Questions of faith for Manitoba NDP, Liberal and Progressive Conservative party leaders

On October 3 Manitobans will go to the polls to elect a new Premier — Heather Stefanson, Wab Kinew or Dougald Lamont. Some may wonder how they will engage and interact with the faith community in the province. I asked them five questions about that. Stefanson and Lamont sent e-mail responses; Kinew made himself available for an interview. Their answers were published in the Free Press on Sept. 25. (Although excluding one question due to space concerns.) Their complete answers are below. 

Many places of worship are involved in meeting various needs in their communities. What will you do as Premier to recognize and support the efforts of Manitoba faith groups to serve the most vulnerable and others in the province? Could you see the provincial government doing more to partner with faith groups to address social issues in Manitoba?

Wab Kinew. One of the commitments I’ve made is we want to end chronic homelessness in Manitoba. One of the first things we have to do is bring together everyone who is working in this space to set up a shared mission and vision to end chronic homelessness. I would very much want to include faith groups, churches, mosques and other spiritual organizations, who are already doing some of this kind of work but also the faith-guided institutions, not for profits in the space, that have spirituality as part of their mandate. I would want them at the table when we set up a working group to work towards ending chronic homelessness and also meeting the needs of the most vulnerable when it comes to providing food, sustenance and also help with addictions, to help them turn their lives around. Financial support would be part of the discussion after first bringing people together to conduct a needs assessment to see what the following steps would need to be.

Heather Stefanson: As Premier, I am always amazed by the compassion and selfless dedication of so many people of faith throughout our province. Our Progress Conservative team is recognizing the extraordinary contributions of Manitoba’s faith communities by nearly doubling the charitable donation tax credit, meaning that Manitobans who give to their local church, mosque, or temple, will receive 20 per cent back on the first $200 donated and 25 per cent back on all donations over $200.

Our party believes that Manitoba’s diverse faith communities are dynamic and can be far more responsive to community needs as they arise than even government bureaucracies. We can learn so much from faith communities about how to make our province safer and healthier, and we will continue to explore creative partnerships with faith leaders to make our province a better place for all Manitobans.

Dougald Lamont: Manitoba Liberals are committed to working with all Manitobans and all stakeholders regardless of faith. We recognize that our most important public institutions—our hospitals, our places of learning like universities and colleges, were all originally places founded on faith.  

There is a tremendous amount of positive work that is done by faith groups, and Manitoba Liberals would be willing to work with them to ensure the needs of the community are being served, whether it is helping the vulnerable, providing training, or doing good work.   

A big concern for Jews and Muslims in Manitoba is antisemitism and Islamophobia. What will you do as Premier to address and combat those things and support the local Jewish and Muslim communities and help people from those communities feel safe? 

Kinew: The first step is, as a leader, you have a responsibility to speak out when there is hatred in the community. When there are examples of Islamophobia and antisemitism, to condemn them and speak publicly about unity and bringing Manitobans together from all backgrounds to pursue our shared vision as a province. 

I think it goes beyond that to the education system. I know there is a lot of good work being done by educators to teach about human rights and Holocaust education. But I think as part of the work to update Manitoba school curricula we should be including these conversations about hatred, and ensure we are helping all young Manitobans to embrace a spirit of inclusions. 

I would certainly reach out to Jewish and Muslim groups to see what they can offer, and also to educators to ensure their expertise is counted on as we try to share these messages that can break down barriers between communities. I’ve been lucky in my time in politics so far to have had invitations to attend mosques in the wake of examples of Islamophobia so I can learn, so I can hear. I’ve been very honoured to have a chance to build a strong relationship with people in the Jewish community, which has included those conversations about antisemitism and responding to acts of hatred that we need to come together to combat.

If I get the chance to serve as premier, I would want to strengthen those relationships even further to carry on the work through leading the province in building relationships across communities. 

Stefanson: Our Progressive Conservative team stands with Manitoba’s Jewish and Muslim communities, and we stand against antisemitism and Islamophobia in our province. Last year, our Progressive Conservative government adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism. The definition helps our entire province to remain extremely vigilant in identifying and addressing antisemitism throughout Manitoba. It will help us to fight back against the alarming rise in antisemitic incidents in our province and our country. 

Similarly, our entire PC team stands against islamophobia. Last year, Manitobans elected Obby Khan, our PC candidate in Fort Whyte, as the first Muslim to serve as a member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly. He has been outspoken about the importance of faith in his life, and he will continue to be our leader in government when it comes to addressing islamophobia in all its forms. 

Lamont: We recognize that some faith communities and their members face terrible treatment for no other reason that they are members of their faith. They are subject to discrimination and mistreatment based on myths and conspiracy theories that are harmful.   

Manitoba is a province founded on the basis of religious and linguistic diversity, and we need to live up to those principles.   

Manitoba Liberals obtained a unanimous vote of the legislature, defending Jews against antisemitism with a resolution confirming the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Dr. Jon Gerrard, MLA River Heights, was instrumental in bringing it forward. We also recognize the critical need to ensure that similar resolutions condemning hatred and discrimination towards Muslims.  

A challenge facing some is what to do with aging church buildings. Is there anything the province can do to help these groups maintain and utilize these old church buildings so they continue to serve the community? 

Kinew: There are a lot of good examples across province of using old church buildings. In my constituency, you have St. Augustine which has embraced childcare and serving in vulnerable people in our community and offering space for dance and cultural purposes. Across from the legislature you have All Saints, which has helped to set up affordable and market-based housing. 

There’s a ton of examples of congregations across the province working with local community organizations and others in the community to meet the needs. The role of the province should be to convene and help foster those collaborations and to identify where support is needed. 

Based on what I am seeing across Manitoba, these sorts of collaborations on older church buildings can be an important part of our future childcare and housing solutions, community centres. The province should definitely be willing to support that both in terms of people power and infrastructure resources. 

Stefanson: As Premier, I don’t want to see any churches shut their doors. I am committed to working with our faith leaders to ensure that people of faith can continue their wonderful work throughout Manitoba. Last year, our Progressive Conservative government doubled funding for the Building Sustainable Communities Fund to $25 million, and this year doubled funding for the Art, Sport, and Culture in Community Fund to $100 million. These funds have helped hundreds of non-profits, including faith-based organizations, improve their buildings and spaces so they can continue to provide vitally important services in our communities.

Our party is committed to continuing this support for community organizations, and we welcome adaptive reuse proposals, such as Augustine Centre, which has transformed a historic church into a community asset that includes a daycare, social services, and programming spaces.

Lamont: There are several ways they could be repurposed and maintained. We have announced a $300 million Green Fund that allows for energy retrofits, as well as a jobs fund that would provide job subsidies for non-profits for people who do work in the public good and for the community. There are also spaces required for childcare. Under the current system only 60 per cent of early learning and childcare upgrades and renovations are covered, and we are proposing covering 100 per cent of the costs.  

While is it not part of our platform, we would also be willing to explore working with stakeholders to create a trust to help preserve and keep up historic buildings in Manitoba.  

Through parish nursing, places of worship invite retired nurses or doctors to serve the healthcare needs of people in their congregations. The goal is help people, especially seniors, stay in their homes longer and get basic medical services to keep them out of the healthcare system. Would your government be open to exploring the potential of parish nursing as a way to partner with faith groups to help meet the healthcare needs of Manitobans?

Kinew: The concept of parish nursing strikes me as a great opportunity to implement preventative medicine and community-based care. It offers the potential to have a setting where seniors and other members of the community are already comfortable, an opportunity to reach out to those folks in that setting and provide some prevention, some pro-active care, so we can maybe prevent issues from becoming more serious in the future, or just provide them with a better quality of life. I find it an interesting idea that’s worthy that we should definitely be open to supporting.

Stefanson: Parish nursing is an innovative way to meet the health care needs of elderly parishioners, and it can have a positive impact on the overall health care system through preventative community care. I am thrilled to see nurses contribute to their church communities in this way, and I am certainly open to working with nurses, faith leaders, and parishioners to expand these services in Manitoba.

Lamont: Parish nursing is an intriguing concept. One of its most important aspects is that it is out in the community, where it should be. The central core of our health care platform is to focus on better community care — ensuring that every person has a family physician or nurse practitioner. In addition to that, however, we want to focus on providing wraparound supports in a clinic. We will enhance pay for family doctors so they can spend more time with patients when needed and ensure that team members are paid for working together (which they are not now).  

Our goal is to have more wraparound community clinics providing primary care. We would also hire nurse practitioners to work in PCHs.  

Winnipeg’s Mayor has created a new multi-faith and culture liaison circle to address societal issues such as homelessness, hunger, and inequity. Would you as Premier be open to creating such a province-wide circle to address those issues and ensure faith voices are heard on a provincial basis?

 

Kinew: I think I would be open to that. I would want to include some of these leaders and voices who work on chronic homelessness in Manitoba, as well as to take into account some of these folks when we’re thinking about the appointments governments make to boards and committees and Crown corporations.

Stefanson: As Premier, I have met with diverse faith communities throughout Manitoba, and I continue to meet regularly with faith leaders. Moreover, our PC Team includes people of diverse faith traditions, and I hear regularly from them about the issues that matter to their communities. I am always open to listening to Manitobans with new suggestions about how to engage more deeply and effectively with Manitoba’s incredible faith communities.

Lamont: Yes, we would absolutely be willing to work with the leaders of diverse faith and cultural groups in order to listen to their concerns and respond and change as needed. In the aftermath of the pandemic, there is a great degree of mistrust and division, and our social fabric has been frayed and broken. This is a time for community-building. Manitoba Liberals, as a foundational principle, believe that government must serve everyone.  

Anything else to add? This includes if you want to say anything about your own faith background or interest in spiritual matters.

Kinew: I’m a spiritual person. I follow the Anishinaabe tradition. I start each day with a prayer, even before I have my morning cup of coffee. I try to get up before the sun and spend some time praying. I’ve been very moved over the month of campaigning to hear from many Manitobans from many walks of life who have taken the time to pray for us, to pray for our team that we be well and travel safely and are able to move forward in a good way. It’s been really meaningful on a human level, taking time to share with us their faith, their beliefs to send us a positive message through prayer.

Lamont: It is hard to understate the impact of the faith community on the development of Manitoba and its most important institutions, while recognizing that Winnipeg has always had an extraordinary level of cultural and religious diversity. The foundational principle of being a liberal is the belief in the rights and freedoms of the individual, and the recognition that every living, breathing person is entitled to equal access to those rights, freedom and justice, by virtue of being human. 

Heather Stefanson did not provide an answer to this question. 

Winnipeg’s mayoral candidates and the faith community; questions and answers

 

How will Winnipeg’s new mayor engage the city’s faith communities? That’s the question posed to candidates in late September. 

I reached out to local faith community leaders for specific issues they wanted to see addressed by the candidates. They came up with three questions. 

First, knowing the contributions made by faith groups to help the marginal and vulnerable in the city, what would the candidates do as mayor to recognize and support those efforts? 

Second, what would they do to address and combat antisemitism and Islamophobia? 

And third, what could the city do to help congregations with aging buildings, especially in the core, maintain these buildings so they could continue to serve people in the area? 

Candidates who replied were Shaun Loney, Rick Shone, Glen Murray, Chris Clacio, Scott Gillingham, Rana Bokhari, Jenny Motkaluk and Kevin Klein. Below find their full responses. Their edited responses were published in the Winnipeg Free Press on October 8. 

Shaun Loney

I'm an active member at St. Mary's Road United Church.  I also attend Indigenous ceremonies regularly including at the Sandy Saulteaux Centre near Beausejour.  

My job as Mayor will be to help us see our assets in the City to make measurable progress on the issues that we're struggling with but we need new and modern tools to connect what we have to what we need. 

The question is, what role can our faith communities play in helping the City address issues like homelessness and poverty and what does that look like in 2022, here in Winnipeg. 

I want to partner with faith communities to help Winnipeg emerge out of an old paradigm where we treat people living in poverty as though there is something wrong with them and to see they have been interacting with failed systems and outdated institutions. 

The way I see it, Winnipeg's defining issue is our ability to connect the people who most need the work with the work that most needs to be done.  Social enterprises lean into a business model that embeds love and compassion into our economics.  They hire people with barriers to employment.  As Mayor, I'd love to partner with faith communities who are struggling with underutilized church buildings to see employment opportunities emerge for new Canadians, Indigenous and others left out of the labour market. 

How about a few faith communities with underutilized buildings working with the City to see new housing opportunities for women getting out of jail and those same women being able to work in a coffee shop on the main level? 

How about an Islamic community hosting a social enterprise that hires refugees to paint? One week it's completing painting jobs that have been contracted by the City and the next it's working on getting a driver's license or learning English. 

We can begin to see "problems" like underutilized buildings or refugee unemployment as opportunities when we take as asset-based approach and see the potential in each other. 

The outcomes generated by ventures like these—including providing supportive housing for those living on our streets—have important financial benefits to our overburdened emergency services such as police, fire and ambulance.  As Mayor, I will modernize how nonprofits and emergency service providers partner with each other to recognize the important financial benefits that nonprofits have in lowering the workloads. 

How about a church hiring people with physical disabilities to visit lonely seniors who are regularly calling 911 out of sheer loneliness?  The Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service would have a financial interest in the impacts that this activity would have on their daily dispatches.   

These social enterprise activities would have positive revenue implications for faith communities that can add to their donations.  Faith communities already use social enterprise strategies—selling tickets to a fall supper or a musical put on by members of the congregation. 

Others, such as MCC, sponsoring thrift shops to do social good.  Let's do a lot more of this, in new and interesting ways.  As Mayor, I will make this a clear option for faith communities to partner with the City to work together to solve our most stubborn problems. 

Antisemitism and Islamophobia are indeed growing problems. In 2015, when PM Harper announced a snitch line to report "barbaric cultural practises" my partner Fiona and I organized an event at the Central Mosque.  We expected 30 people to show up, to show some love for our Islamic neighbours—and 300 showed up. Here's the news of the event in the Winnipeg Free Press and another from Global TV.  As Mayor, I want to be very active in helping Winnipeggers in embracing diversity of all kinds to see the potential in each other.   

Rick Shone

I know, from experience, that faith groups play a huge role in the function of our society. I grew up in the Presbyterian Church and was a youth leader into my university days. I went to a Christian Reformed school and a Mennonite high school (MBCI) and completed a minor in religious studies at the U of M. The values of these communities have shaped and informed the person I am today. 

Many faith groups are so active in the wider community and all the efforts of these volunteers makes a difference. I would love to see the city partner more with faith groups to address social issues. When I decided to run for mayor, I knew that if the city could develop better partnerships with faith groups, biz groups, neighbourhood associations, etc. we could achieve so much more as a team when we work together to solve these challenges. 

I currently sit on the board of the West End Biz and have been on the board of the Central Neighbourhoods Association, so I have seen first-hand the struggle it can be for organizations when partnering with the city. 

Winnipeg must be a city where all people feel safe and supported. This is my goal and I do not support any type of hate. In our household, my wife and I have raised our kids to respect others. We have raised them not to judge, to get to know people and their stories. We have many friends from both of these communities but there are also so many others who do not feel supported and safe in Winnipeg. 

My vision is to live in a city with a heart, one that supports and accepts others. It starts with education and then creating opportunities from different ethnic backgrounds, faiths, etc. to be able to meet, mix and get to know one another.  

The question of older buildings is is a great one I've thought of often as I've seen our aging members and Presbyterian churches. When it comes to upgrading/renovating, etc. I do think the city can be much more expedient in granting permits and ensuring that certain things remain grandfathered so as to not trigger costly upgrades. 

Many congregations are realizing that they must use the building more than just on Sundays or service days. They are indeed perfect buildings that can be used for community gatherings of all kinds, including City of Winnipeg leisure guide programs. Day care, weddings and many other functions can be held in church buildings. These programs can help pay for rent and upgrades to the building to ensure that they remain prominent in the community for a long time to come. 

Glen Murray 

Many of the best social outreach programs in our city are run by faith-based organizations. It is integral that the city reduce and remove roadblocks that prevent these organizations from fulfilling their mission. Together we can work to achieve better outcomes for groups looking to make an impact. 

As a member of a community that has been historically marginalized and attacked, I personally understand the challenges prejudice and hate can cause. It is important that the Mayor always be on the front lines, combating all types of hate in our City. We must ensure Winnipeg is always a welcoming, accepting and open place for people of all faiths. 

It’s important that we always appreciate that Winnipeg has many beautiful historic buildings. While the city cannot engage in a broad scale program to restore privately-owned buildings, we can and must always play a role in ensuring that we have beautiful public spaces in good repair. I am open to hearing all ideas from community leaders for how the city can help. 

Chris Clacio 

Thank you for your email and the questions I've been meaning to engage with the faith groups for many years, but I've been personally unaware of how to do that. 

As Mayor I would start by visiting every faith group in Winnipeg to discuss how the city of Winnipeg and the Office of the Mayor could do better engagement to reach out to the different groups in our city and include them in the civic process within city hall. 

After the first initial meetings with every single faith group, I would set up a meeting with all the leaders of the faith groups I meet with to begin the dialogue and discussions to address our relatives that are struggling and need support in our city. 

I do see and believe that going forwards in the post-covid world where we exist in the city of Winnipeg needs different faith groups to be at the table and be involved in the solutions that the city could partner up to address topics of concern in Winnipeg. 

Early in the election I made an announcement that I will rebrand the Office of Public Engagement into the Office of Civic Engagement. What makes this office different from the current form is if you as a resident or as a group of residents have an initiative or project you want to do in your neighbourhood you would reach out to this division, and they would connect you with your local councilors and specific department staff to help fund and implement the program. 

The best summary of how this office would operate would be what in the municipal sector is called a civic innovation lab which is based on social innovation labs. The second part of my announcement was the creation of a four-year participatory budgeting process.  

As mayor I would work with both the Jewish and Muslim citizens within our wards and neighbourhoods to address all forms of antisemitism and Islamophobia within our city. Over my 7 years working with urban indigenous young people in the inner city of Winnipeg, one important gift they have taught me about working alongside other citizens who I myself don't represent or speak for is to first get to know the citizens that come from the Jewish and Muslim communities. 

During my time helping and supporting urban indigenous young people in the city it was through always showing up every Friday at 6pm since August 2014 at 470 Selkirk Ave. At the Indigenous Family Centre that I was able to connect with and see different citizens from all walks of life coming together to "stop the violence and build community'' 52 times for 9 years straight. 

The only way I know how to make all citizens safe is to see more investments within the city go towards recreational, museums, parks, pools, and libraries services. This is the only way I believe we can improve our citizens' safety. 

There are many things the city can do to help different groups maintain and utilize these old church buildings so they can continue to serve all citizens. The difficulty at the moment is all about accessibility for citizen-based organizations to work in collaboration with the city to better coordinate with all stakeholders to implement the initiatives which is why the Office of Civic Engagement would be an asset in organizing with all faith groups, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian based organizations within the city. 

This would allow for easier communication with city staff, mayor's office, your city councillor, and the citizens to design, develop, and evaluate city services for aging church buildings.  

I have a complicated relationship within my life related to my faith and it wasn't until the pandemic began and my own journey of reconciliation of showing up every Friday and helping urban indigenous young people building up the neighbourhoods of the mature and inner city for almost 7-8 years. 

My family immigrated from the Philippines during the time of martial law being placed by the federal government back in 1974. My Mom had arrived here in 1982; 10 years prior to my birth in June 1992. Growing up here on Turtle Island; Winnipeg no one in my family ever explained to me about how to speak Tagalog, the history of the Philippines, or my family's relationship with Roman Catholicism. All I knew growing up was that I was non-practicing Catholic and I had seen my own immediate and extended family members always following prayer. 

As I attended University to study politics I had joined several atheist, agnostic, philosophical student groups trying to figure out whether I believe in those beliefs. When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released their final report back in 2015, I had already been learning from many urban indigenous young people how indigenous knowledge had been systematically been misrepresented or excluded in many places within our city. As the pandemic grew my relationship to the Meet Me at The Bell Tower slowed down where I was always connecting with different citizen-based organizations.  

June 2022 that was the year I turned 30 years old, reflected on my life (and lived experiences), and learned more about my relationship to my own faith. I still consider myself a non-practicing Catholic but now I understand a little bit about my mom's family relationship to Roman Catholicism through learning about the colonial process that happened in the Philippines by the Spanish from 1565 to 1898 and the United States from 1902 to 1946. 

As part of the self reflection of learning about all this history of my family's homeland and its similar process that happened here to First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples. I can now see why I had struggled to figure my relationship to a higher authority. 

Scott Gillingham 

As a former pastor for over 20 years, I have a deep appreciation for the important contributions faith communities make to the health and strength of our city. The congregations I led were always actively involved as partners with organizations like Winnipeg (now Manitoba) Harvest, downtown missions; Union, Siloam and Lighthouse, Adult and Teen Challenge, helping refugees and other newcomers to Winnipeg. We were intentionally focused on building up our city.  

The theme of my campaign is “Uniting to Build a Stronger Winnipeg. Government is not the answer to every challenge facing the people of our city, nor can government alone do all that needs to be done to address the poverty, addiction and homelessness in Winnipeg. For more than a century in Winnipeg faith communities have been and remain on the front lines of meeting the social needs of Winnipeggers. I take this opportunity to thank them for their quiet, faithful work bringing help and hope to people of all ages and walks of life. 

I envision a city where all partners, including faith communities, are at the table, appreciated, empowered and working together in a coordinated manner to address Winnipeg’s shared social challenges and seize our opportunities.  

As Mayor, I will lead the coordination of the contributions made by every sector, including faith communities, senior levels of government, Indigenous governments, the business community, educators, non-profits and more. Each sector has a role to play in building a stronger, healthier Winnipeg where all people have the opportunity to benefit. By coordinating our efforts we can identify and address areas of overlap and gaps so the people we are serving get the help they need. 

Over the past several months of my mayoral campaign I have been very engaged with various and diverse faith communities across Winnipeg. I am encouraged by their commitment to making Winnipeg a stronger city. They are dedicated to helping address the social needs many fellow-Winnipeggers face.  

Earlier this year, I used my social media platforms to denounce in the strongest terms the appearance of an antisemitic flag at a rally in Winnipeg. 

As Mayor, I will continue to denounce antisemitism, Islamophobia and will work to foster a city that is growing in mutual acceptance, understanding and appreciation.  

A few months ago, I attended a forum at the Grand Mosque on Waverley St hosted by the Manitoba Islamic Association. The topic of Islamphobia was discussed and was a followup to the recent report, ‘Community Experiences with Islamophobia’.  

The presence of the antisemitic flag and the report outlining the experiences forum shows Winnipeg still has work to do to eradicate hate and intolerance in our community.  

As Mayor, I will actively engage all faith and cultural communities to listen and understand what they are experiencing in Winnipeg. By knowing what communities are facing we can find ways to address it. I will work to make our city a place where all people feel welcome, safe and at home in Winnipeg.  

As a former pastor I can appreciate that some congregations with older buildings can get to the frustrating stage where they feel they are spending their time on money serving the building instead of the people of the community. 

As Mayor, I will be open to support rezoning of older church buildings so that appropriate adaptive reuse may be accommodated. For example, the conversion of St. Mathews Anglican Church to the West End Commons housing community is an example of an aging church building that was transformed into 26 apartments offered at affordable rents through a no-profit structure. 

I recognize that beyond the tangible work of addressing social needs, faith communities strengthen the fabric of our city by promoting values of love for others, generosity, honesty, service, mutual respect and hope. Lived out, these values strengthen individuals and build families. As Mayor, I will always appreciate the importance of faith communities to Winnipeg’s future hope and success. 

I am a Christian and attend church regularly.  

Kevin Klein 

First, thank you for reaching out to the candidates to address these challenges within the Faith-Based community. I imagine that over the years you have tried to reach out to those in power to achieve meaningful discussion and have received many empty promises. I will try to answer based on my proven track record and personal history.

There is a culture at City Hall that fears the repercussions of allowing religious groups to participate and receive funding for social issues in Winnipeg. I find this disappointing given how much help religious organizations give to the vulnerable. Every organization that provides service should have a seat at the table. There is a massive amount of funding that goes to organizations in the city but no accountability as to where the funding is going or what kind of results are achieved. 

When elected, I will open the opportunity for funding to any non-profit organization who is willing to help and will require more accountability from those already receiving funding to ensure that funding is being used wisely and prudently.

I am fortunate to have made many personal connections within both the Jewish and Muslim communities during my time in Winnipeg. I value them as friends and advisors and will continue to maintain these connections and listen as Mayor. I believe these connections with community leaders will enable me to be aware of issues quickly and I would rely on their input to treat them with the cultural sensitivity that they deserve and provide them with the assurance that their safety is crucial.

While church buildings are private property and do not fall under the purveyance of the city, I believe that we can still help make upkeep and renovations easier by making them less costly. During this campaign I have committed to reducing the cost of permits for non-profits by 75%. When elected mayor I would work with council to help them understand the importance of preserving these aging buildings within the communities that they serve.

I hope that I have answered your questions clearly. As a child I was often one of the vulnerable who relied on the charity of others, so I understand how important religious organizations are to the community.

Finally, I am reminded of a story my father-in-law (a retired minister) tells of how important it is to serve the community.

Their church building was next door to a middle-school and the kids who smoked would come hang out on the church steps as they couldn’t smoke on school property. Graffiti, destruction, and garbage became a huge issue. As opposed to forcing them off the property, the ladies of the church began a lunch program and invited the kids in for a free meal every week.

Not only did the graffiti and destruction stop, but years later my father-in-law would run into these kids who told him how that small act of kindness encouraged them to make different choices in life. 

Jenny Motkaluk

Religion/faith is a personal matter. The government doesn't and should never tell congregants what to believe. At the same time the good works that faith groups do is a reflection of their moral beliefs and support broader social goals. Where those efforts provide a benefit to the community as a whole, the City should be a good partner. Just as the City should be a good partner to anyone whose efforts will make Winnipeg stronger.  

Winnipeggers deserve leadership that supports the passion, ambitions, and dreams of all of us. Recently, I participated in the redevelopment of Augustine United Church into Augustine Centre, which includes Oak Table and SPLASH Daycare as two partners that offer substantial support to the broader community.  The City could have been a better partner in that process and when I'm Mayor, it will be. 

Winnipeg is a great city because of the people who choose to live here.  We are the most diverse city in the country and everyone who lives here is first and foremost a Winnipegger in my view. People who want to inject the violent politics of other countries halfway around the world into Winnipeg, must know that there will be zero tolerance for anything other than reasoned debate. I believe Israel has a right to exist.  

When Jews, Muslims or any other Winnipeggers are harassed and attacked in our city, I will speak out against it and take action. I reject Woke Culture, BDS, and equity policies because they are often used as a disguise for antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. 

Churches are a big part of the urban mosaic and many congregations are facing the same challenges of dwindling and aging membership which reduces their ability to maintain their Churches. Augustine Centre is a great example of a congregation responding to this challenge and should be looked on as a model for others, such as Rosh Pina which was recently listed for sale.  

Sadly, the City of Winnipeg acted more as a barrier to success in that project than a champion.  In particular, delays in the permit office proved very costly to their redevelopment efforts. As Mayor, I will create high performance departments so that City Hall starts working with us rather than against us. 

I identify as a Winnipegger.  As a kid, I was raised in the Ukrainian Catholic community, I went to Immaculate Heart of Mary School and attended several churches in the North End of Winnipeg, including St Joseph's and St Andrew's. 

Rana Bokhari 

Recognizing the challenges that marginalized, racialized and vulnerable people in our city face is one the most important issues in this campaign. How the government at all levels have addressed these issues thus far, is perhaps one of our society's greatest failures. As a Human Rights candidate, as a woman who believes that how we treat our most vulnerable is a reflection of our society—I believe that drug, addiction and mental health issues require all groups, community, faith and others partnering together to do better. 

I understand the challenges both the Jewish and Muslim communities face. I have lived experience dealing with Islamophobia. The City has a role to play in creating safe communities, safe places of worship and safety on the streets free from any violence rooted in antisemitism and Islamophobia. This starts with education, lifting the voices of those communities and ensuring that we come together to celebrate our achievements and also our hardships shoulder to shoulder. 

I acknowledge that some very important landmarks and old church buildings continue to serve invaluable services to all community members. Whether it is through programs, shelter, gathering spaces or food banks. 

One of the main pillars of my campaign is community, we would work together to ensure we are supporting the community who rely on these spaces by working with various Christian denominations that are continuing the great work despite all odds.