My Story

I was born and raised in Winnipeg's North End, growing up in the Dufferin townhouse community many people knew as “The D,” formerly called Little Chicago.

Like many families growing up there, we didn't have much, but we had each other. Those early years taught me the value of hard work, determination, respect and never giving up.

My first jobs started at a young age. I delivered flyers and newspapers, collected beer bottles in my wagon and cashed them in at Labatt's Brewery on Redwood and Main.

When I was 11 years old, I convinced my mother to sign a paper saying I was 13, the youngest age Dickie Dee would hire. That became my first real job selling ice cream.

By the age of 16, I was managing five Dickie Dee ice cream bikes in Transcona. At 17, I was running 12 bikes and one ice cream truck.

During the winters, I delivered pizzas for Domino's and worked my way up to become a store manager.

At 19 years old, George Gridch and I started Pizza on Wheels. One year later, Mr. Bones Pizza was born.

What started as one small pizza business eventually grew into six stores, a commissary and more than 120 employees. Looking back, I am proud of what we built and the people who helped make it successful.

One of those people was my longtime friend, Trent Eggie. We first worked together during the early years of Mr. Bones Pizza, and our friendship has continued for more than three decades.

When I reopened Mr. Bones Pizza in 2013 while continuing to work as a Registered Nurse in northern communities, Trent became the managing business owner with me. While I was working up north caring for patients, Trent looked after the day to day operations of the business in Winnipeg. I could not have reopened Mr. Bones Pizza without his dedication, friendship and leadership.

Wanting another way to help people, I entered the nursing profession.

After earning my Diploma in Nursing from Red River College in 2005, I continued my education and completed my Bachelor of Nursing (BN).

Over more than 20 years as a Registered Nurse, including more than 15 years serving remote and northern communities as a Registered Nurse and Nurse in Charge, I cared for people facing addictions, mental health challenges, chronic illnesses, homelessness, family violence and medical emergencies.

I worked closely with Indigenous communities, families and Elders, and I saw firsthand both the strengths of our health care system and the gaps that leave people behind.

Those experiences taught me that lasting solutions require compassion, accountability and governments working together instead of passing problems from one level to another.

In 2022, I became a licensed REALTOR® with REAL Broker, helping individuals and families buy and sell homes while continuing my commitment to serving people.

Family has always been the centre of my life.

I am the proud father of Dylan, who is pursuing his education in Toronto.

My son Tyler is a skilled carpenter and a talented Indigenous musical artist who continues to pursue his own path.

Today, I am a proud single father to my youngest son, Caven. Together we have purchased our home in Mynarski Ward, where we are building our future together. Caven will be attending Faraday School, and like every parent, I want him to grow up in a safe community where children have opportunities to succeed.

My passion for addiction, mental health and recovery is not just professional.

It is deeply personal.

My daughter, Mandy, struggled with addiction before later facing a courageous battle with cancer.

Through her journey, I experienced firsthand the challenges families face when trying to help someone they love through addiction, mental health struggles and serious illness.

Mandy had an incredible ability to light up a room. She had such positive energy and touched the lives of so many people. Her kindness, laughter and spirit continue to inspire everyone who knew her.

She is deeply missed every single day.

Her journey strengthened my belief that people struggling with addiction deserve compassion, dignity, treatment and recovery opportunities. At the same time, our communities deserve safer neighbourhoods and governments willing to tackle the root causes of addiction instead of simply managing the symptoms.

In 2024, life took me to Northwestern Ontario, where I continued serving First Nation communities as a Health and Wellness Nurse while maintaining my Manitoba real estate business. I purchased a beautiful lakefront home and began another chapter of my life.

Eventually, that chapter came to an end.

In early March 2026, I found myself asking a simple question.

Could I make a difference by serving the community where I grew up?

Like many people today, I opened my computer and started researching what it would take to become a Winnipeg City Councillor. The more I learned about the role, the more I believed that my experience in business, nursing and community service could help make a positive difference.

On March 15, 2026, I returned home to Winnipeg, temporarily staying with my longtime friend Trent Eggie while preparing to purchase a home in Mynarski Ward.

Instead of announcing a campaign, I decided to listen.

I began asking questions on Facebook.

What do you think about Winnipeg? What do you think about Mynarski Ward? What needs to change? Should I run?

The response was overwhelming.

Thousands of residents shared their frustrations, concerns, ideas and hopes for the future.

I didn't just read the comments. I listened.

Every day I continued asking questions, meeting residents, attending community events and reporting back on what I was hearing.

Slowly, a clear picture began to emerge.

People talked about public safety. Addiction. Mental health. Homelessness. Housing. Boarded properties. Transit. Roads. Infrastructure. Families. Seniors. Youth opportunities. Accountability. Transparency.

Those conversations became the foundation of my platform.

I realized this campaign was never really about me.

It was about making sure residents finally had someone who would listen first, report back honestly and fight for practical solutions.

That became the foundation of my campaign.

Listen. Report Back. Build Solutions.

Today, my campaign is built on four commitments: Accountability. Accessibility. Transparency. Reporting Back.

I know one City Councillor cannot solve every problem.

But one councillor can listen. One councillor can advocate. One councillor can ask difficult questions. One councillor can bring residents together. One councillor can work with the Mayor, City Council, the Province and the Federal Government to push for real solutions instead of temporary fixes.

Most importantly, one councillor can always remember who sent him there.

My journey has taken me from collecting beer bottles in a wagon as a young boy in Winnipeg's North End to becoming a business owner, Registered Nurse, REALTOR®, and now a candidate for Winnipeg City Council.

If there is one thing I have learned throughout my life, it is this: Where you start does not determine where you finish.

If the boy from the projects can build businesses, serve communities across northern Canada, help families find homes and return home to serve the community that raised him, then anything is possible.

Residents are paying more. Residents expect better. Residents deserve better.

Let's Make Change Together.