Mayoral Race

Ron Pollock

"That's my No. 1 priority," says Pollock, 62.

A huge sports fan, Pollock believes the future success of Winnipeg relies largely on the economics of sports entertainment.

"The city used to be a better place. We had NHL, we didn't have a lot of crime, and we were affordable. I'd like to get back to where we were."

Pollock realizes bringing back the Jets would cost a lot. His vision is based on a public/private ownership similar to the Green Bay Packers' arrangement where shares could be bought in the team, nearly guaranteeing the Jet's longevity in the city.

Building a new Blue Bomber football stadium at the Red River Exhibition grounds is also one of his priorities.

Since 1993, Pollock has been self-employed as a paralegal performing legal research. He is not licensed as a lawyer but touted himself as an affordable alternative to hiring lawyers. In 2005, he started advertising his freelance services and was temporarily shut down by the Law Society of Manitoba. His dispute with the law society is still before the courts.

Pollock and his sister Natalie found cult-like status with their community-access cable TV program, The Pollock & Pollock Gossip Show, which ran from 1985 to 1989. Pollock says the show was ahead of its time in that it showcased real people simply having fun long before reality TV.

Pollock's second objective is to set up free citywide legal aid similar to health care.

"I've run into a lot of people who can't afford lawyers," says Pollock. "These aren't just for the poor. This is a concept for free legal guidance for anyone."

The system would not guarantee representation in the courts – it would offer legal advice on a drop-in basis. Pollock says funding would come from a portion of the mayor's operating budget.

The basis of Pollock's platform is blue collar. "It means to include the most people possible on all economic levels," says Pollock. "That's my own personality; I didn't invent this for the election."

Candidate profile by Jack Rach, a journalism major in the Creative Communications program at Red River College.