Liberal Party candidates, 2003 Manitoba provincial election

The Manitoba Liberal Party fielded a full slate of 57 candidates in the 2003 provincial election, and won two seats to remain as the third-largest party in the legislature. Some of the party's candidates have their own biography pages; information on others may be found here.

This page also provides information for candidates in by-elections between 2003 and 2007.

Vaughn Ramsay (Arthur-Virden)

Ramsay is a farmer. He campaigned for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 1979 federal election, and finished third. [ [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=1942 Canadian federal election, 1979: Brandon-Souris] , History of Federal Ridings since 1867, Elections Canada, accessed 6 December 2006.] He served as Mayor of Waskada, a village in southwestern Manitoba of fewer than 300 people, from 1992 to 2006. In 1998, he expressed concern that a proposal to close the local school could result in the destruction of his community. [Bradley Bird, "Waskada School under review", "Winnipeg Free Press", 7 March 1998, A6.] The school remained open, although the closure of N.M. Paterson & Sons grain elevator the following year was a setback for the local economy. ["Elevator closure a blow for town", "Winnipeg Free Press", 24 June 1999, p. 6.] He did not run for re-election in 2006.

Monique Graboski (Assiniboia)

Graboski is a former executive director of Manitoba Environmental Industries Association Inc., a representative body of more than three hundred environmental companies and agencies in Manitoba. [Roger Newman, "Romancing the green sector", "Manitoba Business", 1 April 1997, S2.] She is also past president of the Board of Directors for the Women's Health Research Foundation of Canada. ["Liberal slate expands", "Winnipeg Free Press", 26 February 2003, B1.] Graboski was fifty years old in 2003, and was administrative co-ordinator for a lumber firm in the Inkster Industrial Park. [Aldo Santin, "NDP in fight for hard-won seat", "Winnipeg Free Press", 24 May 2003, A11.] She received 657 votes (8.05%) for a third place finish against New Democratic Party incumbent Jim Rondeau, whom she had voted for in the previous election. As of 2006, Graboski is a marriage commissioner in Winnipeg. [ [http://www.mts.net/~quin52/ Lady Commissioner] , Winnipeg Weddings, accessed 20 December 2006.]

Scott Brigden (Brandon East)

Brigden received 274 votes (4.39%), finishing third against New Democratic Party incumbent Drew Caldwell.

Candace Sigurdson (Brandon West)

Sigurdson was a businesswomen in Brandon at the time of the election, owning a custom window coverings design business. [Mia Rabson, "Brandon West epitomized political winds of change", "Winnipeg Free Press", 1 June 2003, A7.] She received 346 votes (4.05%), finishing third against New Democratic Party incumbent Drew Caldwell.

Tony Sanchez (Burrows)

Sanchez is a past director of the Philippine Association of Manitoba, and a founding member of the Filipino Canada Toastmaster Club. ["Sanchez nominated", "Winnipeg Free Press", 28 February 2003, B1.] He was a provincial civil servant in the 1990s. He sought the federal New Democratic Party nomination in Winnipeg North Centre for the 1993 federal election, but lost to Maureen Hemphill on the final ballot. [Brad Oswald, "Hemphill wins nod for North Centre seat", "Winnipeg Free Press", 22 March 1993. Hemphill defeated Sanchez by a vote of 441 to 220. Cyril Keeper and Julie Friesen were also candidates.]

Sanchez received 1,252 votes (21.58%) in 2003, finishing second against New Democratic Party incumbent Doug Martindale.

Walt Roberts (Elmwood)

Roberts received 748 votes (12.47%), finishing third against New Democratic Party incumbent Jim Maloway.

Gerry Sankar (Fort Whyte)

Sankar has long been active in organizing multicultural events in Winnipeg. He was president of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Cultural Organization of Manitoba in the 1990s, and attempted to bring together various cultural groups through events such as the Parade of Cultures ("Winnipeg Free Press", 4 June 1993). The group's 1997 parade included Serbian dancers, calypso music, East Indian singing and dancing, Ukrainian dancers and other events ("WFP", 24 September 1997). Sankar also organized the Indo Tropical Paradise pavilion for Winnipeg's 2002 Folklorama event, celebrating the East Indian culture of the Caribbean ("WFP", 7 August 2002).

He received 1,803 votes (19.16%) in 2003, finishing third against Progressive Conservative incumbent John Loewen.

Brian Head (Kirkfield Park)

Head was 57 years old at the time of the election, and had been a resident of St. James in Winnipeg for forty-three years. He had worked as a teacher in the area since 1969. As of 2003, he was principal of continuing education for the St. James School Division and principal of the Stevenson Britannia Adult Learning Centre. [http://www.mbteach.org/provincialelection/provelecteachrun.htm] In the early 2000s, he coordinated a piloting program for high school students in the division ("Winnipeg Free Press", 1 August 2000). He received 2,042 votes (22.22%), finishing third against Progressive Conservative leader Stuart Murray.

Mary Lou Bourgeois (Point Douglas)

Bourgeois received 547 votes (14.23%), finishing second against New Democratic Party incumbent George Hickes.

Murray Cliff (Radisson)

Cliff received 624 votes (8.42%), finishing third against New Democratic Party candidate Bidhu Jha.

Kristopher Ade (Riel)

Ade is a past president of the Young Liberals of Canada (Manitoba). He has worked in the office of former cabinet minister Reg Alcock. As a high school student, Ade won the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in 2000, and also represented Canada at the World Schools Debating Championships.

Ade placed third against New Democrat Christine Melnick with 671 votes.

Ed Kolodziej (St. Johns)

Kolodziej was born and raised in Winnipeg's north end, and is listed as holding a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Winnipeg. [http://newwinnipeg.com/news/election2003/r_stjohns.htm] As of 2004, he was a director of Entegra Credit Union and a property assessor for the province. [http://www.entegra.ca/public/bins/content_page.asp?cid=4-22-28]

He received 745 votes (12.77%), finishing second against New Democratic Party incumbent Gord Mackintosh.

Betty Ann Watts (Transcona)

Watts was a trustee in the Transcona-Springfield School Division from 1989 to 1998, and served as its chair prior to the 1998 municipal election (in which she was not a candidate). She supported greater parental involvement in school activities, and played an organizational role in Ukrainian language bilingualism programs. ["Parental involvement gets passing grade", "Winnipeg Free Press", 16 April 1994; Mike Maunder, "Steps being taken to improve safety around schools", "Winnipeg Free Press", 26 October 1995, 1.] In 1996, she was elected chair of the Manitoba Multicultural Resources Centre. ["Centre elects officers", "Winnipeg Free Press", 12 November 1996, A6; "Students mourning death of classmate", "Winnipeg Free Press", 15 November 1997, A6.]

Watts has campaigned for the Manitoba Liberal Party in two elections. She has also worked as Managing Editor for "The Cottager" magazine, and coordinated the 2007 Magazines Mean Business conference. [ [http://www.manitobamagazines.com/pro_dev.aspx Magazines means business - a learning curve] , Manitoba Magazine Publishers Association, accessed 29 September 2007.]

Val Mollison (Wolseley)

Mollison has worked as Manger of Communication Services for London Life Insurance Company and Great-West Lifeco Inc, and as a university lecturer. She was one of the first Liberal candidates nominated in 2003. ["Great-West Lifeco Inc. announces result of the London Life Insurance Company Common Share Bid", "Canada NewsWire", 16 July 1999, 18:06 report; "Great-West Lifeco Inc. announces increased earnings [...] ", "Canada NewsWire", 22 July 1999, 12:27 report; "In Brief", "Winnipeg Free Press", 8 January 2003, A2.] She received 766 votes (12.52%), finishing third against New Democratic Party candidate Rob Altemeyer.

Jean Paterson (Fort Whyte by-election, 13 December 2005)

Paterson was born in Montreal, Quebec, and has a Ph.D. from McGill University. She specializes in brain research, and had 27 years' teaching experience with the University of Manitoba at the time of the election. In 1994, she became the first woman to reach the rank of full professor in the university's Department of Human Anatomy. [Mia Rabson, "All candidates support new high school in area", "Winnipeg Free Press", 9 December 2005, A8.] She has been a member of the Fort Whyte Centre for Environmental Education, and secretary-treasurer of the Waverley West Residents' Association. ["Grits nominate Paterson", "Winnipeg Free Press", 8 October 2005, B10. She was 61 years old. See Mia Rabson, "Fort Whyte vote called for Dec. 13", "Winnipeg Free Press", 11 November 2005, A5.] She received 1,466 votes (21.63%), finishing third against Progressive Conservative candidate Hugh McFadyen.

Footnotes