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Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz: A Story of Rehovot Boy, The Son of Holocaust Survivors
"WINNIPEG — What a week Sam Katz was having. A few days after the Winnipeg Free Press published a story suggesting the city’s mayor may have been involved in a conflict of interest, a local polling company reported Katz’s popularity was at near record levels.
Granted, the polling preceded news of the alleged conflict, but at 76 per cent, His Worship’s approval rating would have to drop mightily to affect his chances of re-election next year.
Since assuming the mayor’s mantle in a byelection in June 2004, Katz has rankled his left-leaning opponents on city council and perturbed those who oppose his pro-development agenda.
But the people of River City, where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet, seem to have embraced Katz and his platform wholeheartedly.
Prior to release of the polling results, Katz had embarked on a cost-cutting, pro-business program of privatizing garbage collection in parts of the city (saving $2.7 million per year), establishing a red tape commission to study ways of reducing bureaucracy, modifying an expensive plan for rapid transit and lobbying for federal gas tax money to be spent on improving roads – a position that polls show is popular among Winnipeggers.
On other issues, the mayor has elicited vocal opposition. His controversial plan to lease a parking lot in a city park so developers can build condominiums has split the electorate. Some agree the move would generate tax revenues to upgrade the park, while others fear the move favours the rich to the detriment of others.
But it was his vote (as part of a unanimous council decision) to grant a restaurant permit to a company associated with friends, who also have a business relationship with Katz’s Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team, that prompted the Free Press story.
For his part, Katz maintains he sought legal advice and was told his vote would not offend conflict of interest guidelines.
Proving naysayers wrong is nothing new for the 54-year-old mayor. Prior to embarking on a career in public service, he made a name for himself in, let’s say, serving the public.
One of his first business ventures was in running a social hall in a former racquet club. He also operated a music production company and booked into Winnipeg A-list rock acts such as the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney and Tina Turner. In addition, he was involved in basketball and baseball exhibitions, planning the Sunfest festival in Gimli, a 60-kilometre drive north of Winnipeg, and in bringing a Northern League baseball franchise, the Goldeyes, to Winnipeg.
All along the way, he said, many doubted his ability to follow through on his ambitious plans. When he first began booking major performers, people in Los Angeles would say “‘Winnipeg where? and Sam who?’” he recalled.
He remained undeterred: “There’s no question I like challenges, and I like to prove that something can be done when people say it can’t be done.”
A pitcher and shortstop as a youth, Katz said that running a baseball club is something he particularly enjoys. “I tell people, I don’t work… I really enjoy what I’m doing.”
It was while promoting construction of a baseball park near the Forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers that Katz really got a bad taste of municipal politics.
When pushing for his vision of the park, he ran into roadblocks at city hall and felt he was not treated “equally.” As mayor, he intends to make sure “we’ll treat everyone fairly at city hall.”
Though Katz’s name had been mentioned as a possible candidate in previous campaigns, he had resisted the call. He said he changed his mind when he concluded that you can “be part of the problem or the solution, and if you don’t do anything, you’re part of the problem.”
Another factor was the short 21/2-year term. His predecessor, Glen Murray, left the office to run for Parliament in 2004 (he lost).
Katz’s candidacy was announced only two hours before the nominations deadline, and he ran a two-week campaign against candidates who had been campaigning for months.
Of the nine candidates, Katz was the only “non-politician” running. “I was the true independent. I was not affiliated with any party.”
He promised to “do some housecleaning” at city hall and pare down expenses – such as contracting out garbage collection at $40 a house versus city workers’ cost of $70 a house.
Katz’s candidacy sparked the second largest turnout ever for a mayoralty race and he won the race handily with 42.5 per cent of the vote, becoming the city’s first-ever Jewish mayor.
He credits his victory to the unexpected involvement of voters between the ages of 18 and 30, who he said appreciate his can-do attitude and his private sector accomplishments that have made Winnipeg a better city to live.
His support was not limited to the business community, he said. “Blue-collar people support me as working for the little guy.”
The son of Holocaust survivors, Katz was born in Rehovot, Israel. The family moved to Canada when he was less than six months old. His father, Chaim, who survived Buchenwald, worked as a baker, and his mother, Zena, a survivor of Stutthof and Buchenwald, worked in a baker shop.
Katz grew up in Winnipeg’s north end, studied economics in university (his mother wanted him to be a dentist) and soon after started his first business, a clothing store in the western Manitoba city of Brandon.
His agenda as mayor is clearly pro-private enterprise: “I simply want to make Winnipeg a better place to live. I want people to know Winnipeg is open for business, that business is not the enemy and profit is not a dirty word.”
So far, Katz’s message seems to be what Winnipeggers want to hear. Despite all the criticism, he’s gratified that so many voters approve of his performance.
Although he hasn’t made up his mind about the next election – rumours are he will run again – he said he’s not concerned if voters one day change their minds about him.
“I have the luxury that if I’m not elected, I have something wonderful waiting for me,” he said. “We’ll do what we think is right, not necessarily what will get me votes.”"
Source: Paul Lungen. Community: Winnipeg’s Jewish mayor remains popular. The Canadian Jewish News (3 November 2005) [FullText]
Granted, the polling preceded news of the alleged conflict, but at 76 per cent, His Worship’s approval rating would have to drop mightily to affect his chances of re-election next year.
Since assuming the mayor’s mantle in a byelection in June 2004, Katz has rankled his left-leaning opponents on city council and perturbed those who oppose his pro-development agenda.
But the people of River City, where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet, seem to have embraced Katz and his platform wholeheartedly.
Prior to release of the polling results, Katz had embarked on a cost-cutting, pro-business program of privatizing garbage collection in parts of the city (saving $2.7 million per year), establishing a red tape commission to study ways of reducing bureaucracy, modifying an expensive plan for rapid transit and lobbying for federal gas tax money to be spent on improving roads – a position that polls show is popular among Winnipeggers.
On other issues, the mayor has elicited vocal opposition. His controversial plan to lease a parking lot in a city park so developers can build condominiums has split the electorate. Some agree the move would generate tax revenues to upgrade the park, while others fear the move favours the rich to the detriment of others.
But it was his vote (as part of a unanimous council decision) to grant a restaurant permit to a company associated with friends, who also have a business relationship with Katz’s Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team, that prompted the Free Press story.
For his part, Katz maintains he sought legal advice and was told his vote would not offend conflict of interest guidelines.
Proving naysayers wrong is nothing new for the 54-year-old mayor. Prior to embarking on a career in public service, he made a name for himself in, let’s say, serving the public.
One of his first business ventures was in running a social hall in a former racquet club. He also operated a music production company and booked into Winnipeg A-list rock acts such as the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney and Tina Turner. In addition, he was involved in basketball and baseball exhibitions, planning the Sunfest festival in Gimli, a 60-kilometre drive north of Winnipeg, and in bringing a Northern League baseball franchise, the Goldeyes, to Winnipeg.
All along the way, he said, many doubted his ability to follow through on his ambitious plans. When he first began booking major performers, people in Los Angeles would say “‘Winnipeg where? and Sam who?’” he recalled.
He remained undeterred: “There’s no question I like challenges, and I like to prove that something can be done when people say it can’t be done.”
A pitcher and shortstop as a youth, Katz said that running a baseball club is something he particularly enjoys. “I tell people, I don’t work… I really enjoy what I’m doing.”
It was while promoting construction of a baseball park near the Forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers that Katz really got a bad taste of municipal politics.
When pushing for his vision of the park, he ran into roadblocks at city hall and felt he was not treated “equally.” As mayor, he intends to make sure “we’ll treat everyone fairly at city hall.”
Though Katz’s name had been mentioned as a possible candidate in previous campaigns, he had resisted the call. He said he changed his mind when he concluded that you can “be part of the problem or the solution, and if you don’t do anything, you’re part of the problem.”
Another factor was the short 21/2-year term. His predecessor, Glen Murray, left the office to run for Parliament in 2004 (he lost).
Katz’s candidacy was announced only two hours before the nominations deadline, and he ran a two-week campaign against candidates who had been campaigning for months.
Of the nine candidates, Katz was the only “non-politician” running. “I was the true independent. I was not affiliated with any party.”
He promised to “do some housecleaning” at city hall and pare down expenses – such as contracting out garbage collection at $40 a house versus city workers’ cost of $70 a house.
Katz’s candidacy sparked the second largest turnout ever for a mayoralty race and he won the race handily with 42.5 per cent of the vote, becoming the city’s first-ever Jewish mayor.
He credits his victory to the unexpected involvement of voters between the ages of 18 and 30, who he said appreciate his can-do attitude and his private sector accomplishments that have made Winnipeg a better city to live.
His support was not limited to the business community, he said. “Blue-collar people support me as working for the little guy.”
The son of Holocaust survivors, Katz was born in Rehovot, Israel. The family moved to Canada when he was less than six months old. His father, Chaim, who survived Buchenwald, worked as a baker, and his mother, Zena, a survivor of Stutthof and Buchenwald, worked in a baker shop.
Katz grew up in Winnipeg’s north end, studied economics in university (his mother wanted him to be a dentist) and soon after started his first business, a clothing store in the western Manitoba city of Brandon.
His agenda as mayor is clearly pro-private enterprise: “I simply want to make Winnipeg a better place to live. I want people to know Winnipeg is open for business, that business is not the enemy and profit is not a dirty word.”
So far, Katz’s message seems to be what Winnipeggers want to hear. Despite all the criticism, he’s gratified that so many voters approve of his performance.
Although he hasn’t made up his mind about the next election – rumours are he will run again – he said he’s not concerned if voters one day change their minds about him.
“I have the luxury that if I’m not elected, I have something wonderful waiting for me,” he said. “We’ll do what we think is right, not necessarily what will get me votes.”"
Source: Paul Lungen. Community: Winnipeg’s Jewish mayor remains popular. The Canadian Jewish News (3 November 2005) [FullText]
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