Lazarenko remembered for tenacity, courage

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/07/2021 (1773 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Longtime city councillor Harry Lazarenko, who died July 8 at the age of 84, will be remembered for his tenacity, courage, and street smarts, according to former colleagues.

He had health issues including a recent cancer diagnosis.

Lazarenko represented the Mynarski ward on Winnipeg city council between 1974 and 1977 and 1983 to 2010.

“He was somebody who always stood up for the average person, the working man and the working family,” said Russ Wyatt, former Transcona city councillor.

“He always stood with the people, he didn’t stand with the power … and he was never scared to take on the powers that be, no matter what the issue.”

Wyatt recalled one time when the former North End councillor pushed back on a policy proposed by then-mayor Glen Murray. The mayor wanted to institute a fee per garbage bag picked up by the city.

“At that time, Mynarski had garbage bins located in the back lane, large bins that the neighbours loved. And so Harry didn’t want to get rid of these, but because of Murray wanting to bring this new policy in, those bins would have to go. And Harry stood up and spoke against it,” Wyatt said.

Lazarenko alleged Murray had later threatened him in a parkade, saying he’d “bury” the councillor if he continued to resist the policy.

“That’s the kind of person that he was,” Wyatt said. “Harry had courage, he had tenacity, and he was smart, he was street-smart.”

Longtime Mynarski resident Lesley Jansen remembers Lazarenko for always following up with constituents. A sidewalk in front of Jansen’s house was being torn apart by tree roots and needed repairs. Her elderly mother, who used a cane, said it was a hazard, so she called the councillor for a solution. Lazarenko visited the Jansens himself to check out the sidewalk and within a week it was fixed.

“From that point forward, he would call every now and then to see how she’s doing, and I thought that was pretty good,” Jansen told The Times. “He was accessible if you had an issue.”

She emphasized that Lazarenko acted as an independent politician, never influenced by party lines.

Current Mynarski councillor Ross Eadie said Lazarenko always enjoyed connecting with constituents. Most of all, he loved elections, because he’d be able to talk to more people.

In 2014, Eadie moved a motion, which was unanimously passed by council, to rename Redwood Bridge in the North End after Lazarenko.

“He was very committed and passionate about the North End,” Eadie said.