Ernie Gilroy

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.

Ernie Gilroy
Winnipeg City Councillor
In office
1989–1992
ConstituencyDaniel McIntyre
Winnipeg City Councillor
In office
1986–1989
ConstituencySargent Park
Personal details
Born (1948-10-06) 6 October 1948
Political partyLiberal
ChildrenCindy Gilroy

Early life and career

Gilroy holds a certificate in management and administration from the Canadian Institute of Management through the University of Manitoba.[1] He is an insurance salesman in private life,[2] and was a board member of the Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba in 1997–98 and 1999–2000.[3] In 1998, he raised concerns about proposed bank mergers when testifying before a federal Liberal Party task force on financial services.[4] Gilroy has also served as Winnipeg chairman of Save The Children Canada,[5] and has been a board member of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.[6] He was appointed to the board of directors of the Royal Canadian Mint in 1998.[7]

Gilroy's daughter, Cindy Gilroy, was elected as a Winnipeg Division One School Trustee in 2006 and was later elected as City Councillor for Daniel McIntyre in the 2014 municipal elections.[8]

Municipal politics

Gilroy was elected to the Winnipeg City Council for the Sargent Park ward in 1986, 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.[9] 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.[10]

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.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13]

Gilroy ran for Mayor of Winnipeg in 1992, highlighting his work for a new downtown arena.[14] 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.[15] 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.[16] He supported Terry Duguid in the 1995 mayoral election.[17]

Glen Murray was elected as Winnipeg's mayor in the 1998 municipal election, and appointed Gilroy to serve on his transition team.[18] He later named Gilroy as the secretary of Winnipeg's executive policy committee.[19] 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.[20] 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.[21] Murray ultimately chose not to run in that riding. Gilroy stepped down from his position in 2003.[22]

Provincial and federal politics

Gilroy was campaign manager for the Manitoba Liberal Party in the 1986 and 1988 provincial elections,[23] and was chairman of the party's election readiness committee in the buildup to the 1990 election.[24] 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.[25] Gilroy later returned to his position, after taking part in compromise discussions with the two candidates.[26] He was again called to stand-in as interim chair of the provincial Liberal campaign in 1995, when original manager Allister Gunson was forced to leave the province on business.[27]

Gilroy worked on David Walker's successful re-election campaign in the 1993 federal election,[28] and was Rey Pagtakhan's campaign manager in 1997.[29] He managed Jerry Fontaine's bid to lead the provincial Liberal Party in 1998.[30]

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 chance of winning. A party official said that Gilroy resigned to avoid the appearance of unfairness.[31]

Administrator

Shortly after stepping down as an aide to Glen Murray, Gilroy was appointed by the provincial government to serve as chair of the Floodway Expansion Interim Management Authority.[32] He wrote a guest editorial in support of the floodway extension for the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper in February 2004.[33] The following month, he was appointed as chair of the newly created Manitoba Floodway Authority, which overseas floodway design, environmental licensing, and construction.[34] Gilroy announced a five-year expansion plan in May 2005.[35] He defended a master labour agreement worked out for the floodway project, arguing that it would allow for cost certainty and labour peace.[36] 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.[37]

References
  1. "Minister Gagliano Announces Appointment to the Board of Directors of the Royal Canadian Mint" [press release], Canada NewsWire, 16 June 1998, 2:14pm.
  2. Bill Redekop, "Living scared in the no-zone", Winnipeg Free Press, 2 March 1996, A4.
  3. "Manitoba movers", Winnipeg Free Press, 26 November 1997, B12; "Manitoba movers", Winnipeg Free Press, 28 April 1999, B8.
  4. Manfred Jager, "Bank-merger concerns aired before task force", Winnipeg Free Press, 9 April 1998, B12.
  5. Aldo Santin, "One of city's derelict houses may become hooker haven", Winnipeg Free Press, 17 February 2000, A10.
  6. Morley Walker, "Video screens, pay freeze urged", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 September 2003, D3.
  7. "Minister Gagliano Announces Appointment to the Board of Directors of the Royal Canadian Mint" [press release], Canada NewsWire, 16 June 1998, 2:14pm. The press release for this announcement noted that Gilroy was himself a collector of rare coins.
  8. Bartley Kives, "Coalition enters civic arena", Winnipeg Free Press, 18 June 2008, B3.
  9. Brian Cole, "The empress keeps troops in line" [editorial], Winnipeg Free Press, 4 April 1997, A15.
  10. "Harmony at city hall" [editorial], Winnipeg Free Press, 4 November 1993; "Minister Gagliano Announces Appointment to the Board of Directors of the Royal Canadian Mint" [press release], Canada NewsWire, 16 June 1998, 2:14pm.
  11. "$60 million Winnipeg arena would be new home for Jets", Toronto Star, 22 May 1991, C4.
  12. Aldo Santin, "Councillors want private investors to finance arena", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 August 1991; David Roberts, "New deal will give Jets financial lift", Winnipeg Free Press, 9 November 1991.
  13. Bonnie Bridge, "BIZ board meetings underway", Winnipeg Free Press, 18 August 1991.
  14. David Roberts, "Starting gate open in race for mayor", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 June 1992, A4.
  15. David Roberts, "Winnipeg mayoral race narrows", The Globe and Mail, 28 October 1992, N10.
  16. Nick Martin, "New recreation centre on Langside to honor former councillor Eliason", Winnipeg Free Press, 13 April 1993.
  17. Bruce Owen, "City lacks leadership: critics", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 October 1995, A7.
  18. David O'Brien, "Murray's foes bury hatchet 'in best interests of the city'", Winnipeg Free Press, 31 October 1998, A11.
  19. Brian Cole, editorial, 18 February 1999, A12.
  20. David O'Brien, "Murray brings council", Winnipeg Free Press, 11 May 1999, A1; Mary Agnes Welch, "Mayor shakes up city hall", Winnipeg Free Press, 15 May 2003, B1.
  21. Daniel Tett, "Will Murray run? Mayor may join the race for Duhamel's empty seat", Winnipeg Free Press, 16 January 2002, A1.
  22. Mary Agnes Welch, "City hall spark-plug Gilroy steps down", Winnipeg Free Press, 3 April 2003, B5.
  23. Michael Tenszen, "Liberal chief in uphill fight to make gains in Manitoba", The Globe and Mail, 5 February 1986, A3; Geoffrey York, "Manitoba party leaders make last pitch for votes", The Globe and Mail, 26 April 1988, A5.
  24. Geoffrey York, "Spring election seems unlikely in Manitoba", The Globe and Mail, 9 April 1990, A8.
  25. Radha K. Thampi, "Key Grit quits in vote rule dispute", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 May 1993.
  26. Donald Campbell, "Liberals do some damage control", Winnipeg Free Press, 27 May 1993; Correy Myco, "Liberals patch up differences over vote", Winnipeg Free Press, 28 May 1993.
  27. Bruce Owen, "Who's really in charge of the Liberals?", Winnipeg Free Press, 27 March 1995; Paul Samyn, "Grits' trail boss leaves in middle of the ride", Winnipeg Free Press, 4 April 1995.
  28. "Winnipeg North Centre", Winnipeg Free Press, 26 October 1993.
  29. John Douglas, "City leans a little to the left", Winnipeg Free Press, 3 June 1997, B2.
  30. David Kuxhaus, "Fontaine feels he can mend fractured Liberal party", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 April 1998, A6; David Kuxhaus, "Grits pick Gerrard as their saviour", Winnipeg Free Press, 18 October 1998, A1.
  31. "Grit official strips 137 names from party's membership list in Mba riding", Canadian Press, 27 October 2000, 08:46pm; Bud Robertson, "Harper wins nomination in Churchill constituency", Winnipeg Free Press, 1 November 2000, A13.
  32. "Liberal to head floodway project", Winnipeg Free Press, 1 May 2003, A5.
  33. Ernie Gilroy, "Expansion of the floodway is vital" [editorial], Winnipeg Free Press, 2 February 2004, A11. See also Ernie Gilroy, "Public helping shape floodway" [editorial], Winnipeg Free Press, 24 January 2005, A11.
  34. Daniel Lett, "Floodway expansion could start next year", Winnipeg Free Press, 11 March 2004, A5.
  35. Mia Rabson, "Floodway plan unveiled", Winnipeg Free Press, 7 May 2005, A6.
  36. A compromise worked out by mediator Wally Fox-Decent ensured that expansion workers would not be forced to unionize, but would be required to pay "service fees" to labour unions working on the project. See Ernie Gilroy, "Master labour pact makes sense" [editorial], Winnipeg Free Press, 16 March 2004, A13; Paul Egan, "Floodway boss says time short for labour pact", Winnipeg Free Press, 23 April 2004, A5; Leah Janzen, "No 'forced unionization'", Winnipeg Free Press, 28 May 2004, B1; David O'Brien, "Floodway labour pact signed", Winnipeg Free Press, 10 March 2005, B3; Ernie Gilroy, "Floodway labour agreement makes economic sense" [editorial], Winnipeg Free Press, 9 June 2006, A13.
  37. Mary Agnes Welch, "Floodway wages keep going up: Some workers get 5% raise annually", Winnipeg Free Press, 20 April 2007, B3.
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