A well-known anti-poverty and environmental advocate in Winnipeg is running for a seat on city council in the upcoming municipal election.

Josh Brandon announced his candidacy for the Daniel McIntyre ward today.

Brandon works for the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg and is the chair of the coalition Make Poverty History Manitoba. He has recently campaigned against transit fare increases, worked with community members to implement the Rent Assist Program and championed a number of environmental initiatives.

“I really love living in this area, it’s a great neighbourhood with beautiful homes, unique shops and businesses and I really think it’s the best part of the city,” Brandon said over the phone today. “But I think we can do so much more.”

Brandon says the main issues he wants to focus on are making Winnipeg Transit service more affordable and safe for inner-city communities, implementing affordable housing initiatives, improving Winnipeg’s status as an environmental leader, increasing the number of protected bike lanes and giving inner-city residents more access to recreation services.

He also feels there has been too much focus on expanding the city, as opposed to repairing it.

“The condition of infrastructure in this neighbourhood really needs attention,” Brandon said. “A lot of side streets in core communities are turning to rubble and we need to invest in those before we spend hundreds of millions of dollars on infrastructure on the edges of the city.”

“We need to put more focus on building up what we already have instead of expanding to new areas.”

Brandon also believes policy at City Hall should be shaped by how it will affect Winnipeg’s most vulnerable populations.

“We aren’t seeing those kinds of priorities reflected at City Hall and that’s something I want to change,” he said. “If we can turn that around and put more power in the hands of citizens, we’ll get better representation and better governance.”

Brandon is encouraging Daniel McIntyre residents to contact him with ideas on how they can make their community and city better.

Cindy Gilroy is the current city councillor for Daniel McIntyre. She unseeded former long-time councillor Harvey Smith in the 2014 municipal election.

Gilroy has not said if she intends to run for re-election as of yet.

Winnipeggers will vote to elect their mayor and councillors in October, 2018.