Two candidates with Aboriginal roots
Brian Bowman was elected by a large margin as Winnipeg's mayor. He is believed to be the city's first Aboriginal mayor. Robert Falcon Ouellette also ran for the office and placed a distinguishing third behind the original frontrunner.
Robert Falcon Ouellette fought a courageous fight to win the mayor's office but came short. He did, however, do much better than anyone expected and many look forward to his future successes.
WINNIPEG, MB-Métis lawyer Brian Bowman was sworn in as Winnipeg's new mayor on November 4, 2014. The former privacy lawyer's first speech as mayor was an emotional one.
According to the Winnipeg Free Press, Bowman appeared "uncharacteristically nervous and choked up when speaking about his Métis heritage and honoring city hall's location in Treaty One territory."
The new mayor was not the only Aboriginal candidate who ran for the mayor's office. Saskatchewan-born and raised in Calgary, Robert Falcon Ouellette, finished amazingly well in the election, coming in third behind expected front-runner candidate Judy Wasylycia-Leis.
Married and the father of five, Ouellette served for 18 years in the military and holds a master's and a doctorate. Currently he is the Director of Aboriginal Focus Programs at the University of Manitoba.
Bowman is Métis on his mother's side. "We've always been identifying as Métis..." the new mayor told the Free Press. "... family members, my sister, my cousins, they all have their Métis card. I've never actually got my Métis card, but yeah, that's where it comes from," Bowman said.
Bowman went on to say that he has always felt comfortable letting people know he's Métis. "But at the same time, I'm a Winnipegger first and foremost, and I want everybody to be proud of their heritage wherever they come from and know that Winnipeg is a place where dreams can come true."
In days leading up to the election, when Ouellette was asked which sports team he prefers, Ouellette hesitated and thought about what he would say.
"If I had the time, I'd rather spend the day with my kids," he stated explaining how games are often expensive and he doesn't have a lot of extra time."
When the reporter offered "how about free tickets and popcorn?" Robert responded that "the Jets" would be his choice.
Immediately following the election, several political commentators suggested that perhaps Bowman might choose Ouellette to be his chief of staff or some other position in his administration. That remains to be seen. However, both Bowman and Ouellette made Winnipeggers, particularly First Nations voters, proud to have two well-qualified Aboriginal candidates in the running to be mayor of Winnipeg-often called Canada's largest reserve.
