‘I’m literally David versus Goliath’: Jessica Peebles enters race for Winnipeg’s mayor

Jessica Peebles has become the 12th candidate to run in Winnipeg's 2022 mayoral race

The newest candidate for Winnipeg’s mayoral race says she doesn’t expect to win this fall's civic election but hopes her ideas can still help change the city.

Jessica Peebles became the 12th mayoral candidate on the ballot after registering with the city last week. She says she was inspired to do so after seeing her ideas help people during the pandemic.

“I was involved with a lot of organizations that actually utilized my ideas,” she said, “I want to show that Indigenous women can do it too.”

Peebles, a former health-care aide who was born and raised in Winnipeg’s North End, says she also hopes to raise awareness about domestic abuse, something she says is tied to youth crime rates.

“Domestic violence rates are rising worldwide according to the United Nations,” she said, “if we are able to implement supports in the home, then we’re able to help the youth and in turn, the crime rates that we see in the streets.”

She is also a proponent of multigenerational living and has a plan that would help both seniors and students find safe, affordable housing.

“Right now, we’re seeing a lot of issues with providing affordable housing to our seniors,” she said, referring to her experiences working as a health-care aide during the pandemic. Peebles was part of a group that responded to the outbreak at the Maples Care Home in November 2020.

Winnipeg voters go to the polls on October 26, 2022, and though Peebles says she is preparing for a well-fought campaign, she does not expect to be the next mayor of Winnipeg.

“I’m literally David versus Goliath here!” she exclaimed, “but I do have a lot of ideas and visions for the city.”