Gillingham wins St. James-Brooklands race

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This article was published 28/10/2014 (4177 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The St. James-Brooklands ward has a new city councillor after Scott Gillingham beat out three candidates to fill the seat vacated by Scott Fielding.

Gillingham, an ordained minister, won with close to 44 per cent of the vote (5,174 votes) in this year’s civic election.  

Bryan Metcalfe placed second with almost 30 per cent, or 3,548 votes. Stefan Jonasson received 2,292 votes (19.35 per cent), and Fred Morris received 828 votes (6.99 per cent).

Gillingham was endorsed by Fielding, who stepped down in June to seek the PC nomination in the next provincial election for the Kirkfield Park constituency.

“I think we had a platform that resonated with voters. And we had strong endorsements, and a dedicated, hard-working campaign team,” Gillingham said.

Gillingham said he thinks his experience as a pastor positions him well to serve in his new role. 

“Being a pastor is about serving people and working in collaboration with others to accomplish goals and make the community stronger,” he said.

In addition to his work as a pastor, Gillingham has been involved with several community boards throughout the city and helped co-ordinate a Winnipeg Harvest food bank to serve families in west Winnipeg.

He said this experience prompted him to run for councillor, as he saw the position as a great opportunity to serve his community.

His first order of business is to address infrastructure needs in his ward. He said he is particularly concerned with fixing broken sidewalks in areas where a high concentration of seniors live.

“I want to make sure that those who are using mobility aids have smooth sidewalks. To me, it’s really a safety issue in those areas,” he said.

Overall, the issue of infrastructure renewal should be a priority throughout the city, he said.
In addition, he said the revitalization of community centres in his ward is also a priority. One project he is committed to is the completion of renovations to the St. James Civic Centre Complex, a project he has worked on in the past as co-chair of the civic centre capital campaign.

With a new mayor and several new members of council, Gillingham said he is excited to start his new role at city hall.

“I think it’s a new day for Winnipeg and a very bright future for our citizens,” he said.

“I’m really excited about the learning curve, and meeting and working for the people of this ward.”

Gillingham, 46, has been married to his wife Marla for 20 years. They have two children: Hannah, 18, and Andrew, 16.

They have lived in the ward for 12 years.