Ernie Gilroy
Encyclopedia
Ernie Gilroy is an administrator and politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He was a member of the Winnipeg City Council
from 1986 to 1992, and was a member of the city's executive policy committee (i.e. the municipal cabinet) during Bill Norrie
's administration. Gilroy is also a senior organizer with the Manitoba Liberal Party
, and ran under the party's banner in the 1990 provincial election
. Since 2004, he has been the leader of the Manitoba Floodway Authority.
task force on financial services. Gilroy has also served as Winnipeg chairman of Save The Children
Canada, and has been a board member of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
. He was appointed to the board of directors of the Royal Canadian Mint
in 1998.
Gilroy's daughter, Cindy Gilroy-Price, was elected as a Winnipeg Division One School Trustee in 2006
.
, defeating New Democratic Party
candidate George Slobodzian by just under 300 votes. He was re-elected in 1989
, for the redistributed ward of Daniel McIntyre. Widely respected for his abilities in government, Gilroy served in Mayor Bill Norrie
's cabinet during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He chaired the Planning and Community Services Committee, the Finance and Administration Committee and the Protection Parks and Culture Committee, as well as chairing a planning committee in 1991-92 that produced the report, Plan Winnipeg: Toward 2010.
Gilroy was chairman of the Winnipeg Convention Centre
board in the early 1990s, and took part in discussions to build a new arena for the Winnipeg Jets hockey
team. He supported a plan to build an arena called "Manitoba Gardens" in the city's downtown, and favoured the use of private-sector money rather than requiring the team's majority owners to contribute. These discussions were ultimately unsuccessful, and the Jets left the city later in the decade. Gilroy was also chosen as the City of Winnipeg's representative on the board of the Sargent-Ellice Business Improvement Zone in 1991.
Gilroy ran for Mayor of Winnipeg in 1992
, highlighting his work for a new downtown arena. He criticized rival candidates Susan Thompson
and David Brown for promising to introduce a tax freeze, saying that this would be impossible in the wake of reduced funding from the provincial and federal governments. He was supported by five Liberal
Members of Parliament
, and by the Winnipeg Police Association. He finished fourth against Thompson on election day.
In 1993, Gilroy successfully lobbied to have a new community centre on Langside Street after former councillor Magnus Eliason
. He supported Terry Duguid
in the 1995 mayoral election
.
Glen Murray was elected as Winnipeg's mayor in the 1998 municipal election
, and appointed Gilroy to serve on his transition team. He later named Gilroy as the secretary of Winnipeg's executive policy committee. Gilroy was eventually recognized as the most powerful behind-the-scenes negotiator in Murray's administration. One civil servant indicated that he was a good choice to create links between elected politicians and the city bureaucracy, although some accused him of controlling the mayor's agenda. Gilroy later worked on Murray's behalf in the federal St. Boniface riding, scouting out possible supporters if the mayor chose to run as a Liberal candidate in a 2002 by-election. Murray ultimately chose not to run in that riding. Gilroy stepped down from his position in 2003.
in the 1986
and 1988 provincial elections
, and was chairman of the party's election readiness committee in the buildup to the 1990 election
. He ran for the party in the latter election, and finished second against New Democratic Party
candidate Becky Barrett
in the north-end Winnipeg division of Wellington.
Gilroy was appointed chair of the Manitoba Liberal Party's convention organizing committee in 1993, as delegates were chosen to elect a successor to outgoing leader Sharon Carstairs
. He resigned in protest, however, when a hastily-called meeting of the provincial executive committee extended the deadline for mail-in ballots. This was widely regarded as favouring Paul Edwards
over rival candidate Kevin Lamoureux
. Gilroy later returned to his position, after taking part in compromise discussions with the two candidates. He was again called to stand-in as interim chair of the provincial Liberal campaign in 1995
, when original manger Allister Gunson was forced to leave the province on business.
Gilroy worked on David Walker
's successful re-election campaign in the 1993 federal election
, and was Rey Pagtakhan
's campaign manager in 1997
. He managed Jerry Fontaine
's bid to lead the provincial Liberal Party in 1998.
Gilroy served as returning officer for the northern Churchill
riding in the buildup to the 2000
. He resigned following allegations that he dismissed a complaint from Ron Evans
about disputed memberships sold by rival candidate Elijah Harper
; Gilroy was also reported to have told Evans that he should withdraw because he had no change of winning. A party official said that Gilroy resigned to avoid the appearance of unfairness.
to serve as chair of the Floodway Expansion Interim Management Authority. He wrote a guest editorial in support of the floodway extension for the Winnipeg Free Press
newspaper in February 2004. The following month, he was appointed as chair of the newly-created Manitoba Floodway Authority, which overseas floodway design, environmental licensing, and construction. Gilroy announced a five-year expansion plan in May 2005. He defended a master labour agreement worked out for the floodway project, arguing that it would allow for cost certainty and labour peace. A 2007 report in the Winnipeg Free Press
indicated that construction was both on time and on budget. Gilroy defended a wage increase in this period, arguing that it was necessary to keep workers from moving to Alberta
and British Columbia
.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was a member of the Winnipeg City Council
Winnipeg City Council
The Winnipeg City Council is the governing body of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors.-2006-2010:Council elected in the 2006 election:-2010-2014:...
from 1986 to 1992, and was a member of the city's executive policy committee (i.e. the municipal cabinet) during Bill Norrie
Bill Norrie
William Norrie, CM, OM, QC was the 39th Mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba and is the former Chancellor of the University of Manitoba....
's administration. Gilroy is also a senior organizer with the Manitoba Liberal Party
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
, and ran under the party's banner in the 1990 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1990
The Manitoba general election of September 11, 1990 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which took 30 out of 57 seats...
. Since 2004, he has been the leader of the Manitoba Floodway Authority.
Early life and career
Gilroy holds a certificate in management and administration from the Canadian Institute of Management through the University of Manitoba. He is an insurance salesman in private life, and was a board member of the Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba in 1997-98 and 1999-2000. In 1998, he raised concerns about proposed bank mergers when testifying before a federal Liberal PartyLiberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
task force on financial services. Gilroy has also served as Winnipeg chairman of Save The Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
Canada, and has been a board member of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its primary concert venue is the Centennial Concert Hall, and the orchestra also performs throughout the province of Manitoba.-History:...
. He was appointed to the board of directors of the Royal Canadian Mint
Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufactures circulation coins on behalf of other nations. The Mint also designs and manufactures: precious and base metal collector coins; gold, silver, palladium, and platinum bullion coins; medals, as well as medallions and...
in 1998.
Gilroy's daughter, Cindy Gilroy-Price, was elected as a Winnipeg Division One School Trustee in 2006
Winnipeg municipal election, 2006
The 2006 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 25, 2006 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.Sam Katz was re-elected Mayor of Winnipeg over left-leaning challenger Marianne Cerilli.-Council:...
.
Municipal politics
Gilroy was elected to the Winnipeg City Council for the Sargent Park ward in 1986Winnipeg municipal election, 1986
The 1986 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 22, 1986 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Bill Norrie was re-elected to a fourth term as mayor, defeating former Member of the Legislative Assembly Russell Doern and ten other...
, defeating New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
candidate George Slobodzian by just under 300 votes. He was re-elected in 1989
Winnipeg municipal election, 1989
The 1989 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 25, 1989 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Bill Norrie was re-elected to a fifth term as mayor without serious opposition.-Councillors:...
, for the redistributed ward of Daniel McIntyre. Widely respected for his abilities in government, Gilroy served in Mayor Bill Norrie
Bill Norrie
William Norrie, CM, OM, QC was the 39th Mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba and is the former Chancellor of the University of Manitoba....
's cabinet during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He chaired the Planning and Community Services Committee, the Finance and Administration Committee and the Protection Parks and Culture Committee, as well as chairing a planning committee in 1991-92 that produced the report, Plan Winnipeg: Toward 2010.
Gilroy was chairman of the Winnipeg Convention Centre
Winnipeg Convention Centre
The Winnipeg Convention Centre is a major meeting and convention facility located in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.The publicly-owned facility was built in 1975, and was among the first such facilities built in Canada...
board in the early 1990s, and took part in discussions to build a new arena for the Winnipeg Jets hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team. He supported a plan to build an arena called "Manitoba Gardens" in the city's downtown, and favoured the use of private-sector money rather than requiring the team's majority owners to contribute. These discussions were ultimately unsuccessful, and the Jets left the city later in the decade. Gilroy was also chosen as the City of Winnipeg's representative on the board of the Sargent-Ellice Business Improvement Zone in 1991.
Gilroy ran for Mayor of Winnipeg in 1992
Winnipeg municipal election, 1992
The 1992 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 28, 1992 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Susan Thompson defeated Greg Selinger in the mayoral contest.-Councillors:...
, highlighting his work for a new downtown arena. He criticized rival candidates Susan Thompson
Susan Thompson
Susan Ann Thompson was the 40th mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba. She was the first female to serve as mayor of Winnipeg and served two terms as mayor and held this post from 1992 to 1998.Thompson graduated with a BA from the University of Winnipeg in 1971...
and David Brown for promising to introduce a tax freeze, saying that this would be impossible in the wake of reduced funding from the provincial and federal governments. He was supported by five Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, and by the Winnipeg Police Association. He finished fourth against Thompson on election day.
In 1993, Gilroy successfully lobbied to have a new community centre on Langside Street after former councillor Magnus Eliason
Magnus Eliason
Magnus Eliason was a founding member of the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation. From 1969 to 1989, he was a Winnipeg City Councillor.He was born in Arnes, Manitoba, the son of Icelandic immigrants....
. He supported Terry Duguid
Terry Duguid
Terry Duguid is a politician and activist and executive in Manitoba, Canada. He has campaigned for elected office at the municipal, provincial and federal levels, and was served as a City Councillor in Winnipeg between 1989-1995...
in the 1995 mayoral election
Winnipeg municipal election, 1995
The 1995 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 25, 1995 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Susan Thompson defeated Peter Kaufmann and Terry Duguid in the mayoral contest.-Councillors:...
.
Glen Murray was elected as Winnipeg's mayor in the 1998 municipal election
Winnipeg municipal election, 1998
The 1998 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 28, 1998 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Centre-left candidate Glen Murray defeated populist right-winger Peter Kaufmann in the mayoral contest.-Councillors:...
, and appointed Gilroy to serve on his transition team. He later named Gilroy as the secretary of Winnipeg's executive policy committee. Gilroy was eventually recognized as the most powerful behind-the-scenes negotiator in Murray's administration. One civil servant indicated that he was a good choice to create links between elected politicians and the city bureaucracy, although some accused him of controlling the mayor's agenda. Gilroy later worked on Murray's behalf in the federal St. Boniface riding, scouting out possible supporters if the mayor chose to run as a Liberal candidate in a 2002 by-election. Murray ultimately chose not to run in that riding. Gilroy stepped down from his position in 2003.
Provincial and federal politics
Gilroy was campaign manager for the Manitoba Liberal PartyManitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
in the 1986
Manitoba general election, 1986
The Manitoba general election of March 18, 1986 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which took 30 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party won 26 seats and formed the official opposition...
and 1988 provincial elections
Manitoba general election, 1988
The Manitoba general election of April 26, 1988 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a minority government...
, and was chairman of the party's election readiness committee in the buildup to the 1990 election
Manitoba general election, 1990
The Manitoba general election of September 11, 1990 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which took 30 out of 57 seats...
. He ran for the party in the latter election, and finished second against New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
candidate Becky Barrett
Becky Barrett
Becky Barrett is a retired politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1990 to 2003, and was a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Gary Doer from 1999 to 2003....
in the north-end Winnipeg division of Wellington.
Gilroy was appointed chair of the Manitoba Liberal Party's convention organizing committee in 1993, as delegates were chosen to elect a successor to outgoing leader Sharon Carstairs
Sharon Carstairs
Sharon Carstairs, PC is a Canadian politician and former Senator.-Early life:Carstairs was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the daughter of former Nova Scotia Premier Harold Connolly and his wife Vivian...
. He resigned in protest, however, when a hastily-called meeting of the provincial executive committee extended the deadline for mail-in ballots. This was widely regarded as favouring Paul Edwards
Paul Edwards (politician)
Paul Edwards is a Manitoba politician and lawyer. He served as leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party between 1993 and 1996....
over rival candidate Kevin Lamoureux
Kevin Lamoureux
Kevin Lamoureux, MP is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. On November 29, 2010, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons for the constituency of Winnipeg North in a by-election. He was re-elected during the 2011 election by 44 votes...
. Gilroy later returned to his position, after taking part in compromise discussions with the two candidates. He was again called to stand-in as interim chair of the provincial Liberal campaign in 1995
Manitoba general election, 1995
The Manitoba general election of April 25,1995 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which won 31 seats out of 57...
, when original manger Allister Gunson was forced to leave the province on business.
Gilroy worked on David Walker
David Walker (Canadian politician)
David Walker is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1997, as a member of the Liberal Party....
's successful re-election campaign in the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, and was Rey Pagtakhan
Rey Pagtakhan
Rey D. Pagtakhan, PC is a Canadian physician, professor and politician. He was a cabinet minister in the governments of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, and served as a member of parliament from 1988 until his defeat in the 2004 election....
's campaign manager in 1997
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
. He managed Jerry Fontaine
Jerry Fontaine
Jerry Fontaine is an Anishinaabe politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation from 1989 to 1998, led the First Peoples Party in the 1995 provincial election, and was an unsuccessful candidate to lead the Manitoba Liberal Party in 1998...
's bid to lead the provincial Liberal Party in 1998.
Gilroy served as returning officer for the northern Churchill
Churchill (electoral district)
Churchill is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935. It covers northern Manitoba, a vast wilderness area dotted with small municipalities and First Nations reserves...
riding in the buildup to the 2000
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
. He resigned following allegations that he dismissed a complaint from Ron Evans
Ron Evans (politician)
Ron Evans is a clergyman and politician in Manitoba, Canada. He is currently the Grand Chief for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs . A priest in the Anglican Church of Canada, Evans is also a prominent figure in the Aboriginal community of northern Manitoba...
about disputed memberships sold by rival candidate Elijah Harper
Elijah Harper
Elijah Harper is an Aboriginal Cree Canadian politician and band chief. He was a key player in the rejection of the Meech Lake Accord, an attempt at Canadian constitutional reform.- Early life :...
; Gilroy was also reported to have told Evans that he should withdraw because he had no change of winning. A party official said that Gilroy resigned to avoid the appearance of unfairness.
Administrator
Shortly after stepping down as an aide to Glen Murray, Gilroy was appointed by the provincial governmentExecutive Council of Manitoba
The Executive Council of Manitoba is the cabinet of that Canadian province.Almost always made up of members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, the Cabinet is similar in structure and role to the Cabinet of Canada while being smaller in size...
to serve as chair of the Floodway Expansion Interim Management Authority. He wrote a guest editorial in support of the floodway extension for the Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
newspaper in February 2004. The following month, he was appointed as chair of the newly-created Manitoba Floodway Authority, which overseas floodway design, environmental licensing, and construction. Gilroy announced a five-year expansion plan in May 2005. He defended a master labour agreement worked out for the floodway project, arguing that it would allow for cost certainty and labour peace. A 2007 report in the Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
indicated that construction was both on time and on budget. Gilroy defended a wage increase in this period, arguing that it was necessary to keep workers from moving to Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.