Now that it's all over...

Well, our lengthy coverage of the 2010 municipal election is officially over. I want to congratulate all of the winners and the candidates for a job well done. The races are not always played cleanly, which I've heard from candidates in every ward, and I'm sure it involves blood, sweat and tears, but democracy is a great thing and it takes a lot to run and get involved in an election campaign.

Again, here are your councillors:

Dave Ryan - Mayor

Jennifer O'Connell - Ward 1 Regional Councillor

Bill McLean - Ward 2 Regional Councillor

Peter Rodrigues - Ward 3 Regional Councillor

Kevin Ashe - Ward 1 City Councillor

Doug Dickerson - Ward 2 City Councillor

David Pickles - Ward 3 City Councillor

I'm looking forward to working with the new (or returning) members, and I have to admit I'm going to miss working with both Rick Johnson and Bonnie Littley. Although we often criticized Rick on his expenses, he always managed to liven up the meetings and was full of passion. Bonnie absolutely loves the environment and I'm sure she'll continue to work on it behind the scenes.

Here are some of the comments I've gotten from your councillors since the election:

From David Pickles:
To put your name forward for an eleceted office is a humbling and character building experience.  Asking your friends and neighbours to work on your campaign is also humbling. I congratulate ALL the candidates that put their name on the ballot, all of the campaign workers contributed their valuable time, and all those who came out to vote. A special congratulations to those who were elected.

Bill McLean sent me an e-mail saying the first thing he plans to do in the new term is to bring forward a motion that the Northeast Pickering lands not be included in the Official Plan.

"This is not about jobs but about sprawl at its worst," he said.

Back to business already I guess! It's been an enjoyable and tiring campaign and I hope the candidates can get some rest this weekend. I know I will!

The results are in

Here's your new council. Dave Ryan is your mayor, Jennifer O'Connell is your Ward 1 Regional Councillor, Peter Rodrigues is your Ward 3 Regional Councillor, ousting Rick Johnson from his seat. Looks like Kevin Ashe has secured the Ward 1 City seat, Doug Dickerson will be your Ward 2 City councillor once again and David Pickles has returned as Ward 3 City councillor. Look for the full story on durhamregion.com soon.

Jennifer O'Connell takes Ward 1

She received 4063 of total votes cast compared to 3313 for Bonnie. That's 55.84 per cent of the vote.
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Watching the results

Chris Braney (right) watches as the results start to come in.

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Numbers are coming in...

At only 4 per cent of vote...It's close for Ward 3 Region...Dave Pickles is far ahead...Jennifer O'Connell is leading Bonnie Littley for Ward 1 region...
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Scene at city hall

Scene at city hall as people start to roll in to view the results

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The first candidate at City Hall is...

Chris Braney! He's hoping to reclaim his seat as a Durham District School Board trustee.
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This is the night!

The face of council will officially change tonight in Pickering. Anyone willing to share their picks?
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Sherry Croteau info

It's getting down to the wire, but here's some info that was sent to me from the Sherry Croteau campaign last week. She's hoping to represent Ward 1 at the City Council level.

Sherry, her husband Martin and two children have lived in Ward 1 for over 10 years. She has been elected to represent Pickering as a Durham District School Board Trustee since 2003. Sherry is also a partner in a small consulting firm and has built a successful career in communications.

Over the last seven years, Sherry has advocated for students, has given parents a voice and has led a number of successful projects in Pickering schools. “Sherry always has the interests of our students and community at heart and has never hesitated to take a stand for what she believes in” said Chris Braney, Sherry’s school board colleague. Her accomplishments as a Trustee include creating the Heroes at Home program in collaboration with the Pickering Veterans’ Association, and making every school in Pickering an Eco-School.

As Ward 1 City Councillor, Sherry will use this experience to further develop community partnerships with volunteer groups, sports organizations and local businesses. Her priority is to address the issues that residents have told her are most important: managing growth, improving services and enhancing our quality of life. Sherry’s plan involves pursuing new and creative ways to attract business in order to take the pressure off home owners and provide more jobs here at home. It also involves finding better solutions to everyday problems such as crime, traffic, and aging infrastructure.

“I’m running for City Councillor in Ward 1 for one simple reason: I want to make Pickering an even better place to live” said Sherry. Residents can learn more about Sherry, her track-record and her priorities by visiting her website at www.sherrycroteau.ca. She can also be reached anytime at 905-831-4617.

Rob McCaig info

Here's something that was sent over from the Rob McCaig campaign:

Pickering Ward One City Council Candidate & Amberlea Resident, Rob McCaig , wants to make Pickering a safer, cleaner community that is easy to get around in , live, work, play and shop! Rob, who has lived in Ward One for 25 years feels his long term residency in addition to his extensive marketing, media, strategic planning and business experience is something the Residents of Ward One can reley on in an effort to get Pickering moving again.

“Our Residential Taxes continue to be of huge concern by all of the 6,000 homes we have spoken with on the campaign trail” says McCaig. “ We need to entice companies to invest in Pickering, fill up the designated employment lands, attract jobs and lessen the tax burden off Resident’s shoulders. We need to run Pickering like a business, control the 18 million dollar debt, fix what is in need of fixing and market this city so Residents can enjoy some of the luxuries that other cities have” says McCaig.

McCaig feels his platform of addressing key issues including, taxes, traffic gridlock, infrastructure improvements, safer streets, housing for Seniors, more medical facilities, improved sports facilities, more overnight accomodations for out of town guests and improved transit, all boil down to better planning and that’s what Residents want. “ We need a clearer vision, more input by Residents and a more transparent City Hall so Residents can feel they have contributed in a positive manner to all aspects of our future growth” according to McCaig.

Rob McCaig’s platform is more of a Strategic Plan which he feels other Candidates are too busy talking about themselves and less about what really needs to be accomplished in Pickering. “I have lived here for may years and want to serve the people of Pickering the best way I know how, with honesty, integrity and a vision for our future”.

To learn more about Rob McCaig please visit his web-site www.robmccaig.com <http://www.robmccaig.com>  or call him anytime at 905-831-9785.