Winnipeg council shaken up as voters push out establishment figures in major election turnover
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Nine newcomers — including a city planner, a garden centre owner and former school trustees — joined Winnipeg’s council after residents rejected several incumbents, bringing the 15-member body close to gender parity and delivering the biggest change since 1992.
Winnipeg voters elected nine new councillors on Wednesday, producing the most significant turnover on the 15-member council since the 1992 election and moving the body toward gender parity, with eight men and seven women. Five incumbents chose not to run and four were defeated, opening the door for newcomers from outside municipal administration and signalling a clear desire for change.
City planner Jeff Palmer won the Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry seat after a previous run in 2018. He said he will bring his planning background to council decisions. Former city-hall official Sara MacArthur captured River Heights-Fort Garry, promising reforms to infill development, transit and the city’s tree canopy.
Garden centre owner Ray DuBois secured St. Norbert-Seine River, thanking the community for its support and saying he wanted a "fresh approach" to municipal government. Former school trustee Chris Sigurdson was elected in St. Vital, describing his win as an "overwhelming feeling" and emphasizing his readiness to learn and address local development and traffic concerns.
Retired Bell MTS manager Kelly Ryback defeated incumbent Shawn Dobson in St. James, having previously opposed a transit route overhaul and a golf-course sale. Former school trustee Greg McFarlane unseated Devi Sharma in Old Kildonan, while former Pembina Trails School Division trustee Jasmine Brar won Waverley West, citing rapid residential growth outpacing infrastructure.
Community-centre executive Lora Meseman captured Transcona, defeating long-time councillor Russ Wyatt, who is facing pending criminal charges. Natalie Smith, a community organizer, defeated Ross Eadie in Mynarski, describing her victory as a sign that residents wanted change and that they were done with the old guard.
Six incumbents—Evan Duncan, Cindy Gilroy, Emma Durand-Wood, Jeff Browaty, Vivian Santos and Matt Allard—retained their seats, preserving a measure of continuity even as the broader electorate clearly demanded a new direction.