Mayoral candidate Chris Clacio wants Winnipeg to establish an office of civic engagement and rethink the mayor’s role on city council.
Speaking with host Graham McDonald on WINNIPEG VOTES 2026, Clacio outlined proposals on public participation, public safety, housing and transit.
His proposed office of civic engagement would give organizations a place to bring ideas to the city and gather public input on issues ranging from media literacy to safety.
“An office of civic engagement would be a one-stop shop for civic engagement for organizations to pitch ideas to the city to implement.”
Clacio said he wants to reform the Winnipeg Police Service and sees the proposed office as a forum for gathering ideas to improve public safety. He pointed to what he described as an “innovation lab” program in Calgary as a possible model.
He also proposed making the mayor a non-voting member of council, with a role similar to that of the Speaker of the House of Commons.
On housing and homelessness, Clacio called for a city-wide approach, saying the issues are currently being treated more as ward-level concerns.
He also supports exploring light rail transit and the possibility of a minimum basic income for Winnipeggers, citing a model advocated by the organization Boston Basic Income.
Clacio, who also ran for mayor in 2022, said his campaign has grown over the years.
“When I first started it was just me,” Clacio said, “I didn’t have an official agent, didn’t have an auditor. And through the years my campaigning slowly developed to become where I am today, where I actually have a campaign team.”
He said he wants voters to see his long-term commitment and believes the city needs to plan decades into the future.
“And for me, I’m a big believer that we have to look beyond 50 years.”
To learn more about Chris Clacio, his candidacy and positions, check out the full interview on U Multicultural Channel 14 in Manitoba, Bell MTS channel 1029 in Winnipeg, U Radio on 88.7 FM in Manitoba and U Multicultural’s YouTube channel.
Disclaimer: As part of U Multicultural’s 2026 Winnipeg Municipal Election Coverage, candidates were invited to share messages with our audience. The views expressed in this article are the candidate’s own, and this article does not constitute an endorsement by U Multicultural.
Graham McDonald, U Multicultural Journalism and Media Arts Centre