New councillors can bring new approach

Winnipeg city councillors John Orlikow (River Heights – Fort Garry), Janice Lukes (Waverley West), Brian Mayes (St. Vital), and Markus Chambers (St. Norbert — Seine River) recently announced they will not seek re-election on Oct. 28.

That guarantees new faces around the council table. It does not guarantee a new council culture and direction.

Four new councillors represent one quarter of the 16-member council chamber. They will vote on whether Winnipeg modernizes permitting, improves public safety, attracts investment and creates a more competitive business environment.

New councillors can open the door to new conversations, but only if they arrive at the door ready to think beyond ward boundaries and the next controversy. Only if they see a modern city council for what it is: the governing body of a multi-billion-dollar organization responsible for setting policy and providing direction to a professional administration that carries it out.

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce recently released its 2026 civic election platform, The City We Build, containing 28 recommendations developed through member surveys, sector consultations, and the work of our civic election committee.

Together, they lay out what Winnipeg’s business community is looking for from the next mayor and council.

Among the most urgent priorities is a city council that treats economic growth as a fundamental part of its job.

Imagine you left Winnipeg for a career opportunity and are now considering coming home to start a business. That decision could bring jobs, investment, and new life to a neighbourhood. But when you compare Winnipeg with other cities, you find unclear requirements, paper-based processes, and months of uncertainty.

Will sentiment alone bring you home?

Winnipeg needs candidates who will build a culture of customer satisfaction at city hall. Permit applications should be online and easy to track. Businesses should receive early notice of fee changes and disruptions. Regulations should protect the public without making investment needlessly difficult. Construction cannot be an entire season in Winnipeg, upending your business to the point of closure.

Economic growth shouldn’t be separate from public services. It’s how we pay for them. Top among those services is public safety. Businesses tell us stories of staff being followed, owners installing panic buttons and customers avoiding areas where they no longer feel secure. Some have closed their doors altogether.

Financial risk is part of doing business in Winnipeg or anywhere; constant and prolonged risk to personal safety should not be.

The next council must help create streets and neighbourhoods that feel open, vibrant, and welcoming to foot traffic. That means effective and sustained policing where it is needed, along with expanded partnerships that match people in crisis with the right response, including the Downtown Community Safety Partnership and the Alternative Response to Citizens in Crisis program.

The next council must also look beyond city hall. Winnipeg cannot solve every challenge alone, especially as infrastructure ages and demands on municipal services grow.

The West Lands development near Winnipeg’s airport shows what becomes possible when government and industry align. Federal and provincial funding, combined with investment from Winnipeg Airports Authority, is supporting a $32 million first phase to unlock runway-accessible land for aerospace, defence, and advance manufacturing.

Not every solution requires $32 million. During the pandemic, the city moved quickly to simplify parking-lot patio approvals and support new uses of public space. There is a lot about that period we’re trying to forget, but this spirit is something the right candidate will remember.

None of this removes the need for transparency. Residents and businesses deserve to know where their tax dollars are going, but also what they’re achieving. City budgets should include clear performance measures so council and the public can judge whether service levels match the price and generate desired outcomes.

Spending more is an action, not an outcome.

Our platform is not a wish list for businesses at the expense of everyone else. A city that is easier to invest in, safer to move through, and more accountable for results is a better city in which to live, work, and play.

Now we are turning to the candidates. The Chamber will ask them where they stand on the recommendations in The City We Build. We will publish their responses and a public scorecard so Winnipeggers can compare their choices before voting on Oct. 28.

Four new names will be called in the council chamber this November. The question is whether they will bring new energy, a citywide vision, and the courage to change and modernize.

The answer belongs to you.

On Oct. 28, get out and vote. Democracy isn’t a given; it’s a freedom we must practice and protect collectively and passionately. Speak now, speak loudly, speak like your voice matters.

Because it does.

Loren Remillard is president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce.