A chat with mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk

One Winnipeg mayoral candidate, who was the runner-up in the 2018 election, is once again vying for the city’s top job.

Jenny Motkaluk said her principles and values are the same as they were during her last bid for mayor, but perhaps voters are getting to see a bit more of her this time around.

“I am the same woman as I used to be, but of course we are all the collective sum of our past,” she said during an interview with CTV's Maralee Caruso. “I also have the experience of the last four years as well.”

If elected mayor, Motkaluk said she would work to improve the city’s safety.

“One of the themes in my campaign is that this is about leadership. It’s about shared values, and leadership matters,” she said.

Motkaluk then pointed to an incident that took place over the summer when Winnipeg Police Chief Danny Smyth said that crime levels in the city are “not new.” She said this a “horrific” thing to have heard as a citizen.

She added that many members of the Winnipeg Police Service are experiencing high levels of fatigue and burnout.

“They need fresh leadership as well, and that’s why I have called for Danny Smyth to be replaced,” Motkaluk said. “I think his time here is done.”

As for dealing with homelessness in the city, Motkaluk said she would seize Winnipeg’s derelict housing, and auction the homes off to private landlords who would redevelop them and make them available for rent at welfare rates.

You can watch the full interview here with mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk and learn more about what she is promising to do if elected mayor.

CTV News will be conducting interviews with all 11 mayoral candidates in the lead up to the election. You can find more coverage on the mayoral race on the CTV News Election Page.

Election Day in Winnipeg is Oct. 26, 2022.