A former trustee for the Hanover School Division has now set her sights on provincial politics.

“I was approached and asked if I would consider running and I decided I would go for it.”

Steinbach resident Cyndy Friesen will be spending the next few months running for MLA against NDP Leader Wab Kinew in Winnipeg’s Fort Rouge riding. She willingly admits that winning will be no easy task.

Friesen is running as the Liberal candidate in the Fort Rouge riding in Winnipeg.

“I realize that this is a big mountain to climb, however, I faced a much larger mountain as a cancer survivor. I am determined to take on this new challenge with faith, tenacity, and a positive attitude as I did 19 years ago.”

This campaign will be Friesen’s fifth since 2006. Though all other races were run in southeastern Manitoba, she feels they have given her the necessary skills to move up to this new level.

“I’ve been a trustee for 12 years and I was a strong voice around the board table advocating for the best education for all students,” states Friesen. “I’ve always been involved in helping others. That’s been my passion. So I relish the fact that I can continue advocating for people.”

Like many other areas within Winnipeg, Friesen says Fort Rouge has safety concerns related to poverty, homelessness, addictions, and crime. She hopes she can be a voice for those people who may be underrepresented.

Friesen will be temporarily relocating to Winnipeg as she begins door knocking but says her home will still be here in Steinbach.

When asked if it was unusual to run in a riding other than the one she lived in, Friesen’s answer was twofold. First, she indicated that she was born and grew up in Winnipeg and so knows the area very well. Second, she notes that numerous MLA’s do not reside in the ridings they represent including Premier Brian Pallister himself.

After failing to get elected as a Steinbach City Councillor last year, Friesen says she has enjoyed her recent time off. Now, however, she plans on hitting the ground running; "excited, humbled, and honoured" to have a shot at representing Fort Rouge.