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This article was published 19/9/2018 (736 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brian Bowman has received an unexpected endorsement in his bid for re-election as mayor.

Speaking at a Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce event Wednesday, former mayor Glen Murray said he supports Bowman's efforts to reopen Portage and Main to pedestrians and he's backing Bowman in the civic election.

"I'm a big fan of (Bowman). I think he's doing a great job. I think he's showing real courage and leadership," Murray told reporters. "I got to know Brian over the years and I've been very impressed with him."

Murray said Bowman had a difficult job becoming mayor in 2014 because he had no political experience and had to clean up problems that had accumulated in the previous years.

"To fix what was broken is a lot of work. He's now showing some vision. He's talking about things that people want to see happen in the city. I think he's earned it."

When asked later, Bowman said he was not expecting Murray to endorse him.

"I certainly appreciate the discussions I have had with Glen over the past number of years, and I am humbled that he sees my vision as the way forward for Winnipeg," Bowman said. "I am encouraged by the growing support of my campaign's vision for the city."

Murray said he's going to be an "unrelenting advocate" for reopening the intersection to pedestrians. "I think it's holding back investment in the city."

Murray told the crowd he's moving back to Winnipeg to become a strategic adviser to Emerge Knowledge, a local firm that specializes in providing software solutions and expertise to help communities and organizations achieve waste-reduction targets.

Murray, a former Winnipeg councillor and mayor from 1998 to 2004, and a Liberal MPP in Ontario from 2010 to 2017, said he has no interest in politics and won't run for elected office at any level.

"I've done my share of public life," Murray told reporters. "I really want to come home. My friends are here. This has really been my city for a very long time."

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca