Shadow of charges hangs over Transcona race as candidates pitch vision for ward - CBC
A campaign sign for incumbent Transcona candidate Russ Wyatt is seen on Reenders Avenue on Oct. 15, 2026. (Jeff Stapleton/CBC)Social SharingA cloud is hanging over the campaign for the Winnipeg city council seat in Transcona as voters prepare to head to the polls.
Incumbent Russ Wyatt is seeking re-election while facing criminal charges, including sexual assault, which police say involve two men in separate incidents from 2023 and 2025.
While Wyatt denies the allegations and plans to defend himself in court, his four opponents say the legal proceedings are distracting from the real issuses in the campaign and leaving the ward without effective representation.
"It certainly casts a shadow … as far as some of the proceedings that are in front of the individual," said Shawn Nason, who is running to reclaim the seat he lost to Wyatt in 2022.
"I think it's unfortunate that he decided to [run] … disrespectful, frankly," said Lora Meseman, a community centre executive making her first bid for political office.
Wyatt declined an interview request with CBC News. In a written statement, he said his campaign is part of a fight against city hall power structures.
"Whether one votes for me or not, there are civic issues going on at city hall the electors need to hear about," Wyatt said.
He maintained he has "been consistently the only member of council who has stood up to the mayor" and council's executive policy committee.
"I have been through many storms in my life and I will get through this latest storm," Wyatt wrote, adding he has "a clear and strong record of standing up to power and corruption," and if re-elected, "shall continue to do so."
If Wyatt wins this election, he still faces a possible trial on sexual assault charges.
If convicted, he would be forced to step down, which means voters in Transcona would have to head back to the polls.
Wyatt was first elected in 2002. He chose not to run in 2018, following a previous charge of sexual assault, which was later dropped.
Nason won the Transcona seat in 2018 and sat on council until 2022, when he lost to Wyatt. Nason argues Wyatt's legal troubles have disrupted governance in the ward and isolated the councillor, who has been stripped of most of his council and committee positions.
Shawn Nason is running to reclaim the council seat he lost to Wyatt in 2022. (Jeff Stapleton/CBC)
"For me, it was never about who's in the race. It was about what can I do … to help Transcona move forward," Nason said.
"It seems that [Wyatt] is only available to a small set of people.… If you're going to run for this office, you have to be available. You have to show up."
If elected, Nason says he would focus on securing federal and provincial funding for the East of the Red RecPlex, arguing that the northeast Winnipeg ward is overdue for modern recreational facilities.
Recreation is also a high priority for Meseman, who works as the executive director of the General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres. She advocates for updating the city's universal funding formula, an annual operating grant to community centres, to include direct wage subsidies for paid staff.
Lora Meseman works as the executive director of the General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres. (Jeff Stapleton/CBC)
"A lot of individuals do not know that … those 63 community centres are operated by volunteers and there is a shortage of volunteers. So we need to be investing so that we can support staffing," Meseman said.
She also calls for proactive engineering assessments on municipal arenas to avoid emergency shutdowns due to structural or mechanical failures.
Chris Giesbrecht runs a media and digital marketing business, and worked as an assistant to Conservative Elmwood-Transcona MP Colin Reynolds.
"Because I was in that role, I've gotten the top-down view of what's going on in Transcona at each level of government. And there's actually very good working relationships between each level of government," Giesbrecht said.
Chris Giesbrecht has worked as an assistant to Conservative Elmwood Transcona MP Colin Reynolds. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)
Giesbrecht criticized the new Winnipeg Transit network, and called for rerouting buses away from narrow residential streets like Kildare Avenue onto major thoroughfares like Regent Avenue.
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He also wants to see strict enforcement of bus fare collection to deter petty crime, and restoring the city's arson strike force, a joint unit made up of police officers, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service members and the Manitoba Office of the Fire Commissioner.
Nathine Dagdick has worked for the City of Winnipeg for 10 years and is currently an operator in the water and waste department.
He argues his interactions with residents while working on city crews give him a practical perspective on municipal operations.
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"I've seen from the ground up what the problems are. I know the difference between a permanent fix versus a political patch. I want to make sure that we're starting to respect taxpaying dollars," he said.
Nathine Dagdick has worked for the City of Winnipeg for 10 years and is currently an operator in the water and waste department. (Submitted by Nathine Dagdick)
He proposed a citywide "proactive sealant" program to seal road cracks before winter frost creates severe potholes.
He also advocates ensuring that municipal services, including the upcoming curbside compost collection program, are delivered by city employees, rather than third-party contractors.
Cameron MacLean is a journalist for CBC Manitoba living in Winnipeg, where he was born and raised. He has more than a decade of experience reporting in the city and across Manitoba, covering a wide range of topics, including courts, politics, housing, arts, health and breaking news. Email story tips to cameron.maclean@cbc.ca.
