Candidate for School Trustee · River East Transcona Ward 3
Vote Brian Hooper
for School Trustee
Strong public schools. Responsible decisions. Straight answers.
🖱️ Scroll or click to enter campaign HQ
Candidate for School Trustee · River East Transcona Ward 3
Vote Brian Hooper
for School Trustee
Strong public schools. Responsible decisions. Straight answers.
🖱️ Scroll or click to enter campaign HQ
Ready to listen. Ready to ask questions. Ready to do the work.
📍 Candidate for School Trustee · River East Transcona Ward 3
I'm committed to advocating for families, caregivers and children.
Listen • Research • Ask Questions • Connect • Follow Through
Election Day: Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
About Brian
Three kids will teach you a lot about schools.
Not from a textbook. Not from a board meeting. From living it.
Our family has been through the forms, the meetings, the questions, the advocacy, the challenges and the little victories that come with making sure each child gets what they need.
We've learned that every student is different. That sometimes the system needs to adapt to the child — not the other way around. And that when something isn't working, you can't just shrug and move on.
You ask questions.
You keep showing up.
You advocate.
And you make sure the kids who need a little more support don't get overlooked.
After living that experience as a family, inclusion, accessibility and student support aren't abstract ideas to me. They're personal.
And that's a big part of why I care about getting these things right.
I've lived in the River East Transcona community for more than 34 years. I went to school here and graduated from a school in the division. I also attended the University of Winnipeg.
For more than 20 years, I've worked with multinational companies on complicated global trade issues where the details matter.
That can mean navigating regulations across countries, identifying risks, avoiding fines and unnecessary costs, and helping customers make decisions involving budgets worth millions of dollars. It has taught me to listen, do the research, ask questions, understand the consequences and find practical solutions.
I would bring that same approach to the board table.
The Pitch
The schools here shaped real people he actually knows and likes. He wants them to be excellent, and he's willing to do the unglamorous work to get them there.
Not to be difficult. To understand what's actually going on before deciding what to do about it.
If you raise a concern, Brian's promise is simple: you'll get a real answer, in plain English, and he'll follow up when there's more to do.
Budgets aren't just numbers on a page. They're choices about where resources go — and those choices deserve questions.
A big part of Brian's job is making sure things don't disappear after the meeting. Questions get answered. Problems get followed up. Commitments get tracked. He thinks elected representatives should work the same way.
The big picture
Questions matter. So does follow-through.
River East Transcona is a large and growing school division. That creates opportunities, but it also creates real financial and operational pressures.
For 2026–27, RETSD approved a $278.7 million budget. The division reports $140.4 million in revenue available, including provincial funding, leaving $138.3 million to be raised through taxation. RETSD has also said its current funding does not fully cover the costs of maintaining existing services, and that the division needs a funding model that better reflects enrolment, demographics, program needs and the actual cost of educating students.
I believe we need a bigger conversation about how Manitoba funds public education.
A funding model should recognize more than simply how many students are in our schools.
It should account for growth, student needs, staffing, infrastructure, programs and the increasing complexity of supporting students.
And RETSD needs trustees who are prepared to make that case clearly, consistently and persistently at the provincial table.
For more than 20 years, I've worked with large organizations and dealt with difficult, complicated situations where there isn't always an easy answer.
My approach is straightforward:
Listen. Research. Ask difficult questions. Find the facts. Follow through.
That's the voice I would bring to the board.
I'm not running to simply accept that something is the way it is because that's how it has always been done.
I'm running because I believe RETSD deserves trustees who will challenge assumptions, bring new ideas to the table and advocate strongly for the resources our students and schools need.
Questions matter. So does follow-through.
Questions matter.
Brian, by the numbers
The Issues
Smaller class pressures, properly supported educational assistants, and resources that reach classrooms where they're needed.
Accessible counselling and student supports, with timely help when students need them.
Well-maintained buildings, good ventilation, and long-term planning for growing neighbourhoods.
Strong trades, technology and apprenticeship pathways alongside university options.
Respect for taxpayers and transparency in spending. Good value isn't the cheapest option — it's the one you can defend at the kitchen table.
Real consultation before decisions, not after. Families are stakeholders, not an audience.
Frequently asked, honestly answered
Trustees govern the school division: they set the budget, set policy, hire and hold the superintendent accountable, and represent the community at the board table. Trustees are elected by the community to make those decisions and hold the division's leadership accountable.
Being elected to a board doesn't mean agreeing with everyone in the room. It means listening, asking questions, explaining your position, and being willing to change your mind when the facts change.
Yes! If you're an eligible resident of RETSD Ward 3, you can vote for school trustee. You don't need to have children in school to have a say in who represents your community.
Glad you asked! Take a lawn sign, tell a neighbour, share this site, or follow the campaign on Facebook. Scroll down to the contact section — Brian personally reads everything (it's a small operation; there's no "team" to filter him).
Two decades of working with complicated organizations, solving problems, managing relationships and dealing with decisions where the details matter. That experience has taught me to listen carefully, understand the details, ask good questions and follow through.
No shortcuts.
Just good questions and hard work.
How to vote
Wednesday, Oct 28, 2026
8 a.m. – 8 p.m. at your assigned polling station. Bring identification showing your name and current address — either one government-issued photo ID showing both, or two authorized pieces of ID that together show your name and current address.
Vote early, if that's more convenient.
Advance voting is available October 5–23 at locations across Winnipeg. Community advance voting locations are open October 19–22. Click here to find out where.
There's a tool for that
The City of Winnipeg's voter lookup tells you your exact poll location. Find where you vote →
You don't need to have kids in school to vote for school trustee. If you're an eligible resident of RETSD Ward 3, you have a say in who represents you.
Voting Area
This is the official Ward 3 boundary map for the River East Transcona School Division. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom. If you live inside the lines, you're in Ward 3. Not sure? Check the City's voter lookup to confirm your voting information.
Source: City of Winnipeg official ward boundary map · Download the full PDF · Not sure if you're in Ward 3? Check the City's voter lookup.
Have a question?
Questions about RETSD, the trustee role, your school or something you think the board should be talking about?
Send it my way.
Lawn signs, questions and conversations — all welcome.
Authorized by Brian Hooper's official agent.