Don Woodstock registers for Winnipeg’s mayoral race

Don Woodstock is running for Winnipeg mayor for the third consecutive election.

Another candidate has entered the race to become Winnipeg’s next mayor.

Don Woodstock registered Wednesday, announcing his bid at a news conference outside City Hall.

It marks his third run for the city’s top job, having previously campaigned in 2018 and 2022. His best showing came in 2018, when he captured just over 2.2 per cent of the vote.

Woodstock said his campaign is built around eight pillars, with transit reform at the forefront. A former Winnipeg Transit bus driver with a decade of experience, he argued that background distinguishes him from other candidates.

“Unless you know based on actual experience, everything that you’re saying literally amounts to nonsense,” said Woodstock, who runs a security and automation company. “For me, it’s solving the transit mess that’s been created and the hardship that it’s put on folks.”

On affordability, Woodstock is promising property tax and water bill rebates for seniors. He also pointed to cost overruns on the city’s North End Sewage Treatment Plant, which he said has ballooned to $3 billion from an initial estimate of $795 million.

Woodstock also cited his record as a community advocate, saying his lobbying efforts helped push City Hall to adopt larger recycling bins.

“The time has come for Winnipeg to pick someone who knows the value of making changes, because we need change,” he said.

Woodstock joins five other candidates vying for the mayor’s chair. The registration deadline is Sept. 22. Winnipeg’s civic election is Oct. 28.