Chan in running for St. Norbert seat

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This article was published 01/10/2014 (4155 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Joe Chan has had enough of what he calls a “shifty” Winnipeg city council.

Chan, who is running for a seat at city hall in St. Norbert, admits his website would look much less professional if he could use the word he would like to when describing city hall.

“My friend told me I should be gentler,” Chan said.

“But in all seriousness, we don’t have a city hall right now, we have a shifty hall. I do not want to see, for example, my son or my daughter having to pay $10,000 in property taxes. I don’t want them paying $1,000 for their water bill… If you look at water bills from five years ago and then look at it now, they’ve tripled in that time.

“I don’t want to see those things happen. Enough is enough.”

Chan, the owner of Cathay House, a small Chinese restaurant in Transcona, made headlines in 2012 when he accused outgoing mayor Sam Katz of inappropriately using city funds to pay for a 2010 staff party at Hu’s Asian Bistro, which Katz owned at the time and has since shut down.

The allegation of conflict of interest was dismissed in court.

Chan says he wants to fight for taxpayers’ money, the city and the community.

“I am a soldier, I am a fighter,” Chan said. “If you want a fighter, I will fight for you guys.”
Chan said if elected, he will work to make it mandatory that anyone making over $50,000 would be subject to a drug test every two years.

“How do I know a drug addict isn’t working for us?” says Chan. “In the United States, lots of companies make this mandatory before they hire you.”

Chan also says he would freeze water bill rates, would offer free parking for electric vehicles, and would pay for the student loans of individuals who work and live in Winnipeg for 10 years after their graduation.

“When people graduate they get a job, start a family and buy a house, and they pay taxes,” Chan said. “So we would just give them their tax dollars back every year.”

Also running in the St. Norbert ward are Janice Lukes and Sachit Mehra.