Heightened security for Manitoba politicians appears to be a sign of the times

The days when a Manitoba premier could ride a bicycle to work alone and unworried about their security seem like a long time ago.

The days when a Manitoba premier could ride a bicycle to work alone and unworried about their security seem like a long time ago.

In the decade since Greg Selinger took a two-wheel commute from his home to the stately legislature in Winnipeg, security has been beefed up as concerns about threats faced by politicians grew.

Wab Kinew, elected premier in 2023, is followed by security inside the legislature and when he's out at public events and press conferences. He is driven in a large vehicle with someone always at his side.

"It's definitely an adjustment to go from what life was like prior to the election to my reality today, which is I'm never alone," Kinew said in a year-end interview, adding political staff are almost always present.

Kinew wouldn't discuss specifics of his security and said his interactions with the public have been overwhelmingly positive.

Kelvin Goertzen, a veteran politician who spent several years in cabinet and two months in the premier's chair in 2021, recalled in a recent interview that he had some tense moments.

"There have been times, at sporting events for example, where I would say that people came up and were unnecessarily aggressive and my family was involved in some of those," Goertzen said.