Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2006
Encyclopedia
The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2006 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario
, Canada
on November 13, 2006. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario
are held on the same date; see Ontario municipal elections, 2006
for elections in other cities.
The election chose the mayor
and city council
lors who will sit on Greater Sudbury City Council
. As with other Ontario municipal elections, the 2006 election marked the first time that Ontario's city councils will sit for a four-year term; until 2006, municipal elections were held every three years.
of 2001. Prior to January 1, 2001, the current city of Greater Sudbury consisted of seven separate municipalities, together comprising the Regional Municipality of Sudbury
. On that date, the provincial government of Ontario dissolved all seven former municipalities and the regional government, merging them all into the current city government. However, many residents of the outlying communities in the city have alleged that their municipal services have deteriorated significantly since the amalgamation.
In early 2006, residents of the former town of Rayside-Balfour
began to campaign for the deamalgamation of the city and the return of the former municipal government structure. The city government has refused to endorse the petition — even if the petition were endorsed by the city, however, any deamalgamation referendum would still require the consent of the provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
, which has set a number of very strict conditions for permitting a referendum.
Mayor David Courtemanche
announced an advisory committee, chaired by former Member of Provincial Parliament Floyd Laughren
, to consult with communities in the city and seek solutions to their concerns about municipal government services. This committee did not submit its final report to the city until January 10, 2007, several weeks after the 2006 municipal election, although a summary of the issues raised during the initial consultations, as well as an outline of the final report process, was presented in advance of the election.
In June 2006, the city was also criticized for its handling of a leave of absence taken by fire chief Don Donaldson, as well as a study which found that Sudbury had the highest-paid mayor and councillors of any Ontario city in its population range. Council has been also criticized for several development-related decisions, including a $13 million expansion of the Kingsway between Minnow Lake and Coniston, a controversial decision to permit construction of a new school and a medical office building on the Lily Creek marshlands near Science North
, and a project to increase sewer
capacity in the South End (Ward 9) area by construction of a rock tunnel. Following a $4 million budget shortfall in the latter project, the city imposed special development fees on new residential and commercial construction in the neighbourhood.
With the recent takeovers of two of the city's major employers, Falconbridge Ltd.
by Swiss
mining giant Xstrata
and Inco Limited by the Brazil
ian company CVRD
, and the recent financial crisis faced by the city's Northern Breweries
, the issues of jobs and economic development in the city were also expected to play a role in the election campaign. One of John Rodriguez
's campaign planks was to lobby for the city to be given a share of the corporate taxes paid by the mining companies to the federal and provincial governments; the inability to directly tax two of the city's largest employers has been cited in the past as a barrier to the city's economic and social development.
Some candidates also cited the desire to see more women serve on council; only six of the 45 declared candidates in the 2006 election were women, and three of those six were incumbent councillors. In the final election results, four of the five women running for council seats were elected; one female ward candidate was not elected, nor was mayoral candidate Lynne Reynolds.
Earlier in 2006, local media speculated that former mayor Jim Gordon might run for mayor again as well, but in September he ended that speculation by endorsing Rodriguez; Gordon had endorsed Courtemanche in 2003. Rodriguez was also endorsed by 2003 mayoral candidate Paul Marleau, former city councillor Gerry McIntaggart and the Sudbury and District Labour Council.
During the campaign, Rodriguez was sometimes criticized for making potentially unrealistic promises, such as eliminating homelessness
in the city, which depended on lobbying the provincial or federal governments for funding and program cooperation that those governments had not guaranteed would be made available. However, both of his main opponents were also criticized as well. Courtemanche, who did not officially declare his candidacy until just a few days before the nomination deadline, was viewed by many voters as having been a weak and ineffective leader during the previous council term, and faced allegations that he had held off his campaign launch until the last minute precisely to insulate himself from having to answer that criticism on the campaign trail. Reynolds, meanwhile, was criticized by the city's media for a vague and confrontational campaign which was critical of the existing council, but offered very few specific new ideas of her own.
A Sudbury Star
opinion poll published on November 1 placed Rodriguez in the lead with 49 per cent support among decided voters, with Courtemanche trailing at 30 per cent and Reynolds at 20 per cent. The other four candidates had approximately one per cent support combined.
On the final weekend before the election, Reynolds garnered the endorsement of the Sudbury Star, while the community newspaper Northern Life endorsed Courtemanche. Both newspapers acknowledged that Rodriguez had been the most successful of the three at defining the issues and direction of the campaign, but cited misgivings about his agenda as their principal reason for choosing not to endorse him.
When the current city of Greater Sudbury was created in 2001, the city was divided into six wards, each of which was represented by two councillors. In 2005, the city council adopted a new ward structure, in which the city would now be divided into twelve wards with a single councillor per ward.
This redistribution of wards was itself controversial, because it divided some communities within the city that were formerly closely associated with each other — for example, the former town of Rayside-Balfour
was split, with Azilda falling in Ward 4 and Chelmsford falling in Ward 3. The original ward structure had also been designed to balance political power, crossing the pre-2001 municipal boundaries to help prevent the urban core of the city from ignoring the needs of the more rural communities.
Under the new ward structure, however, five of the twelve wards are purely urban, and it has been alleged that this may weaken the city's ability to respond to the needs of residents outside of the central city. Floyd Laughren's final report on municipal government services, tabled in early 2007, included a recommendation for further adjustments to make ward boundaries more closely correspond to the former municipal divisions. Laughren specifically noted the former towns of Capreol
and Onaping Falls
as communities that should be reconstituted as their own distinct city wards.
In Ward 12, the city's website initially named John Caruso as the winner with 1,798 votes, to challenger Joscelyne Landry-Altmann's 1,756. However, the city later reported an apparent technical error in the upload of vote totals to the website, with 460 votes mistakenly uploaded twice. (This error did not affect the actual vote tabulations, merely the reported totals on the election results webpage.) In the adjusted count, Landry-Altmann won over Caruso by a similarly narrow margin. Caruso called for a recount, which was conducted on December 1 and confirmed Landry-Altmann's victory.
), and creating citizen committees to oversee a number of projects, including the implementation of Floyd Laughren
's report on service improvements in the amalgamated city, reviewing the city's recreational facilities and pursuing the creation of an arts centre, revising the city's corporate taxation base, pursuing economic growth opportunities in the health care
sector, and devolving some legislative authority to the existing local community action networks.
Rodriguez also ignited some controversy by making two unilateral decisions on his first day in office, reaffirming that stores in the city would not be permitted to open on Boxing Day
and authorizing the Franco-Ontarian
flag to be flown at Tom Davies Square
. The latter decision invoked polarized opinion, with some praising the mayor for taking authoritative action and others criticizing him for isolating other cultural groups in the community.
Reynolds announced in December that she would be a candidate for the Liberal Party
nomination for Nickel Belt
in the next federal election
, following Ray Bonin's announcement that he would retire from office at the end of the current parliamentary session. She later withdrew from the race, endorsing competitor Sylvain Beaudry; however, the nomination was ultimately won by Louise Portelance, who was also a defeated municipal council candidate in 2006.
Floyd Laughren tabled his committee report on January 10, 2007, making 34 recommendations for improvements in the city's municipal ward structure, communications, transportation, recreation and transit services. Rodriguez and most council members responded favourably to the report, indicating that they would attempt to implement as many of the recommendations as possible.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on November 13, 2006. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
are held on the same date; see Ontario municipal elections, 2006
Ontario municipal elections, 2006
In the 2006 municipal elections in Ontario, voters in the province of Ontario, elected mayors, councillors, school board trustees and all other elected officials in all of Ontario's municipalities. These elections were regulated by the .- Date :...
for elections in other cities.
The election chose the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
lors who will sit on Greater Sudbury City Council
Greater Sudbury City Council
Greater Sudbury City Council is the governing body of the City of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.The council consists of the mayor plus a twelve-person council. The city is divided into twelve wards; each ward is represented by one councillor...
. As with other Ontario municipal elections, the 2006 election marked the first time that Ontario's city councils will sit for a four-year term; until 2006, municipal elections were held every three years.
Issues
The primary issue in the 2006 elections was the municipal amalgamationAmalgamation (politics)
A merger or amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as municipalities , counties, districts, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity...
of 2001. Prior to January 1, 2001, the current city of Greater Sudbury consisted of seven separate municipalities, together comprising the Regional Municipality of Sudbury
Regional Municipality of Sudbury, Ontario
The Regional Municipality of Sudbury was a regional municipality in Ontario, Canada, which existed from 1973 to 2000.-Structure:The regional municipality expanded the boundaries of the city of Sudbury to annex the community of Copper Cliff, the unincorporated geographic township of Broder and half...
. On that date, the provincial government of Ontario dissolved all seven former municipalities and the regional government, merging them all into the current city government. However, many residents of the outlying communities in the city have alleged that their municipal services have deteriorated significantly since the amalgamation.
In early 2006, residents of the former town of Rayside-Balfour
Rayside-Balfour, Ontario
Rayside-Balfour was a town in Ontario, Canada, which existed from 1973 to 2000.It was created as part of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury...
began to campaign for the deamalgamation of the city and the return of the former municipal government structure. The city government has refused to endorse the petition — even if the petition were endorsed by the city, however, any deamalgamation referendum would still require the consent of the provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Ontario)
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is responsible for municipal affairs and housing in the Canadian province of Ontario.The current Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing in the Ontario cabinet is Kathleen Wynne.-Former Ministers:...
, which has set a number of very strict conditions for permitting a referendum.
Mayor David Courtemanche
David Courtemanche
David Courtemanche is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is the former mayor of Greater Sudbury, having served one term from 2003 to 2006.-Background:...
announced an advisory committee, chaired by former Member of Provincial Parliament Floyd Laughren
Floyd Laughren
Floyd Laughren is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He sat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1998 as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, and served as Finance Minister and Deputy Premier in the government of Bob Rae.-Background:Laughren's childhood was far...
, to consult with communities in the city and seek solutions to their concerns about municipal government services. This committee did not submit its final report to the city until January 10, 2007, several weeks after the 2006 municipal election, although a summary of the issues raised during the initial consultations, as well as an outline of the final report process, was presented in advance of the election.
In June 2006, the city was also criticized for its handling of a leave of absence taken by fire chief Don Donaldson, as well as a study which found that Sudbury had the highest-paid mayor and councillors of any Ontario city in its population range. Council has been also criticized for several development-related decisions, including a $13 million expansion of the Kingsway between Minnow Lake and Coniston, a controversial decision to permit construction of a new school and a medical office building on the Lily Creek marshlands near Science North
Science North
Science North is an interactive science museum in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.The complex, which is Northern Ontario's most popular tourist attraction, consists of two snowflake-shaped buildings on the southwestern shore of Lake Ramsey, just south of the city's downtown core, as well as a...
, and a project to increase sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
capacity in the South End (Ward 9) area by construction of a rock tunnel. Following a $4 million budget shortfall in the latter project, the city imposed special development fees on new residential and commercial construction in the neighbourhood.
With the recent takeovers of two of the city's major employers, Falconbridge Ltd.
Falconbridge Ltd.
Falconbridge Limited was a Toronto, Ontario-based natural resources company with operations in 18 countries, involved in the exploration, mining, processing, and marketing of metal and mineral products, including nickel, copper, cobalt, and platinum. It was listed on the TSX and NYSE , and had...
by Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
mining giant Xstrata
Xstrata
Xstrata plc is a global mining company headquartered in Zug, Switzerland and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is a major producer of coal , copper, nickel, primary vanadium and zinc and the world's largest producer of ferrochrome...
and Inco Limited by the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian company CVRD
CVRD
CVRD can stand for:* Vale , formerly known as Companhia Vale do Rio Doce * Comox Valley Regional District, a regional government in British Columbia, Canada...
, and the recent financial crisis faced by the city's Northern Breweries
Northern Breweries
Northern Breweries was a Canadian brewery, with facilities in Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.The Company was founded in 1907 by three families, the Doran family, the Mackey family and the Fee family. The organizer and operating head of the Company was J.J. Doran. Doran, together with...
, the issues of jobs and economic development in the city were also expected to play a role in the election campaign. One of John Rodriguez
John Rodriguez
John R. Rodriguez is a Canadian politician. He served as the mayor of Greater Sudbury, Ontario from 2006 to 2010, and previously represented the electoral district of Nickel Belt in the Canadian House of Commons from 1972 to 1980 and from 1984 to 1993 as a member of the New Democratic...
's campaign planks was to lobby for the city to be given a share of the corporate taxes paid by the mining companies to the federal and provincial governments; the inability to directly tax two of the city's largest employers has been cited in the past as a barrier to the city's economic and social development.
Some candidates also cited the desire to see more women serve on council; only six of the 45 declared candidates in the 2006 election were women, and three of those six were incumbent councillors. In the final election results, four of the five women running for council seats were elected; one female ward candidate was not elected, nor was mayoral candidate Lynne Reynolds.
Mayoral race
- John Rodriguez is a former federal Member of Parliament (MP) for the city's Nickel BeltNickel BeltNickel Belt is one of two federal electoral districts serving the Greater City of Sudbury.Nickel Belt has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.It consists of:...
electoral district. - Lynne Reynolds was born to a working classWorking classWorking class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
family in the Sudbury area, where her father worked at the Copper Cliff smelter for 37 years. She became politically active in the early 1970s, when she worked to elect LiberalLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
MP Maurice FosterMaurice FosterMaurice Brydon Foster was a former Canadian veterinarian and politician. He represented the electoral district of Algoma in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1993...
in Algoma. She later served two years as a special assistant to SudburySudbury (electoral district)Sudbury is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1949.Its population in 2001 was 89,443. The district is one of two serving the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario....
Liberal MP Diane MarleauDiane MarleauDiane Marleau, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. She represented the riding of Sudbury in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 2008, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Jean Chrétien...
. She was a coordinator of the Sudbury Region Children's Forum 2000, and later became a coordinator for Senior Friendly Sudbury. In 2004, she said that Sudbury had the potential to become the "retirement capital of Northern OntarioNorthern OntarioNorthern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
" in light of recent demographic shifts. She was elected as a councillor for Greater Sudbury in the 2003 municipal electionGreater Sudbury municipal election, 2003The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2003 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 10, 2003. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date; see Ontario municipal elections, 2003 for elections in other cities.The election chose the mayor...
, winning the second position in the sixth ward. She was appointed to the board of the Nickel District Conservation Authority in January 2004, and to the board of Downtown Sudbury the following month. In 2004, she supported an unsuccessful motion to have $650,000 held in reserve for closed recreational centres that could be reopened in the future. She also opposed retention of a bylaw restricting store hours, and called on the city to prioritize widening a section of Highway 17Highway 17 (Ontario)King's Highway 17, more commonly known as Highway 17, is a provincially maintained highway and the primary route of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Canadian province of Ontario. It begins at the Manitoba border west of Kenora and ends south of Arnprior at the western terminus of Highway 417, ...
to four lanes in 2005. She later endorsed Terry Kett's proposal to redesignate councillors' jobs as full-time rather than part-time. In late January 2005, she made a significant council speech criticizing Mayor David Courtemanche and top-level bureaucrats for what she described as mishandling a costly management restructuring and an election recount. Later in the year, she opposed a $27,000 salary increase for the city's top administrator. Some other councillors accused her of pandering. In November 2005, Courtemanche and Reynolds engaged in a vocal dispute over a letter she had written to the Sudbury StarSudbury StarThe Sudbury Star is a Canadian daily regional newspaper, published in Sudbury, Ontario. It is run by the media conglomerate Sun Media, which is controlled by Quebecor....
, alleging that council was ill-informed and controlled by bureaucrats. She sought to lead the council's planning committee in December 2005, but lost to Ron Dupuis. Reynolds was the first candidate to officially register for the 2006 Greater Sudbury mayoral election. She later criticized Mayor Courtemanche's decision to establish a public consultation process on the effects of amalgamation of outlying areas of Greater Sudbury, chaired by Floyd LaughrenFloyd LaughrenFloyd Laughren is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He sat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1998 as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, and served as Finance Minister and Deputy Premier in the government of Bob Rae.-Background:Laughren's childhood was far...
. Reynolds argued that this should be the work of council, rather than an outside team. Her 2006 mayoral platform (which she delivered via a bullhorn while standing on top of a skylift) promised a complete efficiency audit of the city's books, a $10 Community Building Fund over four years, and the abolition of tipping fees. She later said that promised that would abolish the publicly-funded position of political advisor to the mayor, introduce a fair wage policy for city workers, and provide funding for outlying areas through casinoCasinoIn modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
revenues. Considered a serious candidate, Reynolds nonetheless finished a distant third place. She sought the Liberal Party of Canada's nomination in Nickel BeltNickel BeltNickel Belt is one of two federal electoral districts serving the Greater City of Sudbury.Nickel Belt has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.It consists of:...
for the 2008 federal electionCanadian federal election, 2008The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, but withdrew before the nomination to support rival candidate Sylvain Beaudry. Beaudry subsequently lost the nomination to Louise Portelance. - David Chevrier operated Sudbury's first professional recording studio in the 1980s. He first ran for mayor of Greater Sudbury in the 2003 municipal electionGreater Sudbury municipal election, 2003The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2003 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 10, 2003. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date; see Ontario municipal elections, 2003 for elections in other cities.The election chose the mayor...
, and received 271 votes (0.50%) for a tenth-place finish out of fourteen candidates. He sought a position on the city's police services board in 2004, but was turned down. He runs a local business, selling air and water filtration systems. In his 2006 campaign, he supported a pesticide ban, favoured the creation of two or three community television channels, and sought to remove fluorideFluorideFluoride is the anion F−, the reduced form of fluorine when as an ion and when bonded to another element. Both organofluorine compounds and inorganic fluorine containing compounds are called fluorides. Fluoride, like other halides, is a monovalent ion . Its compounds often have properties that are...
from Greater Sudbury's water system. - Marc Crockford is a local landlord and businessman who declined to participate in mayoral debates or even release a photo of himself to the media, preferring to conduct his campaign entirely over the Internet. He said that he was reaching out to young and first-time voters, and complained when the Greater Sudbury election site removed its link to his website on the grounds that it contained "libellous" material. The Sudbury StarSudbury StarThe Sudbury Star is a Canadian daily regional newspaper, published in Sudbury, Ontario. It is run by the media conglomerate Sun Media, which is controlled by Quebecor....
newspaper also declined to print a guest column that Crockford wrote about his candidacy, citing legal concerns. - Popescu and Pokonzie are perennial candidatePerennial candidateA perennial candidate is one who frequently runs for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if existent at all. Perennial candidates are often either members of minority political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope...
s in the area, who have rarely garnered more than 100 votes in any election; during the 2003 election, Popescu was found guilty of assaultAssaultIn law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
ing his mother and sentenced to three years of probation.
Earlier in 2006, local media speculated that former mayor Jim Gordon might run for mayor again as well, but in September he ended that speculation by endorsing Rodriguez; Gordon had endorsed Courtemanche in 2003. Rodriguez was also endorsed by 2003 mayoral candidate Paul Marleau, former city councillor Gerry McIntaggart and the Sudbury and District Labour Council.
During the campaign, Rodriguez was sometimes criticized for making potentially unrealistic promises, such as eliminating homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
in the city, which depended on lobbying the provincial or federal governments for funding and program cooperation that those governments had not guaranteed would be made available. However, both of his main opponents were also criticized as well. Courtemanche, who did not officially declare his candidacy until just a few days before the nomination deadline, was viewed by many voters as having been a weak and ineffective leader during the previous council term, and faced allegations that he had held off his campaign launch until the last minute precisely to insulate himself from having to answer that criticism on the campaign trail. Reynolds, meanwhile, was criticized by the city's media for a vague and confrontational campaign which was critical of the existing council, but offered very few specific new ideas of her own.
A Sudbury Star
Sudbury Star
The Sudbury Star is a Canadian daily regional newspaper, published in Sudbury, Ontario. It is run by the media conglomerate Sun Media, which is controlled by Quebecor....
opinion poll published on November 1 placed Rodriguez in the lead with 49 per cent support among decided voters, with Courtemanche trailing at 30 per cent and Reynolds at 20 per cent. The other four candidates had approximately one per cent support combined.
On the final weekend before the election, Reynolds garnered the endorsement of the Sudbury Star, while the community newspaper Northern Life endorsed Courtemanche. Both newspapers acknowledged that Rodriguez had been the most successful of the three at defining the issues and direction of the campaign, but cited misgivings about his agenda as their principal reason for choosing not to endorse him.
Ward boundary adjustments
This redistribution of wards was itself controversial, because it divided some communities within the city that were formerly closely associated with each other — for example, the former town of Rayside-Balfour
Rayside-Balfour, Ontario
Rayside-Balfour was a town in Ontario, Canada, which existed from 1973 to 2000.It was created as part of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury...
was split, with Azilda falling in Ward 4 and Chelmsford falling in Ward 3. The original ward structure had also been designed to balance political power, crossing the pre-2001 municipal boundaries to help prevent the urban core of the city from ignoring the needs of the more rural communities.
Under the new ward structure, however, five of the twelve wards are purely urban, and it has been alleged that this may weaken the city's ability to respond to the needs of residents outside of the central city. Floyd Laughren's final report on municipal government services, tabled in early 2007, included a recommendation for further adjustments to make ward boundaries more closely correspond to the former municipal divisions. Laughren specifically noted the former towns of Capreol
Capreol, Ontario
Capreol is a community in the Ontario city of Greater Sudbury. From 1918 to 2000, Capreol existed as an independent town, situated on the Vermilion River....
and Onaping Falls
Onaping Falls, Ontario
Onaping Falls was a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, which existed from 1973 to 2000. It was created as part of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury, and took its name from the waterfalls on the Onaping River....
as communities that should be reconstituted as their own distinct city wards.
Results
In addition to David Courtemanche, two incumbent councillors were also defeated — notably, both represented wards outside of the pre-2001 city boundaries, and hence may have been vulnerable in part because of the amalgamation referendum controversy. The councillors whose wards were most directly affected by the Kingsway, Lily Creek and South End sewer tunnel controversies were all re-elected. Two wards, both in the old city, had no incumbent councillor running for reelection.In Ward 12, the city's website initially named John Caruso as the winner with 1,798 votes, to challenger Joscelyne Landry-Altmann's 1,756. However, the city later reported an apparent technical error in the upload of vote totals to the website, with 460 votes mistakenly uploaded twice. (This error did not affect the actual vote tabulations, merely the reported totals on the election results webpage.) In the adjusted count, Landry-Altmann won over Caruso by a similarly narrow margin. Caruso called for a recount, which was conducted on December 1 and confirmed Landry-Altmann's victory.
Councillors
| Candidate | Vote | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ward 1 | |||
| Joe Cimino | 3,016 | 68.6 | |
| Carlos Reyes | 1001 | 22.8 | |
| John Mathew | 382 | 8.7 | |
| Robert Allard (withdrawn) | |||
| Ward 2 | |||
| Jacques Barbeau | 1,838 | 35.81 | |
| Terry Kett (X) | 1,730 | 33.70 | |
| Sandy Bass | 1,153 | 22.46 | |
| Stephen L. Butcher | 223 | 4.34 | |
| Travis Morgan | 189 | 3.68 | |
| Ward 3 | |||
| Claude Berthiaume (X) | 3,094 | 65.3 | |
| Mike Dupont | 1,167 | 24.6 | |
| Bill Hedderson | 479 | 10.1 | |
| Ward 4 | |||
| Evelyn Dutrisac | 2,663 | 63.1 | |
| Ronald Bradley (X) | 967 | 22.9 | |
| Marcel Rainville | 318 | 7.5 | |
| Robert Boileau | 275 | 6.5 | |
| Ward 5 | |||
| Ron Dupuis (X) | 2,051 | 51.5 | |
| Louise Portelance | 1,931 | 48.5 | |
| Yvan Robert (withdrawn) | |||
| Ward 6 | |||
| André Rivest (X) | 2,115 | 44.5 | |
| Robert Kirwan | 1,523 | 32.0 | |
| Henri Lagrandeur | 1,116 | 23.5 | |
| Ward 7 | |||
| Russ Thompson (X) | 2,264 | 55.6 | |
| Dave Kilgour | 1,811 | 44.4 | |
| Ward 8 | |||
| Ted Callaghan (X) | 2,765 | 70.9 | |
| Harry Will | 1,135 | 29.1 | |
| Ward 9 | |||
| Doug Craig (X) | 1,958 | 42.3 | |
| Jim Sartor | 1,497 | 32.3 | |
| John Cochrane | 787 | 17.0 | |
| Marvin Julian | 387 | 8.4 | |
| Fran Nault (withdrawn) | |||
| Ward 10 | |||
| Frances Caldarelli (X) | 2,301 | 43.5 | |
| Austin Davey | 1,737 | 32.9 | |
| Fern Cormier | 1,246 | 23.6 | |
| Ward 11 | |||
| Janet Gasparini (X) | 2,310 | 48.4 | |
| Mike Petryna | 1,381 | 29.0 | |
| Rick Villeneuve | 1,079 | 22.6 | |
| Ward 12 | |||
| Joscelyne Landry-Altmann | 1,586 | 40.1 | |
| John Caruso | 1,529 | 38.6 | |
| Derek Young | 516 | 13.0 | |
| Will Brunette | 329 | 8.3 | |
- Jacques Barbeau was president of Walden Minor Hockey before entering political life. He opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq2003 invasion of IraqThe 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, and wrote a letter supporting Canada's decision to remain out of the war. He was first elected to council in 2006, defeating incumbent Terry Kett in the city's second ward. Barbeau centred his campaign on improvements to roads and infrastructure. - Terry Kett was a high school teacher in private life, and worked as a management consultant after his retirement. He was a councillor in WaldenWalden, OntarioWalden was a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, existing from 1973 to 2000. Created as part of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury when regional government was introduced, the town was dissolved when the city of Greater Sudbury was incorporated on January 1, 2001...
for six years, and was its mayor from 1991 to 1997. He also served for twelve years on Sudbury's regional government, and was a board member of the Federation of Canadian MunicipalitiesFederation of Canadian MunicipalitiesThe Federation of Canadian Municipalities is a civic advocacy group representing many Canadian municipalities. It is an organization with no formal power but significant ability to influence debate and policy, as it is main national lobby group of mayors, councillors and other elected municipal...
from 1992 to 1997. In this period, he defended the interests of municipalities against the province on the issue of road maintenance. He opposed the amalgation of Sudbury with neighbouring communities, as enacted by Mike HarrisMike HarrisMichael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
's provincial government in 2000. He considered running for Mayor of Greater Sudbury in 2003Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2003The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2003 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 10, 2003. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date; see Ontario municipal elections, 2003 for elections in other cities.The election chose the mayor...
, but withdrew in favour of Paul Marleau. Kett instead sought and was elected to a seat on city council, representing its first ward. He was later named as Greater Sudbury's representative to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and was re-elected to the board of that organization in 2005. In December 2003, he was appointed to the board of Greater Sudbury Utilities Inc. He opposed a money-sharing deal between the federal, provincial and municipal governments based on gas taxes during this period, arguing that the price of gasoline fluctuates too much to be a stable income source. In early 2004, he spearheaded a change in the management of Sudbury's airport. He opposed borrowing money for infrastructure spending, and recommended a cut in the 2004 police budget. He also led a successful campaign for greater community control of mental health facilities. In 2005, he argued that Sudbury councillors needed to be upgraded from part-time to full-time workers to maximize their job efficiency. Kett was narrowly defeated in 2006, losing to Jacques Barbeau in the city's restructured second ward. - Doug Craig is retired teacher and principal, and a veteran city councillor in Sudbury. He was elected to the city and regional council in 1994, and was returned in 1997Sudbury municipal election, 1997The 1997 Sudbury municipal election was held on November 10, 1997, as voters in Sudbury and its outlying communities voted to elected mayors, councillors and school trustees...
. He served as deputy mayor, and was acting regional chairman for part of 1998 following the death in office of Peter WongPeter Wong (Canadian politician)Peter Wong was a Canadian politician, who served as mayor of Sudbury, Ontario from 1982 to 1991, and chair of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury from 1997 until his death the following year....
. Craig supported Sudbury Mayor Jim Gordon's plan for the amalgamation of the Greater Sudbury in 1999. He also supported plans to build a multi-pad arena in downtown Sudbury, and opposed full deregulation of municipal shopping hours. He supported the construction of a Wal-MartWal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
in Sudbury in 2000, and criticized subsequent legal delays to the project. Craig served on the executive of the Federation of Canadian MunicipalitiesFederation of Canadian MunicipalitiesThe Federation of Canadian Municipalities is a civic advocacy group representing many Canadian municipalities. It is an organization with no formal power but significant ability to influence debate and policy, as it is main national lobby group of mayors, councillors and other elected municipal...
in the late 1990s. In 1999, he opposed a proposal for taxpayer relief of National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
teams in Canada. During this period, he was also known as council's most vocal supporter a fundraising campaign centred around long-term health services. He supported the provincial workfareWorkfareWorkfare is an alternative model to conventional social welfare systems. The term was first introduced by civil rights leader James Charles Evers in 1968; however, it was popularized by Richard Nixon in a televised speech August 1969...
program, introduced by the provincial government of Mike HarrisMike HarrisMichael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
. However, in his capacity as chairman of the regional municipality's health and social services committee, he opposed the Harris government's harsh punishments on persons convicted of welfare fraud. Just before the 2000 election, he vocally opposed a plan to ship garbage from TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to the Adams MineAdams MineAdams Mine is an abandoned open pit iron ore mine located in the Boston Township of the District of Timiskaming, south of Kirkland Lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the Canadian Shield....
near Kirkland Lake. He was elected to the new council of Greater Sudbury in 2000Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2000The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2000 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 13, 2000. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date....
, and was chosen as deputy mayor of the amalgamated city in January 2001. Craig underwent heart surgery the following month, but recovered quickly and returned to work in March. He was appointed to the board of Science NorthScience NorthScience North is an interactive science museum in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.The complex, which is Northern Ontario's most popular tourist attraction, consists of two snowflake-shaped buildings on the southwestern shore of Lake Ramsey, just south of the city's downtown core, as well as a...
in July 2001. In November 2002, he was honoured by the Sudbury Multicultural Folk Arts Association. Craig contemplated running for mayor in the 2003 municipal electionGreater Sudbury municipal election, 2003The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2003 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 10, 2003. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date; see Ontario municipal elections, 2003 for elections in other cities.The election chose the mayor...
, but declined and was returned to council instead. He was appointed to the board of Greater Sudbury Utilities Inc. in December 2003, and became its chair in March 2004. Unionized workers at the utility went on strike later in the year, over the utility's plan to cut benefits to retirees. Craig argued that the change was necessary due to increasing health costs, and said that it would not impact on current employees. At one stage in this dispute, Craig accused two councillors who criticized his approach of being "in the pocket" of the Canadian Union of Public EmployeesCanadian Union of Public EmployeesThe Canadian Union of Public Employees is a Canadian trade union serving the public sector - although it has in recent years organized workplaces in the non-profit and para-public sector as well...
, which represented the striking workers. A national CUPE representative responded that Craig was thwarting democracy. The strike ended after four months, when the union and utility agreed on a new benefits formula. In June 2004, Craig was presented with the Ontario Medical AssociationOntario Medical AssociationThe Ontario Medical Association is a professional organization for physicians in Ontario, Canada founded in 1880. It represents and, to a certain degree, governs approximately 24,000 physicians in Ontario. The association's main office is located at 150 Bloor St. West in Toronto. The current...
's Community Service Award. He also served on the board of the Association of Municipalities of OntarioAssociation of Municipalities of OntarioThe Association of Municipalities of Ontario is a non-profit organization representing municipal and regional governments in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created on June 22, 1972 through a merger of the Ontario Municipal Association and the Ontario Association of Mayors and Reeves...
in this period, and supported a 2004 agreement for AMO representatives to be present in federal/provincial negotiations pertaining to municipal services. In 2005, Craig led a successful bid for Greater Sudbury to host the next Ontario Aboriginal Summer Games. He was reappointed as a deputy mayor in July 2005. In August of the same year, he called for the province to sell local Hydro OneHydro OneHydro One Incorporated delivers electricity across the Canadian province of Ontario. It is a Corporation established under the Business Corporations Act with a single shareholder, the Government of Ontario....
assets to the GSU, arguing that prices were too high under the existing model. He was re-elected again in 2006, in the city's restructured ninth ward, and was confirmed to another term as chair of Greater Sudbury Utilities after the election. - James Austin Davey is a chartered accountant and financial planner, and is an assistant professor at Laurentian UniversityLaurentian UniversityLaurentian University , was incorporated on March 28, 1960, is a mid-sized bilingual university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada....
. He organized the Sudbury Save The FlowThrough Committee in 1988, taking part in a successful effort to oppose federal tax changes detrimental to the mineral exploration industry. He was elected as a city and regional councillor in the old city of Sudbury in 1994, and was re-elected in 1997Sudbury municipal election, 1997The 1997 Sudbury municipal election was held on November 10, 1997, as voters in Sudbury and its outlying communities voted to elected mayors, councillors and school trustees...
. He initially supported the principle of a one-tier amalgamated municipal government for Sudbury, but opposed the provincial government of Mike HarrisMike HarrisMichael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
's decision to set up an unelected transition board that would carry out the process. During one council debate, Davey referred to the unelected board as "a committee of ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioThe Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
factotums". He later described the Harris government's amalgamation policy as a "failed ideological experiment". Davey was elected to the board of the Sudbury Arts Council in September 1999. He voted against a hiring freeze on full-time city employees later in the year, and supported an unsuccessful motion to deregulate Sudbury's shopping hours. He was a vocal proponent of an initiative to create a Ramsey Lake Community Development Corporation in 2000, and called for a tract of land on its eastern shore to be targeted for development. Like most other Sudbury councillors, he opposed a proposal for TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to ship its garbage to the Adams MineAdams MineAdams Mine is an abandoned open pit iron ore mine located in the Boston Township of the District of Timiskaming, south of Kirkland Lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the Canadian Shield....
near Kirkland Lake. He was elected to the new council of Greater Sudbury in 2000Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2000The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2000 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 13, 2000. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date....
following amalgamation. When the new council met, he strongly opposed the transition board's recommendation to have an appointed rather than an elected board lead Greater Sudbury Utilities. He also criticized Mayor Jim Gordon's campaign to remove the utility's chair, and called for an inquiry into the matter. Davey was the only councillor to vote against a "strategic business plan" for the GSU, arguing that the plan failed to take changes in the telecommunications and technology sectors into account. In May 2001, he supported a shift to a user-pay system on water and sewer rates. He coordinated the city's bid to take over Sudbury's Union GasUnion GasUnion Gas Limited is a major Canadian natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. The distribution business serves 1.3 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in more than 400 communities across northern, southwestern and eastern...
distribution system later in the year, while also calling for the city to sell Greater Sudbury Utilities. Perhaps somewhat ironically, he was elected to the GSU board as Treasurer in December 2001. City council narrowly voted to end the Union Gas purchase in March 2002 after an unfavourable court ruling; Davey described this as a "huge strategic error". He opposed the Harris government's changes to the Ontario municipal act in 2001, and criticized the government for not holding any public hearings in Northern OntarioNorthern OntarioNorthern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
. He also argued that councillors had become overworked following amalgamation, and called for an increase from 12 to 20 councillors. Davey chaired Greater Sudbury's budget talks in 2002, and introduced a long-range financial approach to deal with new costs following amalgamation. In 2003, he served as vice-chair of the financial & program accountability committee. He criticized Union Gas's bid for a rate increase in July 2003, and called for Northern Ontario to have permanent representation on the Ontario Energy BoardOntario Energy BoardThe Ontario Energy Board regulates natural gas and electricity utilities in the province of Ontario, Canada. This includes setting rates, and licensing all participants in the electricity sector including the Independent Electricity System Operator , generators, transmitters, distributors,...
. Davey was defeated in the 2003 municipal electionGreater Sudbury municipal election, 2003The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2003 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 10, 2003. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date; see Ontario municipal elections, 2003 for elections in other cities.The election chose the mayor...
, narrowly losing the second seat in Ward Five to Frances Caldarelli. He was re-appointed to a two-year term on the Greater Sudbury Utilities Board as a community representative in February 2004, and was subsequently reconfirmed as its treasurer. He was also elected to the boards of the Sudbury Metro Centre and Downtown Sudbury in the same period. In November 2004, Davey wrote a detailed opinion piece on improvements to Sudbury's budgetary process. He was appointed as chair of the Northern Ontario Grow Bonds Corporation in February 2005. Davey sought re-election in 2006, but was defeated. - Janet Gasparini (born 1957) worked as a nurse for twelve years, and became executive-director of the Sudbury Social Planning Council in the late 1990s. In 1999, she championed a pilot project to help low-income pregnant teens use the internet to assist their pregnancy. During the same year, she was award a peace medal by the YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
for her role in conducting workshops on racism and stereotyping. Gasparini was also elected to the Sudbury District Roman Catholic Separate School Board in 1994, and returned in 1997Sudbury municipal election, 1997The 1997 Sudbury municipal election was held on November 10, 1997, as voters in Sudbury and its outlying communities voted to elected mayors, councillors and school trustees...
. She was its chair in 1998-99, when it was restructured as the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. Near the end of her term, she wrote an editorial piece criticizing the Youth News NetworkYouth News NetworkThe Youth News Network was a failed venture by Athena Educational Partners that attempted to create a daily news program that would be broadcast into high school classrooms across Canada....
, which offered free computers to schools in return for requiring that students watch ten minutes of its news programming and two minutes of commercials every school day. She also supported the retention of junior kindergarten, as the only universal accessible program available to the children of low- and middle-income parents. Gasparini first ran for the Greater Sudbury council in the 2000 municipal electionGreater Sudbury municipal election, 2000The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2000 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 13, 2000. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date....
, and was narrowly defeated for the second seat in Ward Six. At a speech to the Elizabeth FryElizabeth FryElizabeth Fry , née Gurney, was an English prison reformer, social reformer and, as a Quaker, a Christian philanthropist...
Society in 2001, she argued that homeless, mentally ill and criminal persons were being "targeted for destruction" in modern Canadian society. She was strongly critical of the provincial government of Mike HarrisMike HarrisMichael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
in 2002 following the death of Kimberly RogersKimberly RogersKimberly Rogers was a Canadian whose death in 2001, while under house arrest for welfare fraud, caused extensive controversy around Ontario Works...
, a pregnant woman who died while under house arrestHouse arrestIn justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
for welfare fraud. Gasparini noted that the activities leading to Rogers' arrest (collecting welfare while also receiving a student loan) were not illegal until the Harris government came to power. During this period, Gasparini was social policy director for the group Justice With Dignity. She ran for council a second time in 2003Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2003The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2003 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 10, 2003. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date; see Ontario municipal elections, 2003 for elections in other cities.The election chose the mayor...
, and won a seat in Ward Six. She was appointed to lead the Sudbury and District Board of Health in January 2004, and was later appointed to lead the Mayor's and Council's Roundtable on Children. In 2005, she co-chaired a panel that brought forward a comprehensive plan to improve Greater Sudbury's health by focusing on the promotion of healthy lifestyles and poverty reduction. She called for a pan on cosmetic pesticides in June 2006. Three months later, she declared that September 18–22 would be declared Sexual Assault Prevention Week. She was re-elected to council in 2006, in the redistributed eleventh ward. Gasparini was strongly critical of mayoral candidate John RodriguezJohn RodriguezJohn R. Rodriguez is a Canadian politician. He served as the mayor of Greater Sudbury, Ontario from 2006 to 2010, and previously represented the electoral district of Nickel Belt in the Canadian House of Commons from 1972 to 1980 and from 1984 to 1993 as a member of the New Democratic...
in this election, saying that his pledge to end homelessnessHomelessnessHomelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
was unrealistic and irresponsible. Rodriguez was subsequently elected over incumbent David CourtemancheDavid CourtemancheDavid Courtemanche is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is the former mayor of Greater Sudbury, having served one term from 2003 to 2006.-Background:...
, and Gasparini later criticized Rodriguez's decision to downsize the board of Greater Sudbury Utilities. She was re-elected as chair of the Sudbury and District Board of Health in January 2007, and urged the provincial government to provide assistance to residents unable to afford proper nourishment. Although she opposed a fair wage policy for Greater Sudbury in 2005, she supported it when it was passed into law in 2007. Gasparini was chair of the Ontario Social Planning Network during the 2007 provincial electionOntario general election, 2007The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
, and lobbied politicians of all parties to devote more attention to child poverty issues. She remains the executive director of the Sudbury Social Planning Council as of 2008. In 2009, she announced that she will stand as a candidate for the LiberalLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
nomination in the federal riding of SudburySudbury (electoral district)Sudbury is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1949.Its population in 2001 was 89,443. The district is one of two serving the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario....
in the 2011 federal election. - Mike Petryna has a military background, and was an employee with the Canadian Corps of Commissioners in private life. He was elected to the old Sudbury City Council in 1997Sudbury municipal election, 1997The 1997 Sudbury municipal election was held on November 10, 1997, as voters in Sudbury and its outlying communities voted to elected mayors, councillors and school trustees...
, also served on the Sudbury Regional Council, and was deputy mayor of Sudbury for a time. He was elected to the board of the Association of Municipalities of OntarioAssociation of Municipalities of OntarioThe Association of Municipalities of Ontario is a non-profit organization representing municipal and regional governments in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created on June 22, 1972 through a merger of the Ontario Municipal Association and the Ontario Association of Mayors and Reeves...
(AMO) in 1997, and again in 2000. He chaired the regional council's Public Works Committee in 1999, and complained that provincial grants had declined significantly in recent years. He also chaired an ad hoc committee to open an indoor soccer centre in Sudbury, and helped convince council to fund this project prior to the introduction of a spending freeze. He oversaw the city's budget talks for 2000, and in the same period chaired a committee to permit expansion for one of two competing arenas. Petryna was elected to the new Greater Sudbury Council in 2000Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2000The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2000 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 13, 2000. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date....
, winning the second of two seats in Ward Six. Over the next three years, he chaired the Sudbury Metro Centre, the Downtown Sudbury Farmers' Market, the Greater Sudbury Accessibility Advisory Committee, the cemetery advisory panel and the Transportation for the Disabled committee, and served on the boards of the Nickel District Conservation Authority, the public library, and the Municipal Property Assessment CorporationMunicipal Property Assessment Corporation-About MPAC:The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, or MPAC, administers property assessments and appeals of assessment in the Province of Ontario...
. He was also re-elected to the AMO board in 2001 and 2002, and was appointed to the board of the newly-created Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) by the provincial government of Mike HarrisMike HarrisMichael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
. In July 2002, he spoke in support of a proposed wind energy farm in Sudbury. Petryna initially sought the Progressive Conservative Party of OntarioProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioThe Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
's nomination for SudburySudbury (provincial electoral district)Sudbury is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1908. It is one of the two districts serving the city of Greater Sudbury.Its population in 2001 was 89,443....
in 2002, but withdrew before the nomination meeting. He became Deputy Mayor of Greater Sudbury in 2003. Petryna was narrowly defeated in the 2003 municipal electionGreater Sudbury municipal election, 2003The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2003 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 10, 2003. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date; see Ontario municipal elections, 2003 for elections in other cities.The election chose the mayor...
, losing to Lynne Reynolds by fewer than 300 votes. He applied for a position on Greater Sudbury's Police Services Board in January 2004, but was passed over in favour of his brother, Dave Petryna. He sought a return to council in 2006, but lost to Janet Gasparini in the city's redistributed eleventh ward. - John Caruso was born in BarrieBarrie, OntarioBarrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
, and moved to Sudbury for his education. He is a businessman in Greater Sudbury. Caruso served on the Sudbury Regional Development Corporation, and became the first chair of the Greater Sudbury Community Development Corporation in March 2001. In a December 2001 interview, he said that the group's key objectives included local education and training, support for local conventions, and tourist promotion in francophone areas. He later endorsed a local wind turbine farm, and called for Greater Sudbury to be declared a centre of excellence for mining technology. In early 2003, he called for the deregulation of Sudbury's shopping hours. Caruso introduced a comprehensive strategic plan in June 2003, entitled "Coming of Age in the 21st Century, an Economic Development Strategic Plan for Greater Sudbury 2015". Shortly thereafter, he announced his candidacy for Mayor of Greater Sudbury in the 2003 municipal electionGreater Sudbury municipal election, 2003The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2003 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 10, 2003. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date; see Ontario municipal elections, 2003 for elections in other cities.The election chose the mayor...
. He promised to make council function more effectively as a team, and called for key strategic investments in infrastructure. Caruso also said that he would negotiate with the provincial government for lower hydro rates, and would be willing to borrow from the province to conduct road repairs. He was endorsed by the Sudbury and District Labour Council. On election day, he received 4,693 votes (8.71%), finishing fifth against David CourtemancheDavid CourtemancheDavid Courtemanche is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is the former mayor of Greater Sudbury, having served one term from 2003 to 2006.-Background:...
. In late 2004, Caruso helped spearhead an image branding campaign for Greater Sudbury. His term as chair of the development corporation came to an end in June 2005, although he continued as a member of the board until 2006. In July 2005, he joined the board of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. He was also chair of the Northern Consulting Group, and wrote an extended piece on First Nations housing needs in 2005. He was 54 years old during the 2006 campaign, and was working as an adviser to the town of Smooth Rock FallsSmooth Rock Falls, OntarioSmooth Rock Falls is an incorporated town in the Cochrane District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. Part of the James Bay Frontier, it calls itself "The North's Biggest Little Town."-Geography and transportation:...
. Caruso was skeptical of the provincial government's plan to increase the minimum wageMinimum wageA minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
in 2007, arguing that other means could be sought to transfer wealth to lower-income Canadians.
School trustees
| Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
|---|---|---|
| (x)Gord Santala | accl. | . |
- Gord Santala is an employment councillor. He was first elected to the Rainbow District School Board in 2000Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2000The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2000 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 13, 2000. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date....
, defeating longtime trustee Muiriel MacLeod. He was returned without opposition in 2003Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2003The Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2003 was held in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada on November 10, 2003. All municipal elections in the province of Ontario are held on the same date; see Ontario municipal elections, 2003 for elections in other cities.The election chose the mayor...
and 2006.
| Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
|---|---|---|
| (x)Paula Peroni | 1,570 | 49.73 |
| Ted Szilva Ted Szilva Theodore Arthur Szilva, O.Ont is a businessman in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. He is best known for creating the city's "Big Nickel" landmark.... |
1,038 | 32.88 |
| Geraldine Meskell | 549 | 17.39 |
| Total valid votes | 3,157 | 100.00 |
Followup
The new council was sworn in on December 6, 2006. In his inaugural speech, Rodriguez laid out an ambitious "first 100 days" agenda for change in the city, which included eliminating the transfer fee on the city's TransCab service (which offers taxi service to residents of remote areas of the city not served by Greater Sudbury TransitGreater Sudbury Transit
Greater Sudbury Transit is a public transport authority that operates buses in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.-Overview:Greater Sudbury Transit features over 90 buses on 28 regular routes servicing the city centre and outlying neighbourhoods such as Capreol, Chelmsford, Lively and Falconbridge. The...
), and creating citizen committees to oversee a number of projects, including the implementation of Floyd Laughren
Floyd Laughren
Floyd Laughren is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He sat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1998 as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, and served as Finance Minister and Deputy Premier in the government of Bob Rae.-Background:Laughren's childhood was far...
's report on service improvements in the amalgamated city, reviewing the city's recreational facilities and pursuing the creation of an arts centre, revising the city's corporate taxation base, pursuing economic growth opportunities in the health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
sector, and devolving some legislative authority to the existing local community action networks.
Rodriguez also ignited some controversy by making two unilateral decisions on his first day in office, reaffirming that stores in the city would not be permitted to open on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
and authorizing the Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
flag to be flown at Tom Davies Square
Tom Davies Square
Tom Davies Square is the city hall of Greater Sudbury, Ontario.Built in the 1970s and formerly known as Civic Square, the building was part of an urban renewal movement toward transforming the city's visual image by investing in more distinctive and modern architecture...
. The latter decision invoked polarized opinion, with some praising the mayor for taking authoritative action and others criticizing him for isolating other cultural groups in the community.
Reynolds announced in December that she would be a candidate for the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
nomination for Nickel Belt
Nickel Belt
Nickel Belt is one of two federal electoral districts serving the Greater City of Sudbury.Nickel Belt has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.It consists of:...
in the next federal election
40th Canadian federal election
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, following Ray Bonin's announcement that he would retire from office at the end of the current parliamentary session. She later withdrew from the race, endorsing competitor Sylvain Beaudry; however, the nomination was ultimately won by Louise Portelance, who was also a defeated municipal council candidate in 2006.
Floyd Laughren tabled his committee report on January 10, 2007, making 34 recommendations for improvements in the city's municipal ward structure, communications, transportation, recreation and transit services. Rodriguez and most council members responded favourably to the report, indicating that they would attempt to implement as many of the recommendations as possible.