coffee — the same one he’s been nursing since the morning drive-thru — into the microwave to reheat it.

Meantime, special assistant Smith, whose job is to keep track of Kinew’s calendar, notes they are a few minutes behind schedule for the first time today. This realization prompts the premier to accept a lukewarm cup of java and rush outside to the SUV, but not before waving goodbye to all his staff before the weekend.

3:32 p.m. Kinew’s driver pulls into the Christmas Cheer Board’s parking lot off Century Street in St. James.

Volunteers welcome the premier back to the warehouse and give him a quick tour. He then records a promotional video for social media to encourage Manitobans to donate to the charity, before setting off to deliver hampers in the SUV.

3:55 p.m. Following the last delivery of presents and non-perishables, Kinew and his bodyguard share a laugh.

As they walk away from the West End house, they hear one of the hamper recipients exclaim, “HOLY S—T!” The family clearly was not expecting a delivery from the premier.

“That was priceless,” his bodyguard says.

3:59 p.m. The premier asks his driver to turn up the volume of the radio on the way to his final meeting of the day at The Forks. His staff know to keep the dial turned to QX104 FM – Country.

Kinew taps his business-casual sneakers to Zac Brown Band’s Chicken Fried and quietly sings along to the chorus.

4:16 p.m. A trio of Punjabi community leaders is already seated when Kinew arrives for their discussion about the government’s relationship with their local and international ethnocultural community.

Lawyer Sukhjit Bhandal, Dr. Parmvir Chohan and hotel owner Bob Thind all congratulate the NDP leader on his win and growing popularity in public opinion polls.

“Well, you know, my dad would always say, if it was 57 per cent… ‘What happened to the other 43 per cent?’” the premier says, eliciting chuckles from the other side of the table.

Chohan replies, “We come from the same household.”

Although Kinew accepted an invitation to meet the group at Smith restaurant inside the Inn at the Forks, he is saving his appetite for a dinner date. He and his wife have plans to meet friends at Vida Cucina Italia at the Fort Garry Hotel to celebrate a busy week.

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Before the election campaign got underway, Kinew drove himself to work and often showed up to events alone.

One of the biggest changes now in his daily life, as the inaugural First Nations politician to lead Manitoba, is that he’s always surrounded by an entourage headed by a bodyguard who wears an earpiece and bullet-proof vest.

“There are a lot of pinch-me moments,” the premier says, recalling both the earlier chaos at Canada Goose and his discussions with Beausejour teens about his goals to better the place they call home.

“Sometimes, it feels like we broke the space-time continuum, like this is some different reality.… This is the best possible scenario in the multiverse.”

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca