PUBLIC LEADERSHIPPortage la Prairie, Manitoba
CANDIDATE FOR PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL · 2026
Fresh thinking.
Accountable leadership.
Arishya is running for City Council to bring residents into the decisions, protect taxpayer value and turn practical local ideas into action.
Responsible government
Disciplined spending and measurable value.
Safe communities
Clear targets, prevention and accountability.
Open public leadership
Answers in public and decisions residents can follow.
IN PUBLICA prepared voice at the podium
AT CITY HALLExperience with municipal service
IN CONVERSATIONListening, questioning and building consensus
FROM THE CANDIDATE
Truth Over Politics. Action Over Promises. Portage First.
Hear Arishya explain the standards, policy choices and public questions shaping this campaign.
PORTAGE BRIEFINGExperience inside City Hall
Public Service
Experience inside City Hall
Arishya reflects on municipal meetings, public responsibility and what firsthand civic experience taught her about serving Portage.
Arishya Aggarwal · Candidate for Portage la Prairie City CouncilJOIN ARISHYA
A voice for Portage.
Leadership that delivers.
Arishya Aggarwal’s commitment to Portage la Prairie began long before this campaign.
From serving as City Youth Councillor to contributing to local organizations, healthcare, business advocacy and youth initiatives, she has built a public-service record grounded in listening, collaboration and action.
Local Government Experience
A lifelong connection to Portage, with firsthand experience in local government and a commitment to make City Hall more open, responsive and accountable.
Experience That Understands Portage
A local entrepreneur who understands the realities facing employers, workers and families in Portage.
Results Residents Can See
A commitment to ask difficult questions, explain decisions clearly and measure whether public spending delivers results.
“Leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It is about listening carefully, asking the right questions and delivering results people can see.”
A practical plan for Portage.
Five local priorities focused on responsible decisions, meaningful citizen involvement and measurable results for Portage residents.
Local Priority
Taxes & Spending
Clear priorities, measurable value and public explanations for major spending decisions.
The commitments
- Review costs before asking taxpayers for more
- Protect essential services while reducing waste
- Explain major expenditures in plain language
- Track promised results against actual outcomes
PRIORITY 1 · PROJECT PROPOSAL
A practical plan to bring the tax burden down.
VIDEO PROPOSAL · 7:42
“Residents don’t need another plan to manage rising taxes. They need a plan to bring them down.”
Arishya presents her first project proposal under Affordability, Taxes & Responsible Spending—connecting a clear local challenge to a focused, accountable course of action.
SIGNATURE FEATURE
Ask Arishya
Direct questions. Plain answers. No political fog.
RESPONSIBLE SPENDING
“How will you protect taxpayer money?”
COMMUNITY SAFETY
“What can City Council actually do about crime?”
OPEN CITY HALL
“How will you make City Hall more transparent and accountable?”
ON THE RECORD
“I will vote against wasteful spending, tax increases without justification, backroom deals, and anything that does not put Portage residents first.”
TRUST AND EXPERIENCE
Experience before
promises.
Specific roles and real community work—not a generic political biography.
Youth City Councillor
Early civic involvement and direct experience with Portage la Prairie municipal leadership.
↗Local Initiatives
Transportation, revitalization, beautification and newcomer-integration work.
↗Community Boards
Service spanning the arts, recycling, environmental initiatives and local organizations.
↗Business Operations
Local business-management experience with budgets, people and day-to-day delivery.
↗MunicipalFORMER CITY
YOUTH COUNCILLOR
YOUTH COUNCILLOR
DemocraticPROVINCIAL ELECTION
CANDIDATE
CANDIDATE
CommunitySERVICE SINCE
AGE 14
AGE 14
AdvocacyBUSINESS, HEALTHCARE
& PUBLIC SAFETY
& PUBLIC SAFETY
HOW SHE WILL GOVERN
Accessible. Transparent. Focused on results.
Listen publicly
Use town halls, neighbourhood meetings and online consultation to hear residents before major decisions.
Explain decisions
Provide plain-language updates on votes, costs, trade-offs and expected results.
Measure delivery
Set clear targets, publish progress and distinguish work completed from work still underway.
Stay accessible
Maintain practical ways for residents to raise concerns, receive answers and follow City action.
VERIFIED PUBLIC RECORD
Service before
the ballot.
A source-linked record across municipal service, youth advocacy, healthcare, community organizations, business and democratic participation. Every entry connects to independent reporting or a primary public source.
SERVICE IN ACTIONCommunity work, local relationships and leadership over time.
Explore the moments behind the public record.
2015
Voice & leadership
Provincial public-speaking winner
Earned first place in the Grade 7–9 public-speaking competition at Manitoba’s Provincial Music and Arts Festival and also won the provincial French Concours d’art Oratoire.
Verified by Winnipeg Free Press ↗2018
Municipal service
City Youth Councillor
Served as Portage la Prairie’s Youth Member of Council, learning municipal processes and bringing youth priorities into City Hall.
Verified by PortageOnline ↗2018
Youth advocacy
Founded the city-wide Empathy Club
Created a youth-led initiative connecting young people with seniors, fundraising for children’s Christmas gifts and encouraging community participation.
Verified by PortageOnline ↗2018–19
Community governance
Youth voice on local boards
Served in youth roles with the Portage Chamber of Commerce, Communities in Bloom, Active Transportation Committee and Portage Community Revitalization Corporation.
Verified by Winnipeg Free Press ↗2021
National youth service
Founded The Youth Engagement Stance
Built a youth platform connecting students to academic, career and financial opportunities while creating space to discuss education and mental-health barriers.
Verified by The Youth Engagement Stance ↗2021
Frontline service
Worked at Portage General Hospital
Worked during the pandemic and was promoted from medical patient screener to communications intake coordinator, assisting with ambulances and patient registration.
Verified by Winnipeg Free Press ↗2021–22
Representation
Represented Manitoba nationally
Became a Miss World Canada national finalist and later represented Manitoba through the National Youth Ambassador Caucus.
Verified by PortageOnline ↗2023
Democratic experience
Provincial election candidate
Ran to represent Portage la Prairie in Manitoba’s 2023 provincial election, bringing local affordability, crime and healthcare issues into the public debate.
Verified by PortageOnline ↗2023–25
Local economy
Small-business leadership
Led and represented Portage businesses, speaking publicly about retail crime, operating pressures, local employment and the realities facing independent businesses.
Verified by Winnipeg Free Press ↗2024
Healthcare advocacy
Advocated for a Portage MRI
Joined local advocacy and discussions calling for an MRI unit at the new Portage hospital so residents can access diagnostic care closer to home.
Verified by PortageOnline ↗2026
Community leadership
Candidate for City Council
Entered the municipal race on a platform centred on accountability, accessibility, public safety, affordability and transparent decision-making.
Verified by PortageOnline ↗NEWSROOM
Independent coverage. Public accountability.
Reporting and public profiles documenting Arishya’s community involvement from youth leadership through the 2026 municipal campaign.
AUG 2026TAXES & SPENDING
Portage la Prairie’s Municipal Mill Rate
Arishya examines what the municipal mill rate means for residents, property taxes and accountable City spending.
AUG 2026CITY COUNCIL
Former City Youth Councillor seeks a seat on Portage City Council
A current profile of Arishya’s campaign and its focus on accountability and accessibility.
FEB 2026COMMUNITY
Standing against hateful posters targeting Portage businesses
Coverage of hateful material placed on local businesses and the community response.
DEC 2025PUBLIC SAFETY
Businesses welcome a new security-rebate program
Local and provincial business voices discuss security costs and supports for establishments affected by crime.
DEC 2024LOCAL BUSINESS
The human and economic cost of persistent retail theft
A Portage business closure illustrates the pressure theft, safety concerns and rising costs place on local employers.
AUG 2024HEALTHCARE
Local advocacy for an MRI at the new Portage hospital
Community leaders press the case for local diagnostic imaging and better rural healthcare access.
OCT 2023PUBLIC SERVICE
‘Not giving up on Portage’ after the provincial election
Arishya reflects on the campaign and continuing her work for the community.
AUG 2023CRIME
Property theft and violence affecting rural Manitoba businesses
First-hand reporting on a violent robbery and calls for stronger safety, accountability and prevention.
AUG 2022YOUTH
Portage youth represents Manitoba nationally
Coverage of Arishya’s participation in the National Youth Ambassador Caucus.
SEP 2021PROFILE
Manitoba trailblazer represents Portage on the world stage
A detailed profile of youth advocacy, board service, hospital work and Miss World Canada representation.
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN
Help shape the next chapter for Portage.
Bring forward a neighbourhood concern, volunteer, book a meeting with Arishya or receive substantive campaign updates.
VolunteerBook a meeting with ArishyaCampaign briefingsRaise an issue
Thank you, Dakota Tipi First Nation, for inviting me to be a part of your Sundance and sharing such deeply intimate parts of your culture. I hope that everyone in Portage takes the time to respect, support, appreciate and learn more about it.
Pictures taken and posted with permission from the organizers.