Manitobans have cheered before for the three people who have put themselves in the running for the Fort Whyte MLA position, but who they vote for will decide who takes the seat.

A by-election is expected to be called next month to vote on who will take the Fort Whyte MLA position. This seat opened in the fall after then-premier and MLA Brian Pallister announced he was resigning.

Two former Winnipeg Blue Bombers players, Willard Reaves (1984-1989) and Obby Khan (2006-2011), and the former Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra executive director, Trudy Schroeder, all have put their hats in the ring.

 

Obby Khan - PC

obby khan/facebookObby Khan stands inside GoodLocal shop in the Exchange District. (Obby Khan/Facebook)

Khan differs from others hoping for the seat as he is seeing a nomination from the PC party to run in the by-election.

"If I am so honoured and blessed to represent the PC Party in the byelections I can only do it through nomination support," Khan says. "I think the campaign is really built on 'you know me, Obby Khan.' A lot of people know me whether it is playing for the Bombers, or community or small business."

Khan is a local business owner and is a vocal supporter of Premier Heather Stefanson.

"I look at where I am in my life and the opportunity to really do more on a grander scale, and better, and helping people, it takes it to public service. So I think it makes sense to where I am going in my life."

The former Winnipeg Blue Bombers player has recently been tackling the demand for local business with GoodLocal, making it no surprise that COVID-19 support for businesses is his key objective.

"The biggest thing is jobs," he says. "The big thing now is supporting local businesses to make sure that local businesses can stay open."

 

 

Willard Reaves - Liberal

Willard reavesWillard Reaves is hoping to sit in the MLA seat for Fort Whyte. (Willard Reaves/Facebook)

Reaves has called Winnipeg home for 40 years. After seeing the pandemic through the perspective of his wife who is a nurse, the former Blue Bomber decided to run in the Fort Whyte race.

"Politics is a very interesting field to go into," Reaves chuckles. "I think for me, personally, I have always sat back and watched how things have been going on in the community, your province, how people are treated."

Reaves says there is a difference in how people with few means and those in the upper one per cent are treated, wanting to run to address this difference.

"When I see people being taken advantage of in ways that we never should do it, I chime up and start making noise."

 

 

Trudy Schroeder - NDP

trudy schroederTrudy Schroeder posed for a photo with NDP Leader Wab Kinew. (Manitoba NDP/Facebook)

Schroeder, in a round-about way, is returning to her teenage dream of entering politics. Spending much of her executive director career with the Winnipeg Folk Festival and then the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

"It brings all of my interests together in a different way," Schroeder says.

Community life is a buzz phrase for Schroeder. She says her experience in the arts community has helped her connect to many people, especially regarding education.

"I have made many contacts with eth education world," she says. "All of these things are connected."

She says first and foremost the current healthcare situation needs to be addressed.