Brenda Leipsic

Brenda Leipsic (c. 1942 – December 9, 2008) was a city councillor and deputy mayor in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Background

Born in Winnipeg in 1942, daughter of Olga and William Dennis, she grew up in the city’s North End. Her junior and high school days were spent at St. Mary’s Academy and she graduated from the University of Winnipeg Collegiate. Once her children were in school full-time she went back to University where she studied social sciences at the University of Manitoba receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1985. Her business career began in the mid 1970s with Foster Advertising under the tutelage of Laurie Mainster. She went on to develop her own consulting firm, Leipsic Communications, working with local firms to develop their advertising and marketing plans.

She was well known for her work on behalf of several charities. She developed the dream home lottery concept for St. Boniface Research Foundation, creating the Dr. Goodbear personae and introduced the first Teddy Bear’s Picnic for the Children's Hospital Foundation, and co-chairing the Winnipeg Humane Society $11 million capital campaign. She served on the board of the Winnipeg Convention Centre and was also an executive member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

Prior to election, Leipsic worked primarily as a consultant.

Political Involvement

She was active in provincial politics, working for Progressive Conservative leader Sidney Spivak in the 1970s and eventually rising to the position of party president from 1994 to 1998 under premier Gary Filmon.

Despite her decades of involvement in politics, Leipsic had never run for political office. After her divorce, she ran and won election in October 2006 in River Heights-Fort Garry ward, where she defeated rookie councillor Donald Benham. She served as the deputy mayor of Winnipeg^[1] and sat on the influential Executive Policy Committee until October 23, 2008, when Winnipeg mayor Sam Katz named a new Executive Policy Committee.^[2]

Leipsic had taken a leave of absence from council after being diagnosed with lung cancer in August 2008.^[3] She eventually succumbed to the illness on December 9, 2008 at the age of 66.

Posthumous

On December 16, 2008, Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz announced that a new off-leash dog park will be named "Brenda Leipsic Park" in her honour.^[4] The park sits at the corner of Hurst Way and Parker Avenue, in Leipsic's former ward.

References