Sam Katz

Samuel (Sam) Michael Katz, OM, BA (born August 20, 1951 in Rehovot, Israel) is the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba; Canada.cite web
url=http://samkatz.ca/htmlfiles/ABOUT_SAM/about.asp
title=About Sam
accessdate=2007-07-01] He is also an entrepreneur and a member of the Order of Manitoba.

Life before mayorship

Katz emigrated to Winnipeg in November 1951 as an infant with his parents, Chaim and Zena Katz, and his older brother David and was raised in North Winnipeg.cite news
url=http://www.jewishpostandnews.com/samkatz.html
title=Sam Katz, Winnipeg's first Jewish mayor, expressed mixed feelings on election night
publisher=The Jewish Post and News
first=Matt
last=Bellan
accessdate=2007-07-01] Shortly after graduating in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics from the University of Manitoba, he opened a retail clothing store in Brandon, Manitoba. Throughout his career he continued his entrepreneurial ventures in real estate and entertainment. His entertainment company, Showtime Productions Inc., brought artists such as Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney, and musicals such as "Evita", Les Miserables and "The Phantom of the Opera" to Winnipeg.cite web
url=http://www.winnipegpressclub.org/past.htm
title=Past Recipients of the President's Award
publisher=Winnipeg Press Club
accessdate=2007-07-01]

In 1994, he brought professional baseball back to Winnipeg with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, who now play in the Northern League. Through this franchise, he arranged for the construction and success of CanWest Global Ball Park in 1999. Katz was also founder of the Winnipeg Goldeyes Field of Dreams Foundation,cite web
url=http://lg.gov.mb.ca/activities/news/2004/eleven.html
title=News Release: Eleven Manitobans to receive Order of Manitoba
publisher=Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba
date=2004-07-15
accessdate=2007-07-02] an organization that has donated more than a $900,000 to children's charities and non-profit organizations in Manitoba.cite web
url=http://www.goldeyes.com/pages/fieldDreams/index.asp
title=Winnipeg Goldeyes Field of Dreams Foundation
accessdate=2007-07-02]

Mayor of Winnipeg

On June 22, 2004, Katz was elected as the first Jewish mayor of Winnipeg. He beat out prominent politicians Dan Vandal, Al Golden, and MaryAnn Mihychuk for the job by receiving 42% of the vote.cite news
url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2004/06/23/mb_results1_20040622.html
title=Katz wins mayoral race
publisher=CBC
date=2004-06-23
accessdate=2007-07-01] This came after the resignation of Glen Murray as mayor of Winnipeg to run in the 2004 federal election.

Katz was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 elections on October 25, 2006.cite web
url=http://www.winnipeg.ca/Clerks/pdfs/elections/2006election/E06Results.pdf
title=City of Winnipeg 2006 Election Results
pages=8
date=2006-10-26
accessdate=2007-07-02]

Mayoral decisions

Katz cancelled plans for bus rapid transit with a bicycle lane through South Winnipeg, he supported a new suburban neighborhood, Waverley West, and he proposed to make land available for residential development in Assiniboine Park.

Criticism

After referring to Winnipeg's five female Olympic medal-winners as "beautiful females" whose close-up presence made him "feel like Hugh Hefner",cite news
url=http://www.caaws.ca/e/gender_equity/article.cfm?id=929
title=Winnipeg Mayor ripped for 'Hefner' comment at Olympic tribute
publisher=Winnipeg Free Press
date=2006-04-12
accessdate=2007-07-01] Katz was criticized by a women's studies professor at the University of Manitoba. Reaction from the citizens of Winnipeg was mixed, with some agreeing with the criticism and others disagreeing.

Katz is the target of humour in a song by The Consumer Goods.cite news
url=http://www.uptownmag.com/2007-08-16/page679.aspx
title=Singing on a Prairie tune — Local band gets critical of mayor Katz in new song - then gets it on the radio
publisher=Uptown Magazine
date=2007-08-16
accessdate=2007-11-23] Their song "And the Final Words are Yours, Sam Katz" was entered in medium rotation at a number of local radio stations and offers Katz ironic sympathy for the difficulties of running "a city, a business and a baseball team", the use of Malathion for mosquito fogging, and a military training exercise (Operation Charging Bison).

Katz has also come under fire from the City's French-speaking population after removing a bilingual requirement from the criteria for awarding a restaurant license on the "Esplanade Riel" bridge and backing away from earlier promises to help fund a French-language theatre. [Citation
last =Welch
first =Mary Agnes
title = Anger grows in St. B
newspaper =Winnipeg Free Press
date =2005-02-18
url =http://www.prairiepublic.org/features/riverwatch/news/winnipeg_press/02_18_05.html
accessdate =2008-09-05

Six days before the Winnipeg City Council voted on the city's operating budget, Katz revised it. This drew criticism from councillor Jenny Gerbasi and the Manitoba director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Adrienne Batra. [Citation
last =Kives
first =Bartley
title =Critics slam Katz over just-released budget info
newspaper =Winnipeg Free Press
date =2007-03-24
url =http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/story/4147521p-4737414c.html
accessdate =2008-06-20 ]

Honours

In 2002, Katz was presented with the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. In 2003 he received the University of Manitoba Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 2004, he was given the province's highest honour, the Order of Manitoba, for demonstrating an ability to improve the social, cultural and economic well being of Manitoba and its residents.

Katz was longlisted for the 2008 World Mayor award.

Personal life

Sam was married to Baillie, with whom he's had two daughters (born in 2001 and 2005).cite news
url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2006/10/30/katz-divorce.html
title=Katz in divorce proceedings, day after re-election
publisher=CBC
date=2006-10-30
accessdate=2007-07-02] Katz began divorce proceedings with his wife on October 26, 2006 — one day after his reelection.

References

External links

* [http://samkatz.ca/ Sam Katz home page]
* [http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/winnipeg-mayor.html CityMayors profile]