Massey running for city council

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This article was published 10/10/2018 (2794 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Robb Massey is running for city council for Elmwood-East Kildonan in the Oct. 24 civic election.

Massey, 46, has lived in Elmwood with his wife Christa for over 20 years. The father of four said his run to represent the ward has been building since he first moved into the neighbourhood.

“It’s really important for me to leave a good footprint behind, to leave a good impression on the neighbourhood,” Massey told The Herald. “As a result, I’ve just looked for ways to make an impact.”

Massey has been involved in a number of community organizations, as a committee member and youth sports coach. He was chair of the Elmwood Community Resource Centre from 2003 to 2011, a founding member of the Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, and a past president of the École George V School Parent Council. Massey said his time working with the ECRC was particularly illuminating.

“That was really neat, because I don’t think I saw that potential in myself, but somebody else did,” he said. “I learned how to work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, be they residents, social workers, single parents, people on the right and left side of the political spectrum. That was important, because in this neighbourhood, we don’t get to choose who we live with.”

For Massey, that broad range of demographics in Elmwood and East Kildonan is part of their charm.

“It’s a fantastic community, and I see such great potential here,” he said.If elected, Massey admitted he would have some learning to do regarding how things work at City Hall. But he was hopeful his experience working at the grassroots community level would pay off.“Being part of the committees I’ve been on helped me to see potential,” he said. “You look at problems, and come up with solutions.”

One of Massey’s platform priorities is making Elmwood and East Kildonan a desirable place to live and to do business.

“I wonder if we could get people who buy their first house here to stay, rather than eventually turning it into a rental or fixing it up to sell and moving on,” Massey mused. “Why not buy a house and fix it up and renovate it to stay in the neighbourhood.”

An avid cyclist, Massey’s vision for the City includes walkable and bikable communities.

“You want to be able to walk to the grocery store to get those few groceries you need for supper, or walk to a park with your dog and feel safe,” he said, adding he feels that the City is moving in that direction.

“I feel like we have so much momentum than when I started showing up to committee meetings 20 years ago, and we need to keep that momentum rolling,” he said.

Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist

Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca or call him at 204-697-7112

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