Lillian Thomas (born 1949) was a city councillor in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

, Canada from 1989 until her retirement in 2010. She served on the council initially for Elmwood, and later for its successor ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan.

Early life

Thomas was born in Port Arthur, which is now part of

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. She has a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in

Sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...

from

Lakehead University Lakehead University is a public research university with campuses in Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate programs, grad ...

, and a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree in Sociology from the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * t ...

City councillor

;Norrie and Thompson administrations (1989–1998) Thomas was first elected to

Winnipeg City Council The Winnipeg City Council (french: Conseil municipal de Winnipeg) is the governing body of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Council is seated in the Council Building of Winnipeg City Hall.1989 municipal election, defeating veteran councillor Alf Skowron in the Elmwood ward. She was a member of the centre-left Winnipeg into the '90s (WIN) coalition that also included future

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Glen Murray. In 1991, she served on a committee that recommended against the spraying

malathion Malathion is an organophosphate insecticide which acts as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. In the USSR, it was known as carbophos, in New Zealand and Australia as maldison and in South Africa as mercaptothion. Pesticide use Malathion is a pesti ...

to combat the city's

mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

population. Re-elected in

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

, Thomas soon emerged as an opponent of new mayor

Susan Thompson Susan Ann Thompson was the 40th mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba. She was born on 12 April 1947. She was the first woman to serve as mayor of Winnipeg, serving two terms from 1992 to 1998. Thompson graduated with a BA from the University of Winnip ...

, who succeeded five-term incumbent

Bill Norrie William Norrie (January 21, 1929 – July 6, 2012) was the 39th Mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and was a onetime Chancellor of the University of Manitoba. Norrie was also involved in various charities, and once chaired the United Way of Winnipeg's ...

. Thomas was appointed to both the Planning and Community Services Committee and the Protection, Parks and Culture Committee in 1993, when the left and right wings of council formed a temporary alliance to overturn Thompson's planned appointments. Thomas opposed plans to build a new arena for the

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, pl ...

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

team in the mid-1990s. She also criticized municipal expenditures on the Charleswood Bridge, and called for the project's funding to be redirected toward infrastructure renewal. She supported

Sunday shopping Sunday shopping or Sunday trading refers to the ability of retailers to operate stores on Sunday, a day that Christian tradition typically recognises as a day of rest. Rules governing shopping hours, such as Sunday shopping, vary around the worl ...

with some restrictions, and endorsed a 1994 proposal to extend benefits to the same-sex partners of civic employees. Thomas was re-elected in

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

over a strong challenge from former councillor Ray Brunka. Along with Glen Murray and

Dan Vandal Daniel Vandal (born April 18, 1960) is a Métis Canadian politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He represented St. Boniface on the Winnipeg City Council from 1995 to 2004 and from 2006 to 2014, and ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Winnipeg in ...

, she was one of only three WIN members returned to the new council. After the election, she was appointed to the Winnipeg Art Gallery board of governors, the Zoological Society of Manitoba and the medical advisory committee. In 1996, she opposed Mayor Thompson's proposed roll-back of municipal wages. Thomas was almost relieved of her three board positions in late 1996, as the result of a controversial process that many believe was politically motivated. She retained her positions with the Art Gallery board and medical advisory committee following a lengthy debate, but was removed from the Zoological Society. In 1997, she opposed businessman

Sam Katz Samuel Michael Katz (born August 20, 1951) is a Canadian businessman and former politician who was the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba from 2004 to 2014. He is the owner of the Winnipeg Goldeyes and a member of the Order of Manitoba. He wa ...

's proposal to construct a new baseball park in Winnipeg. Thomas sought to become deputy speaker of the Winnipeg City Council in late 1997, but lost to

John Prystanski John Prystanski is a former city councillor in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He represented the north-end ward of Point Douglas from 1989 to 2002. City councillor 1989-1995 Prystanski was first elected to the Winnipeg City Council in the 1989 muni ...

. The WIN organization dissolved after the 1995 campaign. Thomas received an endorsement from the New Democratic Party in the 1998 election, and was re-elected under its banner over another challenge from Ray Brunka. While seeking re-election, she highlighted her success in adding a social equity component to the City of Winnipeg Act, in order to add a social dimension to urban planning. ;Murray administration Thomas's ally Glen Murray was elected as Mayor of Winnipeg in 1998, and subsequently appointed Thomas to his Executive Policy Committee as Deputy Mayor. Over the next five years, she often represented the mayor at official events such as ribbon-cutting ceremonies and luncheons. She also served on the Fiscal Issues Committee. Thomas called for the number of city councillors to be increased in this period, arguing that Winnipeg is too large to be governed by only fifteen representatives. She opposed term limits for councillors, and described anti-mosquito fogging as a "necessary evil". She also endorsed the principle of

rent control Rent regulation is a system of laws, administered by a court or a public authority, which aims to ensure the affordability of housing and tenancies on the rental market for dwellings. Generally, a system of rent regulation involves: *Price cont ...

s, after school trustee

Mario Santos Mário Jorge Santos, (born 19 July 1952 in Portugal) is a lawyer and a former public official in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He was a prominent member of the Winnipeg School Board from 1982 to 2002, and has sought election to the Legislative Assemb ...

proposed their abolition. In July 2001, Thomas announced a two million dollar investment in inner-city development with funding from the federal, provincial and municipal governments. Two months later, she was appointed to a provincial panel charged with charting the future of the Winnipeg region. Thomas was re-elected in the 2002 municipal election, and retained her status as Deputy Mayor and her position on the Fiscal Issues Committee. She was a prominent supporter of Glen Murray's "new deal" plan for Winnipeg, and endorsed a full smoking ban in the city's public indoor spaces. She relinquished her responsibilities as Deputy Mayor in a November 2003 cabinet shuffle, and was appointed to oversee relations with the

provincial government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or ...

. Murray indicated that he made this appointment because Thomas was trusted by members of

Gary Doer Gary Albert Doer (born 31 March 1948) is a former Canadian politician and diplomat from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He served as Canada's ambassador to the United States from 19 October 2009, to 3 March 2016. Doer previously served as the 20th p ...

's administration. In 2004, Thomas encouraged Manitoba New Democratic Party members to maintain their policy of endorsing Winnipeg council and school board candidates. Delegates overwhelmingly approved the policy at the party's convention. ;Katz administration Glen Murray resigned as mayor in mid-2004 to run for the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

. Thomas supported

's bid to become his successor in the

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

that followed. The winning candidate was

, whose platform Thomas had criticized. After the election, she opposed Katz's decision to shelve the implementation of a

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...

plan for Winnipeg. She nevertheless retained her position in Katz's executive committee, and in October 2004 was shuffled to the position of Secretary for Urban Aboriginal Opportunities. Thomas opposed Katz's plan to privatize municipal garbage collection in 2005, arguing that it would encourage private monopolies and drive prices upward in the long run. She also spoke against the mayor's plan to build condominiums in Assiniboine Park. She was dropped from the city's executive in October 2005. Thomas subsequently charged that Katz was stalling the creation of urban aboriginal reserves, and took the unusual step of releasing her report on the subject before it was submitted to committee. She later opposed the establishment of an Olywest pork production plant in Winnipeg's east end, and pressured the city to remove its financial incentives for the project. The project was canceled in 2007. Re-elected without difficulty in

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, she soon emerged as one of Mayor Katz's most prominent critics on the new council. In early 2007, she spoke against Katz's plans to close the Kelvin Community Centre in her ward. She later voted against a private-public partnership for Winnipeg's Disraeli Bridge and Freeway, and endorsed

Jim Maloway Peter James Maloway (born November 10, 1952) is a Canadians, Canadian politician, who has served as a member of both the House of Commons of Canada and the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. He originally served in the Legislative Assembly of Man ...

's proposal to expand the bridge from four to six lanes. Thomas opposed plans for Winnipeg to spend $7 million to subsidize a Canada Inns private water park, expressing concern that low-income residents would not be able to afford access to the site. In March 2009, she supported an unsuccessful motion by councillor

that would have banned corporate and union donations in municipal elections. In September 2010, Thomas announced she would retire rather than seek reelection in the following month's municipal elections. She was succeeded on the council by

Thomas Steen Anders Thomas Steen (born June 8, 1960) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player and coach. Steen is the former city councillor for the Winnipeg ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan. Steen played professional ice hockey in the Elitserien, Nati ...

Federal politics

Thomas endorsed

Bill Blaikie William Alexander Blaikie (June 19, 1951 – September 24, 2022) was a Canadian politician. He served as a Member of Parliament (Canada), member of Parliament (MP) from 1979 to 2008, representing Elmwood—Transcona and its antecedent ridings i ...

's bid for the federal

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * t ...

leadership in 2002. When Blaikie announced his retirement in 2007, she announced that she would consider seeking the party nomination for

Elmwood—Transcona Elmwood—Transcona (formerly Winnipeg—Transcona) is a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1988. Its population in 2011 was 85,906. Hi ...

in the 2008 federal election."Thomas considers running for NDP nomination in Elmwood-Transcona", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 21 March 2007, Web Extra. She eventually decided to stay in municipal politics.

Electoral record

All electoral results from 1995 onward are provided by the City of Winnipeg. Results from 1989 and 1992 are taken from the ''

Winnipeg Free Press The ''Winnipeg Free Press'' (or WFP; founded as the ''Manitoba Free Press'') is a daily (excluding Sunday) broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It provides coverage of local, provincial, national, and international news, as well as ...

'' newspaper.

Footnotes

External links

Municipal biography page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Lillian Winnipeg city councillors Living people Women municipal councillors in Canada Lakehead University alumni Politicians from Thunder Bay Women in Manitoba politics 1949 births