Nick Ternette

Nick Ternette (born January, 1945 in West Berlin, Germany) is a politician and political activist in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is a perennial candidate for mayor of the city, representing left-wing and socialist policies.

Ternette was born in Germany, and moved to Canada in 1955 when he was ten years old. He has a Bachelor of Sociology and Political Science degree from the University of Winnipeg. He currently writes a column entitled "Left Punch" for Uptown magazine in Winnipeg. Somewhat ironically, he has also worked as a delivery man for the Winnipeg Sun, a right-wing tabloid.

Ternette served as president of the NDP riding association in Crescentwood during the early 1970s. He first ran for mayor of Winnipeg in 1977, and finished third against more prominent candidates Robert Steen and Bill Norrie. He ran again in 1986, describing himself as the only genuinely left-wing candidate in the race. He promoted feminist and environmental issues, and claimed to be influenced by the Green Party of Germany.

He campaigned for the leadership of the Manitoba New Democratic Party in 1979, but withdrew before the party's leadership convention and backed rival candidate Muriel Smith.

He formed a local "Green Party" to contest the 1989 mayoral election, and offered endorsements to candidates for city council Such Glen Murray, Greg Selinger and Mike Gidora. (Ternette would later become one of Murray's most vocal critics from the left, after Murray was elected mayor of the city.) Ternette's "Green Party" dissolved soon after the election, and has no connection to the Green Party of Canada or the current Green Party of Manitoba.

He described himself as a protest candidate in the 2002 mayoral election, claiming "there has to be a socialist opposition". He argued that the city's wards were too large, arguing that the city had 29 provincial MLAs but only 15 municipal councillors.

Ternette was arrested in June 2004 after attending a peace rally in Winnipeg. One of the charges raised against him was organizing a rally without a permit, although Ternette denied that he was even an organizer of the event. The charges against him were not criminal; many believe that they were politically-motivated.

In recent columns, he has endorsed proportional representation and called for the NDP to return to its socialist roots.

In 2009, Ternette lost his legs and all his teeth due to a flesh-eating bacteria.^[1]

Electoral Record

• 1977 Municipal Election, Mayor of Winnipeg, 5682 votes (winner: Robert Steen)
• 1986 Municipal Election, Mayor of Winnipeg, 3060 votes (winner: Bill Norrie)
• 1989 Municipal Election, Mayor of Winnipeg, 6865 votes (winner: Bill Norrie)
• 1995 Municipal Election, Mayor of Winnipeg, 1782 votes (winner: Susan Thompson)
• 2002 Municipal Election, Mayor of Winnipeg, 2665 votes (winner: Glen Murray)

References

1. ^ Gordon Sinclair, Jr. (2009-08-18). "Winnipeggers open hearts to longtime activist". Winnipeg Free Press. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/winnipeggers-open-hearts-to-longtime-activist-53548617.html. Retrieved 2009-09-13. 

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