Durand-Wood elected councillor in Elmwood-East Kildonan

Elmwood

East Kildonan

Emma Durand-Wood is the new city councillor for Elmwood-East Kildonan.

Durand-Wood, 44, won the ward byelection on Oct. 25, earning 1,567 votes, or 31.48 per cent, according to the City of Winnipeg’s website.

“(I’m) very pleased,” Durand-Wood said. “This was the hope, this was the goal. I’m especially happy for the effort of our entire team. We had a super community driven campaign with over 100 volunteers. It feels like an accomplishment for the whole community.”

She was one of seven candidates for the seat, which was left vacant following Coun. Jason Schreyer’s sudden death in April. Abel Gutierrez was the runner up, with 887 votes.

After being sworn in on Oct. 30, Durand-Wood said she planned to waste no time in continuing to connect with constituents.

“We have lots of projects that have been on standstill over the past few months, so I’m excited to get in there and find out what groups need and how I can help,” she said.

With less than a year until the next general civic election, on Oct. 28, 2026, Durand-Wood intends to not only learn the ropes at City Hall but also work to make an impact on the community.

“My goals for this year are to spend lots of time getting to know the community and what their needs are and helping them in any way I can and also to build up that communication that I think people feel is important. So making sure my office is responsive and pro-active,” she said.

“One thing that was pretty clear is that people really want to see action towards reducing crime, and reducing encampments and homelessness,” she added. “It can be frustrating, but most Winnipeggers want to see all their fellow Winnipeggers housed and supported. Those are complex, but I’d like to make some progress towards that.”

Further investing in Winnipeg Transit is another priority for Durand-Wood.

“The new system has really highlighted how vital transit is to our city and that we really need a transit system that meets our needs and is there for people who rely on it and is a viable alternative for driving,” she said. “That’s very important to me.”