Bazan returns to roots in Rossmere

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/8/2019 (357 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Amanda Bazan is the Green Party candidate for Rossmere in the upcoming provincial election.

"The Green Party champions a lot of causes I believe in," Bazan, a 32-year-old health care clerk, told The Herald. "This the first time I’ve done something like this. I’m a little surprised with myself, but it’s time to do more than complain on the internet."

Bazan grew up in northeast Winnipeg, attended St. Mary’s Academy, and worked for six years at the McDonald’s on Henderson and Whellams Lane. Currently a resident of downtown Winnipeg, her mother and grandmother still live in Rossmere. 

As a clerk at Health Sciences Centre, Bazan has seen first hand how changes to the health care system have impacted people.

"The health care system is very near and dear to me," she said. "We should not have abandoned our ERs."

Bazan would like to see more access points to the health care system opened throughout the city, Rossmere included.

"We need somewhere people can access if their family doctor is full," she said. "Some people can’t into their doctor’s office for days."

While Bazan may be a political novice, she believes that to be successful in the election, she doesn’t necessarily need to be elected to the Legislature.

"I’m not delusional," she said. "I know I’m running in a Conservative riding. I see a win as a Green differently. It’s us having a united voice to affect change within all parties, pushing the envelope."

As a millennial, Bazan believes that more action on environmental issues is needed, at the provincial, civic, and federal levels.

"One thing we’d like to bring in is free transit, or at least better public transit," she said. "Better public transit involves it being more affordable."

Now that she has taken her first steps into the political arena, Bazan said she expects to keep fighting the good fight for years to come.

"We just need to get out there and be a part of this process," she said. "Anyone who is willing to put the work in can be part of the changes we need to see. I would absolutely like to see more of that in the future."