If elected, Jelynn Dela Cruz would be Manitoba’s youngest MLA, and the first woman of colour elected in Radisson. Dela Cruz seeks to bring her lived experience, skills in advocacy, and fresh perspective to the decision-making table.
Winnipeg, MB – As provincial tensions continue and candidate nomination meetings begin, the constituency of Radisson sees the potential to nominate Jelynn Dela Cruz, a 21-year-old community advocate, student, and former union leader. Dela Cruz launches her campaign publicly today. If successful in the nomination race and the subsequent general election, Dela Cruz has the potential to be the youngest MLA in the Manitoba legislature and to make history as Radisson’s first woman of colour, as a born Filipino-Canadian.
“Whether youth have a seat at the table or not, decisions are going to be made on our behalf, for our futures. Unfortunately, the reality is that we will need to seize every opportunity to elbow our way in if we want to have any say in what those outcomes are,” says Dela Cruz. “I am only one of an unimaginable number of people who have been called to action amid enraging circumstances in the province. Our community wants change and only new, strong, and community-focused leadership will achieve that.”
Prior to seeking the nomination, Jelynn Dela Cruz served as President of the University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU), representing over 25,000 undergraduate students. During her two terms at UMSU, the organization worked to effectively save the U-Pass program, expand health coverage for vital services such as mental health, offer an inaugural legal aid program, defend faculty amid the ongoing labour dispute, and assist the university community in adjusting to remote learning. Dela Cruz has also served the community in a diverse array of cultural, educational, and equity-focused ways.
As a long-time resident of the Radisson constituency, Dela Cruz sets a vision for Radisson to show real leadership within the legislature. “I come from a family of Filipino frontline workers who have been at the intersection of and deeply impacted by harmful policies over the past several years. I believe that for far too long Radisson has been deprived of leadership which is attentive to both the potential and the real needs of the community,” Dela Cruz states. “Radisson is the commercial hub of northeast Winnipeg, the home of the Transcona Bioreserve, and full of neighbours that care for our health systems, education, and workers’ rights. All of this, yet it remains untapped by our elected representative.”
Dela Cruz was named an Emerging Leader by the University of Manitoba in 2019 and received an award for her reflections on Canadian women in leadership from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in 2017. This year, Dela Cruz was also named the Young Leader of the Year at the Golden Balangay Awards, a national award ceremony, and the Memorial Scholarship Recipient of the Sarah Strong Foundation.
These distinctions are preceded by over twelve years of experience volunteering across the province and leading various initiatives, such as the North East Winnipeg (NEW) Project which is currently underway.
Dela Cruz continues: “Already, I am humbled by the people that have been united by this campaign. Our team is full of new, diverse voices with bright ideas united in a shared vision for Radisson. I’m excited to see this movement grow.”
In the coming weeks, Dela Cruz and her campaign team will be hosting various opportunities for community members to safely gather both virtually and in person to share this message widely. More information on Jelynn Dela Cruz, her vision for Radisson, and upcoming opportunities to get involved can be found at: www.votedelacruz.ca/meet-jelynn
