Greater Sudbury municipal election, 2000

The 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.

The election chose the mayor and city councillors who would sit on the new Greater Sudbury City Council from 2000 to 2003.

Issues

The city of Greater Sudbury, in its current form, did not yet exist on the election date, but was legislated to come into effect on January 1, 2001. On the election date, the former government structure of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury and its seven constituent municipalities was still in place. The election, however, was held to choose the new city council.

Officially, the municipal councils from the 1997 elections remained in office until December 31, 2000, approximately three weeks longer than in most other Ontario municipalities. However, much of their actual power had already been transferred to the new city's appointed transition committee, leaving the incumbent municipal councils with only nominal authority. Although temporary, the limits that were placed on the power of the outgoing municipal councils were controversial throughout the year.

The municipal amalgamation was itself controversial and unpopular, especially in the suburban municipalities.

Mayoral race

The winner of the mayoral race was Jim Gordon, the long-serving mayor of the former city of Sudbury. Gordon did not face serious opposition.

Results

Mayor

2000 Greater Sudbury municipal election, Mayor of Greater Sudburyedit

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
Jim Gordon	44,220	81.0
Mary Fournier Pagnutti	3,923	7.2
Rick Doyon	3,668	6.7
Carl St. John	1,955	3.6
Ed Pokonzie	472	0.9
David Popescu	339	0.6

Ward 1

Two to be elected.

Candidate	Votes	%
Eldon Gainer	4,245	26.9
Gerry McIntaggart	3,543	22.5
Vicki Kett	2,858	18.1
Dick Johnstone	2,371	15.0
Joe Cimino	1,998	12.7
Jim Chénier	745	4.7
Total valid votes	15,759

Ward 2

Two to be elected.

Candidate	Votes	%
Lionel Lalonde	5,257	31.7
Ron Bradley	4,126	24.9
Claude Berthiaume	3,388	20.4
Jim Ilnitski	2,618	15.8
Bill Hedderson	1,186	7.2
Total valid votes	16,575

Ward 3

Two to be elected.

Candidate	Votes	%
Ron Dupuis	2,907	19.8
Louise Portelance	2,617	17.8
André Rivest	2,340	15.9
Joe Niceforo	1,916	13.0
Maurice Lamoureux	1,395	9.5
Marc Landry	1,011	6.9
Roger Trottier	1,000	6.8
Leonard Zivny	913	6.2
Nicky Doyon	585	4.0
Total valid votes	14,684

Ward 4

Two to be elected.

Candidate	Votes	%
Ted Callaghan	4,213	32.8
Dave Kilgour	4,066	31.7
Russ Thompson	3,022	23.5
Rachel Proulx	1,540	12.0
Total valid votes	12,841

Ward 5

Two to be elected.

Candidate	Votes	%
Doug Craig	5,599	35.4
Austin Davey	3,386	21.4
Mila Wong	2,958	18.7
Peter McMullen	2,956	18.7
Marvin Julian	896	5.7
Total valid votes	15,795

Ward 6

Two to be elected.

Candidate	Votes	%
David Courtemanche	4,357	28.6
Mike Petryna	3,329	21.9
Janet Gasparini	2,939	19.3
Ricardo de la Riva	2,494	16.4
Claire Pilon	1,460	9.6
Ernie Savard	636	4.2
Total votes	15,215	100.00

School trustees

2000 Greater Sudbury municipal election, Trustee, Area One

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
Gord Santala	2,349	46.09
(x)Muiriel MacLeod	2,150	42.18
Stephen L. Butcher	598	11.73
Total valid votes	5,097	100.00

Biographical details

• Carl St. John was a former railway worker, who operated a laundromat in Sudbury. He had previously campaigned for mayor in the 1994 and 1997 municipal elections.^[1] St. John called for economic diversification in the industrial and commercial sectors in 2000, and said that he would work to bring computer hardwire and software companies to the city. He also promised a 1.5% tax cut every year for three years, as well as a freeze on residential tax rates.^[2] He died on February 3, 2002.^[3]
• Dick Johnstone was the final mayor of Walden before to its amalgamation into Greater Sudbury, and also served as a regional councillor.^[4] He sought election to the new Greater Sudbury Council in 2000, and was defeated. He later sought an appointment to the City of Greater Sudbury's first economic development corporation in 2001, but did not receive the position.^[5] As of 2008, he was a director of the Human League Association in Sudbury.^[6]
• Ricardo de la Riva is a family doctor, and served for many years as a city councillor in Sudbury.^[7] He was first elected in 1972, and was returned in every subsequent election until 2000. He also served on the Sudbury Regional Council from its creation in 1973 until its abolition in 2000. De la Riva was a long-time supporter of French language rights, and a strong proponent of economic renewal in Sudbury's downtown area.^[8] He opposed efforts to deregulate the city's store shopping hours in the late 1990s, and criticized retail expansion in the city's south end as harmful to the downtown.^[9] He was particularly opposed to the opening of a Wal-Mart in the city's south end.^[10] In late 1999, he announced his intent to have the new city of Greater Sudbury recognized as officially bilingual.^[11] He was awarded the Francophile Order of Merit by the Association canadienne-francaise de l'Ontario in 2000.^[12] De la Riva was defeated in the 2000 election. He was awarded a Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.^[13] The following year, he wrote an extended piece supporting efforts to fly the Franco-Ontarian flag from Tom Davies Square, arguing that the move would reflect Pierre Elliott Trudeau's vision of a bilingual and bi-cultural Canada.^[14] He was later appointed to the board of the Flour Mill Business Improvement Area, and became its chair in February 2004.^[15]
• Claire Pilon is a freelance journalist in Sudbury. She was a school trustee for more than two decades before she sought election to the Greater Sudbury City Council, and also served as chair of the Conseil scolaire de district catholique du Nouvel-Ontario and as president of the Centre Francophone Culturel.^[16] She was named Franco-Ontarien of the Year by the Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario du Grand-Sudbury in 2000.^[17] She also has written several pieces for the Sudbury Star and other papers including Le Voyageur, many about local French-Canadian and Catholic culture and history.^[18] In 2003, she wrote a piece in support of a proposal to fly the Franco-Ontarian flag from Tom Davies Square.^[19]
• Ernie Savard is a retired businessman, and a former Sudbury City Councillor and trustee on the Sudbury Board of Education.^[20] He was the only trustee to vote against offering summer credit programs during a teacher strike in 1980, arguing that it was a needless provocation against the teaching community.^[21] He was a member of the group People Against Climbing Taxes (PACT) during his re-election bid in 1982.^[22] Savard came out of political retirement for the 2000 election. A devout Roman Catholic and a prominent member of the local Knights of Columbus, he oversaw the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto and was president of the Friends of the Grotto Association for several years.^[23] He was given a retirement party by Friends of the Grotto in 2002, at age 80.^[24] In 2005, a walkway from the grotto to a new fountain was named after Savard.^[25]

References

1. ^ "Former mayoralty candidate dies", Sudbury Star, 6 February 2002, A3.
2. ^ Chris Polehoykie, "Gordon promises to cut taxes in new city", Sudbury Star, 20 October 2000, A1, with a correction the following day on p. A3.
3. ^ "Former mayoralty candidate dies", Sudbury Star, 6 February 2002, A3.
4. ^ Terry Pender, "Create one supercity", Sudbury Star, 4 September 1999, A1.
5. ^ Denis St. Pierre, "Economic leaders to sit on key city committee", Sudbury Star, 15 March 2001, A3.
6. ^ The Human League Association, main page, accessed 28 February 2008.
7. ^ Ricardo de la Riva, "Canada needs more like Diane Marleau" [letter], Sudbury Star, 1 May 2000, A7.
8. ^ Kennedy Gordon, "Downtown dilemma: Doug Craig says other areas are being ignored in the quest to revitalize downtown Sudbury", Sudbury Star, 11 July 1999, A1.
9. ^ Terry Pender, "City OKs extended hours for bookstores longer hours for bookstores: Full deregulation of store hours on agenda for next meeting", Sudbury Star, 29 November 1999, A1; Lara Bradley, "Complex draws opposition: Downtown merchants fear impact of a big-box shopping complex in south end", Sudbury Star, 2 December 1999, A3.
10. ^ Terry Pender, "Wal-Mart approved for south end: But opponents vow to fight development before Ontario Municipal Board", Sudbury Star, 13 January 2000, A1.
11. ^ Terry Pender, "Make new city bilingual, councillor asks colleagues: Time to recognize role of francophones in region, Ricardo de la Riva says", '"Sudbury Star, 22 December 1999, A1. See also Denis St. Pierre, "Sudbury francophones call on Chretien for help: Group wants PM to intervene with Harris to ensure city declared officially bilingual", Sudbury Star, 23 December 1999, A1.
12. ^ "Association honours Ricardo de la Riva", Sudbury Star, 20 May 2000, A3.
13. ^ "Queen's Jubilee Medal honours 20 Sudburians", Sudbury Star, 5 November 2002, A3.
14. ^ Ricardo de la Riva, "Sudbury council blinded by ignorance: Franco-Ontarian flag fiasco reveals lack of tolerance among the majority of city politicians", Sudbury Star, 16 May 2003, A9.
15. ^ Harold Carmichael, "Familiar face heads up Flour Mill business improvement association: Former city councillor wants to help direct new businesses to section north of city's downtown",Sudbury Star, 10 March 2004, A6.
16. ^ Harold Carmichael, "Pilon and Gainer to seek seats on new city council", Sudbury Star, 9 September 2000, A3. She was 48 years old at the time.
17. ^ "Star writer wins award", Sudbury Star, 28 June 2000, A2.
18. ^ See for instance Claire Pilon, "Francophone catholic group gathers to reflect on Gospel, life", Sudbury Star, 1 July 2000, B7; Claire Pilon, "Carrefour francophone oldest centre of its kind in Ontario", Sudbury Star, 21 July 2000, B7; Claire Pilon, "Genealogy group will hold open house Oct. 25", Sudbury Star, 23 October 2000, A4; Claire Pilon, "New French Catholic school symbol of community strength: If only we could do the same with the Flour Mill silos", Sudbury Star, 25 November 2003, A7; Claire Pilon, "Francophone association unveils document on complaint process: Group outlines reasons and procedures for lodging a rights complaint", Sudbury Star, 20 May 2004, B10; Claire Pilon, "Pope honours eight Northern Catholics", Sudbury Star, 13 November 2004, D9; Claire Pilon, "Noelville gets ready for big celebration as parish turns 100", Sudbury Star, 17 June 2005, A5; Claire Pilon, "Francophones have left imprint on Sudbury", Sudbury Star, 11 February 2008, A2.
19. ^ Claire Pilon, "Sudbury council has chosen to ignore francophones", Sudbury Star, 12 May 2003, A9.
20. ^ "Withholding school taxes is urged in Sudbury strike", Globe and Mail, 21 April 1980, 11.
21. ^ Douglas Yonson, "Sudbury dispute may block extra classes", Globe and Mail, 19 June 1980, 10.
22. ^ "Mayor's decision comes back to haunt him", Globe and Mail, 2 November 1982, 4.
23. ^ Rob O'Flanagan, "Believer predicts year 2000 will hold something big", Sudbury Star, 29 November 1999, A2; Ernie Savard, "Friends of Grotto appreciate support", Sudbury Star, 9 January 2002, B2; "Savard re-elected Grotto president", Sudbury Star, 17 February 2002, A3; Claire Pilon, "Grotto of Notre Dame of Lourdes marking 95th anniversary", Sudbury Star, 1 August 2002, B9; "Ernie Savard retiring from grotto group", Sudbury Star, 17 November 2002, A3; Sudbury's Grotto of Lourdes Shrine Redevelopment Project Unveiled To Valley East Residents, Valley East Today, 2007, accessed 19 September 2008.
24. ^ "Ernie Savard to be honoured at gala", Sudbury Star, 1 December 2002, A3.
25. ^ Rob O'Flanagan, "Award humbles Grotto hero: Ernie Savard recognized for his efforts to revitalize landmark", '"Sudbury Star, 24 December 2005, A3.

External links

• City of Greater Sudbury Municipal Election site