Money on the menu

By John Mohan

I had lunch with the mayor last week. No real agenda was planned except to connect after his right-hand man Sherwood Armbruster became my right-hand man. I've had a good relationship with Mayor Katz for the past number of years and I wanted it to stay that way, so I thought buying him lunch might ensure that keeps going.
His office booked us a table at Hu's on First. Arriving first I told the host I was eating with Mayor Katz and I thought there was a reservation. The host said, "Oh, you mean Sam!" Sam arrived a little bit later with two cell phones in hand. He's a busy guy and I heard he gets about 3,500 invitations a year. He loves the job and the pace and engaging with Winnipeggers. He greeted several people while we ate together.

So, what does one talk about with a big city mayor when you work for a non-profit organization trying to help make Winnipeg a better city by providing services for the community's poor and homeless? We talked about our kids. His are younger than mine. We talked about an upcoming holiday trip my wife and I are taking -- he's done the same trip. We talked about Sherwood. Sam has the highest respect for his former chief of staff, now Siloam Mission's chief operating officer.

We talked about what's really important in life. He says cars and clothes are not status symbols but being successful is about keeping balance in your life.

We talked about politics -- federal, provincial and civic. There needs to be more corporate people running who know how to run or build a business and managing people. I asked him if he knew why he thought non-profit leaders like David Northcott and the late Harry Lehotsky weren't able to get elected when they had name recognition and stellar track records of improving our city.

It seems whether we want to admit it or not, in most constituencies we vote by party name before credentials or community contributions.

I advised Sam our organization is hoping to address transitional housing which is the step needed to take people from sleeping in parks and shelters to independent housing. We want to offer safe, secure and alcohol and drug-free housing. Not everybody in government understand why people trying to beat their addictions and rebuild their lives want that kind of housing. Mayor Katz seems to get it. He asked if I knew anything about the status of the abandon Bell Hotel on Main Street. I said we offered to do something with it when it was first closed nearly two years ago and never heard back. Now I think the building is too far gone and nobody will want to take it over.

What I did ask for was more money from the city (this time), but did ask what my organization could do to make Winnipeg better for us all. He doesn't get asked that question enough.

-- John Mohan is the CEO of Siloam Mission.

Last Updated: 9nd September 2009, 2:09am

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link: http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/columnists/john_mohan/2009/09/09/10797266-sun.html