Winnipeg mayoral candidates respond to questions about how they will engage the faith community

Winnipeg has a civic election on Oct. 28. In advance of the vote. I queried leading mayoral candidates about how they would work with the faith community if elected to that office. I asked them the following questions.  

1. As mayor, what will you do to recognize and support the efforts of Manitoba faith groups that serve the most vulnerable in the province? 

2. Churches in Winnipeg are exploring ways to convert their buildings into affordable housing. But they face challenges such as funding and dealing with regulations regarding variances and zoning. As mayor, what will you do to help churches use their buildings to address this pressing need for affordable housing? For example, what the city of Edmonton has done by creating a $2 million fund for churches through its Faith Lands Affordable Housing Incentive program. 

3. The Halo Project estimates that Winnipeg's 307 places of worship provide over $443 million of benefits to the community through things like hosting addictions programs, food banks, programs for youth and seniors, job training, support for refugees, hosting concerts, etc. This is money the city would have to provide if these places of worship ceased to exist. What will you do as mayor to see and support places of worship as community assets? 

4. The rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia makes members of those faith groups worry about safety and security. What will you do as mayor to address this concern? 

5. As you know, city hall can be hard for individuals and organizations, such as faith groups, to navigate. The city of Toronto adopted a motion in June 2026 specifically asking the city to examine how it could improve faith communities' access to information about space bookings, permits, parking exemptions and transportation, as well as community safety and inclusion. As mayor, would you be open to doing the same to help faith groups in Winnipeg access services, advice and support? 

Find answers from current mayor Scott Gillingham and challengers Kevin Klein and Mike Vogiatzakis in my recent Free Press faith column.