Winnipeg Election 2022

Sherri Rollins - Fort Rouge - East Fort Garry

What got you into politics?

People asked me to run. In 2014, I was asked to run for school trustee. In 2017 local community members asked me to step into full-time politics to run for the open seat following Jenny Gerbasi’s decision not to run again. I had a good job and a long, varied career as a policy analyst inside government and outside in my own companies. I worked on various political campaigns in the backroom.

I was motivated to run for council because, as a school trustee and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Winnipeg School Division, I was always feeling the downstream impacts of poor city design.

Too few women run. There is insufficient gender-based analysis in decision-making at all levels, particularly on Council at the City of Winnipeg. I ran and won in 2018 to create a safer city for people of all ages, but in a city with severe violence against women, I ran to be a feminist voice and work on UNDRIP, TRC Calls to Action, and MMIWG Calls to Justice, Climate Justice and Resilience. Fundamentally, I want to return to City Hall with a mandate to do similar work that I’ve done and become known for.

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

I have a proven track record of leading city-wide discussions on women’s safety, fire and paramedic services, police governance and accountability, supervised consumption sites, animal services, recreation, libraries and homelessness.

I am an active policy advocate on Council, passing protective city-wide and local motions, such as saving greenspace and libraries and forgoing punitive fees after a tragic fire at a local store. I supported my ward residents through tough times like the pandemic and convoy. I supported their interests in urban permaculture, housing and school safety, including 30km speed limits.

I have led several key files, including co-authoring and passing protective motions on road safety, expanding cold and warm weather emergency responses following storms and the housing crises, grants for End Homelessness Winnipeg, expanding mobile services from Main Street Project and Resource Assitance for Youth, decriminalization, adding 24/7 safe spaces and public washrooms.

I’m a member of the Executive Policy Committee, Chair Protection, Community Services and Parks, Secretary to Council on Homelessness, the Finance Committee and the budget working group. I am the council representative to the Winnipeg Library Board, take an interest in the Winnipeg Archive, and sit on the Mayor’s Indigenous Advisory Circle.

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?

Opportunities for young families are a top priority for me, including “all-in” recreation memberships, adding hours, days, and weeks to libraries and pools, expanding leisure guide programming and adding connections in our incomplete AT network (sidewalks and protective bike lanes). I want a Winnipeg where people can afford to live by creating new affordable housing and rental units and reducing garbage collection fees for multi-family homes. I will increase Winnipeg’s quality of life y increasing capacity city-wide and locally on green infrastructure, boost and celebrate the arts by increasing grants to ward festival funding involving local musicians and work to ensure Prie is always downtown on Broadway, Portage & Main, protecting and growing Winnipeg’s urban forest and increasing ward tree protection groups.

Do you have any other comments regarding your candidacy?

Yes, I invite everyone to learn more about the campaign at www.VoteSherriRollins.ca

Also, to examine those endorsing me, whom I’ve worked with and who want to see me back at City Hall to continue work on Safe & Secure Communities; Opportunities for Families; Addressing Housing Affordability; Protecting Public Services; and Increasing Winnipeg’s Quality of Life.