Winnipeg Election 2022

Eddie Ayoub - St. James

What got you into politics?

I have dedicated my life to making Winnipeg a better, more fair and equitable place. As Artistic Director of Art City, I have twenty years of experience engaged in front line community work with children and people of all ages and abilities, advocating for our most vulnerable and marginalized communities.

I have served on many boards, including neighbourhood, city-wide, provincial and national boards. In each case, I have been elected to the chair position by my colleagues. Having their confidence in my leadership, and knowing that my peers appreciate my work ethic and focus on a respectful and positive work culture has also inspired me to seek elected office.

I spent three years as a member of the OurWinnipeg Community Advisory Council, a group of Winnipeggers who were selected to help inform the City of Winnipeg’s new strategic plan. Council members were selected for their experience and dedication to Winnipeg. This commitment involved engagement with a wide array of City of Winnipeg departments and responsibilities included reading briefings and reports in advance of each meeting and presentation in order to provide informed, critical feedback.

All of this experience is transferable to being a highly effective member of City Council.

What experience will you bring to compliment your role as (Mayor / Councillor / School Trustee)?

Aside from my significant Board and committee experience, being responsible for a not-for-profit organization means I have a highly disciplined approach to financial accountability and transparency.

In this work, every dollar is respected and accounted for. Resources are deployed in the most innovative way possible. As a director, I undergo an annual evaluation process through which my staff provides anonymous feedback on my performance to my Board of directors. I answer directly to that body, answer questions, and provide follow up action plans based on evaluation scores and comments.

Through my decades of experience directly engaging vulnerable Winnipeggers I have developed real relationships to draw from when addressing issues of poverty, homelessness and addiction. I am in daily dialogue with people who have past and present lived experience.

My decades of partnership and friendship with dozens of community organizations, including Indigenous and Newcomer led organizations, advocacy groups, funding bodies, and all levels of elected representatives will allow me to very effectively move work forward to benefit the St. James community and all of Winnipeg.

What are some issues that you would like to stand for in your role as (Mayor / Councillor / School Trustee), and why are these issues important to you?

The issues I want to prioritize are as follows:

Safety and respect, in all of its forms. This means both physical and emotional safety and respect. My vision is for all Winnipeggers to experience a healthy sense of belonging and community.

My approach to addressing the byproducts of poverty is to focus on prevention. Supporting young people and families through community building. For those who are already navigating homelessness and unmanaged addiction and mental health, we must provide housing and supports. These days, Winnipeg’s first responder resources are stretched thin responding to a non-stop flow of chaos resulting from our failure to address poverty.

Regarding our infrastructure deficit, I believe that we have to invest in responsible growth. This means developing, building, and maintaining and replacing our infrastructure in established, mature communities. We must stop urban sprawl until we have reconciled this significant deficit. Let’s do the best we can with what we have.

I support a move towards phosphorous compliance and taking responsibility for what we are putting into the water. I support a city-wide compost program, in tandem with our existing garbage and recycling program. I support a move to rescue and replace our tree canopy.

Do you have any other comments regarding your candidacy?

I am motivated by a strong sense of responsibility to bring my experience and perspectives to City Hall.

The way I life my life, my relationships, my focus on good morale and positive work environment, and my dedication to community building will make me an incredibly effective member of City Council.