Lillian Thomas (born 1949) was a city councillor in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from 1989 until her retirement in 2010. She served on the council initially for Elmwood, and later for its successor ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan.
Early life
Thomas was born in Port Arthur, which is now part of Thunder Bay, Ontario. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Lakehead University, and a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Manitoba. She is married to Len Dalman (1978), and they have a son, David (1985).
Thomas is a long-time member of the New Democratic Party.
City councillor
Norrie and Thompson administrations (1989–1998)
Thomas was first elected to Winnipeg City Council in the 1989 municipal election, defeating veteran councillor Alf Skowron in the Elmwood ward. She was a member of the centre-left Winnipeg into the '90s (WIN) coalition that also included future mayor Glen Murray. In 1991, she served on a committee that recommended against the spraying malathion to combat the city's mosquito population.
Re-elected in 1992, Thomas soon emerged as an opponent of new mayor Susan Thompson, who succeeded five-term incumbent Bill Norrie. Thomas was appointed to both the Planning and Community Services Committee and the Protection, Parks and Culture Committee in 1993, when the left and right wings of council formed a temporary alliance to overturn Thompson's planned appointments.
Thomas opposed plans to build a new arena for the Winnipeg Jets hockey team in the mid-1990s. She also criticized municipal expenditures on the Charleswood Bridge, and called for the project's funding to be redirected toward infrastructure renewal. She supported Sunday shopping with some restrictions, and endorsed a 1994 proposal to extend benefits to the same-sex partners of civic employees.
Thomas was re-elected in 1995 over a strong challenge from former councillor Ray Brunka. Along with Glen Murray and Dan Vandal, she was one of only three WIN members returned to the new council. After the election, she was appointed to the Winnipeg Art Gallery board of governors, the Zoological Society of Manitoba and the medical advisory committee. In 1996, she opposed Mayor Thompson's proposed roll-back of municipal wages. Thomas was almost relieved of her three board positions in late 1996, as the result of a controversial process that many believe was politically motivated. She retained her positions with the Art Gallery board and medical advisory committee following a lengthy debate, but was removed from the Zoological Society. In 1997, she opposed businessman Sam Katz's proposal to construct a new baseball park in Winnipeg.
Thomas sought to become deputy speaker of the Winnipeg City Council in late 1997, but lost to John Prystanski.
The WIN organization dissolved after the 1995 campaign. Thomas received an endorsement from the New Democratic Party in the 1998 election, and was re-elected under its banner over another challenge from Ray Brunka. While seeking re-election, she highlighted her success in adding a social equity component to the City of Winnipeg Act, in order to add a social dimension to urban planning.
Murray administration
Thomas's ally Glen Murray was elected as Mayor of Winnipeg in 1998, and subsequently appointed Thomas to his Executive Policy Committee as Deputy Mayor. Over the next five years, she often represented the mayor at official events such as ribbon-cutting ceremonies and luncheons. She also served on the Fiscal Issues Committee.
Thomas called for the number of city councillors to be increased in this period, arguing that Winnipeg is too large to be governed by only fifteen representatives. She opposed term limits for councillors, and described anti-mosquito fogging as a "necessary evil". She also endorsed the principle of rent controls, after school trustee Mario Santos proposed their abolition.
In July 2001, Thomas announced a two million dollar investment in inner-city development with funding from the federal, provincial and municipal governments. Two months later, she was appointed to a provincial panel charged with charting the future of the Winnipeg region.