Lillian Thomas

Lillian Thomas (born 1948) is a city councillor in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She has served continuously since 1989, initially for Elmwood and later for its successor ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan.

Early life

Thomas was born in Port Arthur, which is now part of Thunder Bay, Ontario. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Lakehead University, and a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Manitoba. She is a long-time member of the New Democratic Party. [Nick Martin, "Can WIN broaden its base? ...", "Winnipeg Free Press", 25 June 1995.]

Thomas is married to Len Dalman (1978) and they have a son David (1986).

City Councillor

;Norrie and Thompson administrations

Thomas was first elected to Winnipeg City Council in the 1989 municipal election, defeating veteran councillor Alf Skowron in the Elmwood ward. She was a member of the centre-left Winnipeg into the '90s (WIN) coalition that also included future mayor Glen Murray. Bill Norrie, the centre-right candidate, was elected to his fifth and final term as mayor. In 1991, Thomas served on a municipal committee that issued a report recommending against spraying malathion to combat the city's mosquito population. [Val Werier, "Ban mosquito fogging forever" [editorial] , "Winnipeg Free Press".]

Re-elected in 1992, she soon emerged as an opponent of new mayor Susan Thompson. She was appointed to the Planning and Community Services Committee and the Protection, Parks and Culture Committee in 1993, when the left and right wings of council formed a temporary alliance to bypass Thompson's preferred appointments. [Dan Lett, "Alliance approves postings: Civic factions unite to bypass mayor", "Winnipeg Free Press", 4 November 1993.]

Thomas opposed a proposal to build a new arena for the Winnipeg Jets hockey team during the mid-1990s. [Nick Martin, "Arena-boosting kitty trimmed", "Winnipeg Free Press", 13 October 1994. See also Dan Lett, "WIN airs budget with bigger tax hike", "Winnipeg Free Press", 22 February 1994.] She also criticized municipal expenditures on the Charleswood Bridge, and called for the project's funding to be put toward infrastructure renewal. [Nick Martin, "Bridge over troubled body", "Winnipeg Free Press", 17 September 1994.] She supported Sunday shopping, with some restrictions, ["Sunday decision resented", "Winnipeg Free Press", 31 March 1993.] and favoured a 1994 proposal to extend benefits to the same-sex partners of civic employees. [Dan Lett, "Same-sex debate stews", "Winnipeg Free Press", 5 July 1994.]

Thomas was re-elected in 1995 over a strong challenge from former councillor Ray Brunka. Along with Glen Murray and Dan Vandal, she was one of only three WIN members returned to the new council. After the election, she was appointed to the Winnipeg Art Gallery board of governors, the Zoological Society of Manitoba and the medical advisory committee. In 1996, she opposed Mayor Thompson's proposed roll-back of municipal wages. [Aldo Santin, "Wage rollback abandoned", 21 March 1996, A1.] Thomas was almost removed from her three board positions in late 1996, after a controversial appointments process that many believe was politically motivated. She retained her positions with the Art Gallery board and medical advisory committee following a lengthy debate, but was removed from the Zoological Society. [Also Santin, 'Gang' hands out civic plums, "Winnipeg Free Press", 7 November 1996, A4.] In 1997, she opposed businessman Sam Katz's proposal to construct a new baseball park. [Kelly Taylor, "City puts ball park on first with vote", "Winnipeg Free Press", 29 May 1997, D3. She had previously criticized Mayor Thompson's decision to merge the city's fire and ambulance departments, saying it was undertaken without due consultation. See Aldo Santin, "Merger expert's hiring draws fire", "Winnipeg Free Press", 21 February 1997, A5 and "Council gives blessing to fire-ambulance merger", "Winnipeg Free Press", 23 July 1998, A7.. Thomas was one of two councillors to vote against the merger, along with Harry Lazarenko.]

Thomas sought to become deputy speaker of the Winnipeg City Council in late 1997, but lost to John Prystanski. ["Thompson announces new city team", "Winnipeg Free Press", 6 November 1997, A5.]

The WIN party organization dissolved after the 1995 campaign. [Aldo Santin, "WIN exiting city scene", "Winnipeg Free Press", 17 October 1996, A16.] Thomas received an endorsement from the New Democratic Party in the 1998 election, and was re-elected under its banner over another challenge from Ray Brunka. [Linda Quattrin, "10 New Democrats run under banner", "Winnipeg Free Press", 18 August 1998, A3. Thomas was also endorsed by the Canadian Union of Public Employees. See Bill Redekop, "Civic union puts out political wish list", "Winnipeg Free Press", 5 October 1998, A3.] While seeking re-election, Thomas highlighted her success in adding a social equity component to the City of Winnipeg Act, in order to add a social dimension to urban planning. [Glen MacKenzie, "Crime an issue in hot battle in Elmwood", "Winnipeg Free Press", 22 October 1998, A5.]

;Murray administration

Thomas's ally Glen Murray was elected as Mayor of Winnipeg in 1998, and subsequently appointed Thomas to his Executive Policy Committee as Deputy Mayor. [Kim Guttormson, "Murray drafts balanced team", "Winnipeg Free Press", 4 November 1998, A3.] Over the next five years, she often represented the mayor at official events such as ribbon-cutting ceremonies and luncheons. [Patti Edgar, "Key signatures", "Winnipeg Free Press", 13 March 2004, H1.] She also served on the Fiscal Issues Committee. [David O'Brien, "Who wants to spend like a millionaire?", "Winnipeg Free Press", 11 December 1999, A1.]

Thomas called for the number of city councillors to be increased in this period, arguing that Winnipeg is too large to be governed by only fifteen representatives. [Keith McArthur, "Overhaul begins on city political map", "Winnipeg Free Press", 31 May 1999, A3.] She opposed term limits for councillors, and described anti-mosquito fogging as a "necessary evil". [David O'Brien, "EPC rejects term limits for council", "Winnipeg Free Press", 5 October 2000, A14 [term limits] ; David O'Brien, "No need to fear fogging, city says", "Winnipeg Free Press", 11 June 1999 [fogging] .] She also endorsed the principle of rent controls, after school trustee Mario Santos proposed their abolition. [Nick Martin, "Santos urges gov't to lift rent controls", "Winnipeg Free Press", 11 January 2001, A7.]

In July 2001, Thomas helped introduce a two million dollar investment in inner-city development from the federal, provincial and municipal governments. [David O'Brien, "Three levels of government provide $2 million", "Winnipeg Free Press", 7 July 2001, A6.] Two months later, she was appointed to a provincial panel charged with charting the future of the Winnipeg region. [Bill Redekop, "U of M professor to lead panel on capital region", "Winnipeg Free Press", 20 September 2001, A20.]

Thomas was re-elected in the 2002 municipal election, retaining her status as Deputy Mayor and her position on the Fiscal Issues Committee. [Leah Hendry, "Mayor keeps inner-circle team intact", "Winnipeg Free Press", 6 November 2002, A3; Mary Agnes Welch, "Rookies win plum positions on city council", "Winnipeg Free Press", 13 November 2002, A6.] She endorsed a full smoking ban in public indoor spaces, and was a prominent supporter of Glen Murray's "new deal" plan for Winnipeg. [Leah Hendry, "'All-out' butt ban is near: mayor", "Winnipeg Free Press", 16 January 2003, A1; Mary Agnes Welch, "Tide hasn't turned against plan: Murray", "Winnipeg Free Press", 22 October 2003, A3.] She relinquished her responsibilities as Deputy Mayor in a November 2003 cabinet shuffle, and was appointed to oversee relations with the provincial government. Murray indicated that he made this appointment because Thomas was trusted by members of Gary Doer's administration. [Mary Agnes Welch, "Is this Winnipeg's next mayor?", "Winnipeg Free Press", 6 November 2003, D1.]

In 2004, Thomas encouraged Manitoba New Democratic Party members to continue their policy of endorsing Winnipeg council and school board candidates. Delegates overwhelmingly approved the proposal at the party's March convention. [Nick Martin, "Endorsements to remain", "Winnipeg Free Press", 8 March 2004, A5.]

;Katz administration

Glen Murray resigned as mayor in mid-2004 to run for the Canadian House of Commons, and Thomas supported Dan Vandal in the by-election that followed. [Patti Edgar, "Ex-councillors trash garbage fees", "Winnipeg Free Press", 18 May 2004, B1.] The winning candidate was Sam Katz, whose platform Thomas had criticized. ["Mayor Katz moves in", "Winnipeg Free Press", 3 July 2004, B1.] After the election, she opposed Katz's decision to shelve the implementation of a rapid transit plan. [Mary Agnes Welch, "Bus ride enlightens mayor", "Winnipeg Free Press", 11 September 2004, B1.] She nevertheless retained her position in Katz's executive committee, and in October 2004 was shuffled to the position of Secretary for Urban Aboriginal Opportunities. ["Who got what", 20 October 2004, A8.]

Thomas spoke against Katz's plan to privatize municipal garbage collection in 2005, arguing that it would encourage about private monopolies and drive prices upward in the long run. [Mary Agnes Welch, "Trash talk angers union", "Winnipeg Free Press", 17 May 2005, B1.] She also spoke out against the mayor's plan to build condominiums in Assiniboine Park. [Mary Agnes Welch, "Katz facing battle to get condos in park", "Winnipeg Free Press", 20 September 2005, A1.] She was dropped from the city's executive in October 2005.

Thomas subsequently charged that Katz was stalling the creation of urban aboriginal reserves, and took the unusual step of releasing her report on the subject before it was submitted to committee. [Mary Agnes Welch, "Stalling of urban reserve alleged", "Winnipeg Free Press", 5 November 2005, B1.] She later opposed the establishment of an Olywest pork production plant in Winnipeg's east end, and pressured the city to remove financial incentives for the project. [Bartley Kives, "Backing out on OlyWest bad idea, council told", "Winnipeg Free Press", 20 May 1996, B1.] The project was canceled in 2007.

Re-elected without difficulty in 2006, she soon emerged as one of Mayor Katz's most prominent critics on the new council. [Mary Agnes Welch, "Thomas leads verbal charge", "Winnipeg Free Press", 7 December 2006, B2.] In early 2007, she spoke out against Katz's plans to close a community centre in her ward. [Bartley Kives, "Community centre doomed", "Winnipeg Free Press", 25 January 2007, B1.]

Federal politics

Thomas endorsed Bill Blaikie's bid for the federal New Democratic Party leadership in 2002. After Blaikie announced his retirement in 2007, she indicated that she would consider seeking the party nomination for Elmwood—Transcona in the next election. ["Thomas considers running for NDP nomination in Elmwood-Transcona", "Winnipeg Free Press", 21 March 2007, Web Extra.]

External links

* [http://winnipeg.ca/council/thomas/cnclabot.htm Municipal biography page]

Electoral Record

All electoral results from 1995 onward are provided by the City of Winnipeg. Results from 1989 and 1992 are taken from the "Winnipeg Free Press" newspaper.

Table of offices held

Footnotes