Santos on cloud nine after win

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This article was published 29/10/2018 (2750 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was 110 days of knocking on doors, speaking to residents, and getting ready for the big day when Vivian Santos would be elected city councillor for the Point Douglas ward.

On Oct. 24, with 5,327 (57.37 per cent) of the votes, Santos will be following up on Mike Pagtakhan’s legacy and continuing the work that they’ve been doing together for the past few years. Santos had previously worked as Pagtakhan’s assistant.

For the next couple weeks, Santos will be spending time with her family, who supported her all the way, before the inaugural council meeting on Nov. 6.“That’s when the work will really begin. I’m excited and really excited to go back to work,” she told The Times.

Santos added she wants to finish some of the work that Pagtakhan had started this year and also start reviewing the ward’s budget to prioritize her list of projects. She said Pagtakhan spent almost all of the ward’s community incentive grants and land dedication money to further plans for the ward. Therefore she might have to wait until January to implement some things.

Her plans include upgrading some of the parks in the ward and building a basketball court. One project that she wants to get going right away is after-school programming at a local community centre such as an arm wrestling program.

The project aligns with Pagtakhan’s boxing clubs on College Avenue.“Having kids come to a safe location, do some homework, have a light snack and then do some arm wrestling,” she said, adding she wants to partner up with the Manitoba Arm Wrestling Association.

On Oct. 25, Santos said she was feeling on cloud nine. “I’m really very happy and very excited and so happy that Point Douglas voted me in and is trusting in me. I hope I can make them proud,” she said.

Kate Sjoberg (2,936 votes) and Dean Koshelanyk (1,022 votes) also ran in the Point Douglas ward.