Canmore voters could be said to be some of the most progressive in the province after Monday night's municipal election results came in from the polls, with more than half the representatives on council elected being women.
Canmore voters could be said to be some of the most progressive in the province after Monday night's municipal election results came in from the polls, with more than half the representatives on council elected being women.
Four of seven positions on council were earned by women in the community – incumbents Joanna McCallum (2,475 votes), Esmé Comfort (2,209) and Vi Sandford (2,341), as well as newly elected Councillor Karen Marra (2,094).
Incumbent Mayor John Borrowman was successful in his bid to lead the community for the next four years with 2,862 votes, while Rob Seeley (2,174) was re-elected, along with the youngest candidate Jeff Hilstad (2,516).
McCallum said Tuesday (Oct. 17), the results of the election indicate to her the community has given council permission to continue doing a good job.
“I thought the campaign was gruelling,” she said. “I thought we had a lot of people running that were passionate about Canmore, just as I had hoped.
“Everyone got to share their idea and vision with the community, and the community got to decide whose vision they identified most with and they decisively chose a positive vision for Canmore and that is reflected directly on the ballot choice.”
McCallum said when she was first elected in 2010, she was the youngest councillor and the only female representative. With four women elected in Canmore this week, she welcomed the significant change in council's makeup.
“It bodes well for balance and I think that a good part of Canmore would be able to look at our council and identify, or feel represented in some way, shape or form,” she said. “That is really exciting.”
For Borrowman, voter turnout and his percentage of the vote were both good news stories. According to results from the returning officer, there were 11,000 eligible voters and 4,500 votes. The turnout was 40 per cent, slightly more than the turnout in 2013 of 37.6 per cent, whereas the 2010 election that saw 42 per cent of the eligible voters make it to the polling station.
Borrowman received 2,862 votes, or 63 per cent, and his challenger Ed Russell 1,567, or 35 per cent of the vote. The count is not official until Friday (Oct. 20).
“I am really impressed with Canmore voters and that there was such a strong turnout, that really says a whole lot about what is happening in Canmore,” he said immediately after the results were reported.
“I have to say we had a really strong mandate for the council we just finished, and for the work we have been doing.
“It is great the four incumbents were returned and I think the two new councillors are fabulous; they have been working hard and they have been attending council meetings for a long time.
“This is a very good council and a council that has been elected to continue doing the work that this past council has been doing, it is a very strong result.”
Russell, on the other hand, was reflecting on the loss of his mayoral campaign the next day.
He said he was disappointed and surprised, as he didn't “expect to have my backside handed to me.”
That being said, Russell felt he represented the issues he heard in the community well during the election campaign and was open and available for people to speak to. He said he has heard a lot of negative feedback about how council and administration is operating, and the result of Monday's vote has him questioning if he was hearing from the entire community.
“Maybe I am talking to the wrong people,” he said, “but nobody was telling me everything was sunshine and roses.”
The campaign also left him feeling like he was painted in a “harsh and negative light,” especially online, where he said he was unfairly attacked.
“It is such a shame, because I think the election became a big bucket for people to puke all their badness into and it turned into an awful thing and it shouldn't have,” he said. “I found it degenerated away in many cases from a sensible discussion.”
Looking toward the future, Russell said he encourages community members to continue to stay engaged, ask questions, and challenge the newly elected council. He said he hopes those elected have heard a message from those in the community who wanted to see change that things could be better.
Being part of the next council and doing better is the focus of Hilstad, who, at 28 years old, is the youngest to be elected. He was also the councillor who received the most votes, which he attributed to a classic campaign strategy.
“I am happy I got in with as many votes as I did, which I was not expecting,” he said Tuesday. “I did a classic campaign … I hit a lot of doors, went to all the forums, I was on social media … and I got out ahead of the game.”
Hilstad began attending council meetings earlier this year, which is when he said he knew he would put his name forward for nomination.
On the hustings, he said he heard a lot from the community about communication, and that people feel there could be better flow of information between council and its citizens.
Jamieson, who was an unknown name going into the election, placed seventh with 2,070 votes, just 24 votes shy of a council seat behind Marra.
She said at first she thought she was late to the party, being not well known, but as the campaign progressed she built a lot of momentum and by last week she thought she might have a chance.
“Naturally, I was disappointed last night, it was so close,” she said. “I guess what is frustrating is my curiosity got piqued on a number of issues and I was intrigued to work on things that are challenging this town.”
As for the rest of the candidates, Mark “Woody” Blackwood received 1,050 votes, Wes Christensen 502, Kim Csizmazia 1,554, Chris Dmytriw 1,488, Chad Friel 784, Jeff Laidlaw 1,458, and James Louden 300.
