Scott Gillingham is promising to give local businesses more opportunities to bid on city contracts if he wins a second term as Winnipeg mayor.
The promise comes in response to concerns raised in April about the city’s decision to select Aramark Canada, a subsidiary of a U.S. company, over Winnipeg’s Salisbury House as the food-and-beverage vendor at city golf courses at Kildonan Park and Windsor Park.
“This gives us an opportunity to take a harder look at how we can ensure that whenever possible, local companies benefit,” Gillingham said Friday in an interview.
The incumbent mayoral candidate’s promise has three components.
One involves asking council to approve new procurement policies that would give more weight to local companies when the city determines which bidders provide the best value for the city — when such weighting is legally permitted.
Gillingham also promised to seek guidance from the federal government to determine the national status of Canadian subsidiaries of foreign companies.
“We are trying to determine and keep track of how many Canadian companies are being awarded contracts with the City of Winnipeg,” he said.
“We need clarity from the federal government as to whether or not a Canadian subsidiary of a foreign corporation counts as a Canadian company.”
The third component of the promise involves expanding the list of bidders who are qualified to seek city contracts.
Gillingham said this would ensure more local companies are aware of city bid opportunities and know what’s required of them to bid on those contracts.
Gillingham said he is not sure whether the new policies would also apply to city entities such as Assiniboine Park, which is operated by a non-profit conservancy, or quasi-non-governmental organizations with city ownership or governance, such as RBC Convention Centre and The Forks.
Salisbury House operations manager David Petrishen, who expressed dismay this spring about the Aramark contract award, said he’s happy to see the city consider doing more for Winnipeg businesses.
The procurement promise is the second campaign pledge from Gillingham since he registered to run for mayor on May 1.
Gillingham promised in July to waive the fees for criminal checks required of volunteers.
Eleven other candidates registered to run for mayor, none of whom have held elected office.
Four of those candidates — Brad Gross, Don Woodstock, Umar Hayat and Chris Clacio — have appeared on Winnipeg mayoral ballots before, garnering between 0.2 per cent and 2.2 per cent of the popular vote, individually.
The deadline for registration and for filing nomination papers is Sept. 22.
The election takes place Oct. 28.