John Prystanski is a former city councillor in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He represented the north-end ward of Point Douglas from 1989 to 2002.
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. Centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, it is near the longitudinal centre of North America, approximately 110 kilometres (70 mi) north of the Canada–United States border.
Manitoba is a province at the longitudinal centre of Canada. It is often considered one of the three prairie provinces and is Canada's fifth-most populous province with its estimated 1.369 million people. Manitoba covers 649,950 square kilometres (250,900 sq mi) with a widely varied landscape, stretching from the northern oceanic coastline to the southern border with the United States. The province is bordered by the provinces of Ontario to the east and Saskatchewan to the west, the territories of Nunavut to the north, and Northwest Territories to the northwest, and the U.S. states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south.
Prystanski was first elected to the Winnipeg City Council in the 1989 municipal election, defeating incumbent councillor Terry Wachniak. He was still in his mid-20s at the time of his first election, and worked with the City of Winnipeg streets and transportation department. [1]
The Winnipeg City Council is the governing body of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. When the City of Winnipeg amalgamated with surrounding suburbs in 1972 there were 50 part-time councillors. The number of councillors were reduced to 29 part-time councilors in 1977. It was then further reduced to 15 full-time councillors in 1991 when the Government of Manitoba passed Bill 68. It took effect in the 1992 municipal election and has stayed the same for subsequent elections.
The 1989 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 25, 1989 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.
He was on the right-wing of council. He was appointed to the board of the Winnipeg Enterprises Corp. shortly after the election. [2] Re-elected in 1992, he was chosen over Glen Murray the following year to serve on Winnipeg's safe city committee. Some women's groups expressed concern that he was not sufficiently sensitive to their concerns. [3] He also chaired an ad hoc committee that sought to win tax credits for Winnipeg residents who renovate older homes. [4]
The 1992 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 28, 1992 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.
Glen R. Murray is a Canadian politician and urban issues advocate. He served as the 41st Mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba from 1998 to 2004, and was the first openly gay mayor of a large North American city. He subsequently moved to Toronto, Ontario, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Toronto Centre in 2010, serving until 2017.
Prystanski was appointed to the Planning and Community Services Committee in 1993. [5] The following month, he and Glen Murray were the only two councillors to vote against spending $30,000 on a bid for the 1995 Grey Cup. [6]
The Grey Cup is the name of both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. It is contested between the winners of the CFL's East and West Divisional playoffs and is one of Canadian television's largest annual sporting events. The Toronto Argonauts have the most Grey Cup wins (17) since its introduction in 1909, while the Edmonton Eskimos have the most Grey Cup wins (11) since the creation of the professional CFL in 1958. The latest, the 106th Grey Cup, took place in Edmonton, Alberta, on November 25, 2018, when the Calgary Stampeders defeated the Ottawa Redblacks 27–16.
Prystanski represented one of Winnipeg's lowest-income areas. In 1993, he called for a crackdown on prostitution through traffic restrictions and greater lighting. [7] On another occasion, he described Winnipeg's licensing system as ineffective in cracking down on underage drinkers. [8] He helped establish the Westland Foundation in 1994, with the intent of providing funding for inner-city projects. [9] He supported the maintenance of historical sites in his ward, and angrily rejected Al Golden's suggestion that Point Douglas was too dangerous for municipal heritage projects. [10] Prystanski also supported community policing, and threatened a crackdown on local flea markets in 1995. [11]
Community policing, or community-oriented policing, is a strategy of policing that focuses on building ties and working closely with members of the communities. A formal definition states:
"Community policing is a philosophy of full service personalized policing, where the same officer patrols and works in the same area on a permanent basis, from a decentralized place, working in a proactive partnership with citizens to identify and solve problems." —Bertus Ferreira
A flea market is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously-owned (second-hand) merchandise. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal' and 'casual' markets which divides a fixed-style market (formal) with long-term leases and a seasonal-style market with short-term leases. Consistently, there tends to be an emphasis on sustainable consumption whereby items such as used goods, collectibles, antiques and vintage clothing can be purchased.
Prystanski supported efforts to keep the Winnipeg Jets hockey team in Winnipeg, and was an early backer of a new arena proposal from the Manitoba Entertainment Complex in 1994-95. [12] In August 1995, he supported a proposed municipal reform to give the Mayor of Winnipeg the ability to cast an extra tie-breaking vote on council. [13] He opposed extending municipal benefits to the partners of same-sex couples in 1994. [14]
The Winnipeg Jets were a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They began play in the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1972. The club joined the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1979 after the NHL merged with the WHA. Due to mounting financial troubles, in 1996 the franchise moved to Phoenix, Arizona and became the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2011, The struggling Atlanta Thrashers franchise relocated to Winnipeg and restored the Jets name, although the prior Jets club history is retained by the Arizona club.
Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice, usually in a rink, in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into their opponent's net to score points. The sport is known to be fast-paced and physical, with teams usually consisting of six players each: one goaltender, and five players who skate up and down the ice trying to take the puck and score a goal against the opposing team.
Prystanski became a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation in 1994, citing his mother's heritage in a Métis family in Ste. Rose du Lac. [15] He described himself as having no party affiliation in a 1995 interview. [16]
Prystanski endorsed the mayoral candidacy of Peter Kaufmann in the 1995 municipal election, who finished a surprisingly strong second against incumbent Susan Thompson, while Prystanski was easily re-elected in his own ward. [17] He was chosen as deputy speaker of council shortly after the election. [18]
When the City of Winnipeg began looking for a new police chief in late 1995, Prystanski argued that the successful candidate should be committed to community policing and have good relations with visible minority communities. [19] In April 1996, he supported the contracting-out of transit services for persons with disabilities. [20]
Prystanski remained involved with several initiatives intended to address the poverty and challenging living conditions of his ward. He supported unsuccessful efforts to introduce a strict youth curfew. [21] In June 1996, he asked federal Justice Minister Allan Rock to introduce legislation allowing drivers to lose their cars if caught soliciting for prostitution. [22] This plan was rejected in a 1997 municipal report, but was implemented by the provincial government in 1999. [23] In 1998, he supported a plan to ban squeegee kids from Winnipeg's streets. [24]
Some regarded Prystanski's voting record as inappropriate for the representative of a low-income ward, and he was opposed by an ad hoc citizens' group called "It's Our City" in the 1998 election. [25] He was also targeted by the Canadian Union of Public Employees. [26] He was nonetheless re-elected, with a narrow victory over rival candidate Pauline Riley. He again endorsed the mayoral candidacy of Peter Kaufmann, who was narrowly defeated by Glen Murray. [27]
Prystanski sought re-election as Deputy Speaker when council reconvened, but was defeated by Harry Lazarenko. [28] He was subsequently appointed to the Property and Development Committee. [29] In 1999, he led a task force that examined a spate of arsons within his ward. [30] In 2000, he voted in favour of a motion for municipal term limits. [31]
In 2000, Prystanski launched a motorcycle refinishing and parts business called The Chrome Pit. He was later criticized by the media and other councillors for devoting more time to his business than to his duties as a councillor. A 2002 article in the Winnipeg Free Press indicated that he was often late or absent from council and committee meetings, and rarely turned up at his municipal office. Soon after the article was published, Prystanski indicated that he would not be a candidate in the next election. [32]
He later supported MaryAnn Mihychuk in a 2004 mayoral by-election. [33]
In 2007, jurors in a trial involving the Hells Angels motorcycle gang were shown evidence that Prystanski had submitted an application to join the organization. He declined to comment. [34]
Prystanski received a law degree at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law. He was elected as the Manitoba Aboriginal Law Students Association representative to the Manitoba Law Students Association. Currently, he is a Barrister and Solicitor with the law firm McJannet Rich and the president of the Westland Foundation.
Daniel "Dan" Vandal is a Métis politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He represented St. Boniface on the Winnipeg City Council from 1995 to 2004 and from 2006 to 2014, and ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Winnipeg in 2004, coming in second to Sam Katz. He briefly served as acting mayor of Winnipeg following Glen Murray's resignation. On October 19, 2015, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital in the House of Commons of Canada. He is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada and as of September 1, 2018, is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services.
Voters elected three Manitoba Liberal Party candidates to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 1995 provincial election. Some of the party's candidates have their own biography pages; information about others may be found here.
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Amaro Silva was a municipal politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He served on the Winnipeg City Council from 1992 to 1998.
The 1995 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 25, 1995 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.
The Canadian province of Manitoba held municipal elections on October 25, 2006.
Peter Kaufmann is a Canadian businessman and former municipal politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He has been a city councillor and school trustee, and has campaigned for Mayor of Winnipeg on two occasions.
The 1998 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 28, 1998 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.
The 2006 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 25, 2006 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
The 1998 Manitoba municipal elections were held on October 28, 1998 to elect mayors, councillors and school trustees in various communities throughout Manitoba, Canada.
The 2002 Manitoba municipal elections were held on October 23, 2002 to elect mayors, councillors and school trustees in various communities throughout Manitoba, Canada.
The 1995 Manitoba municipal elections were held on October 25, 1995 to elect mayors, councillors and school trustees in various communities throughout Manitoba, Canada.
The 2002 Winnipeg municipal election was held on 23 October 2002 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.
Shirley Timm-Rudolph is a former politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She was a city councillor from 1986 to 1992 and again from 1995 to 2002, and served on the city's Executive Policy Committee from 1997 to 1998. Timm-Rudolph ran for the House of Commons of Canada in the 1988 federal election, and for Mayor of Winnipeg in a 2004 by-election.
Rick Boychuk is a labour leader and former politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He served on the Winnipeg City Council from 1989 to 1995, representing the Transcona ward. Boychuk is a member of the New Democratic Party.
Not to be confused with George Prévost
Evelyne Reese is a retired politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She served on the Winnipeg City Council for fifteen years, and ran for the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba on two occasions as a candidate of the Liberal Party.
Ernie Gilroy is an administrator and politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Winnipeg City Council from 1986 to 1992, and was a member of the city's executive policy committee during Bill Norrie's administration. Gilroy is also a senior organizer with the Manitoba Liberal Party, and ran under the party's banner in the 1990 provincial election. Since 2004, he has been the leader of the Manitoba Floodway Authority.