Councillor Markus Chambers will be serving in a new (ish) role.

In a Thursday statement, Winnipeg's Mayor Brian Bowman announced the councillor for the St. Norbert – Seine River region will be stepping in as Acting Deputy Mayor. Chambers previously served as deputy mayor between 2018 and 2020.

"As we enter the 4th wave of the pandemic and continue to encourage more of our residents to get vaccinated, I will be asking the Acting Deputy Mayor as well as Deputy Mayor John Orlikow to more actively promote the importance of vaccines," Bowman says. "Today's announcement will help to ensure even greater alignment with the Acting Deputy Mayor regarding the City's response to COVID-19."

Chambers is replacing Councillor Vivian Santos, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19.

"At the end of the day, I encourage everybody to get all the information, as much as possible, so that they can make an informed decision," Santos told the Winnipeg Free Press recently.

Chambers is in the new city role, effective immediately.

"I want to thank Councillor Vivian Santos for her work as Acting Deputy Mayor. As members of Council, we will continue to collaborate on city building efforts for the benefit of the residents of Point Douglas and Winnipeg as a whole."