Three challengers will get a seat on Red Deer city council after Monday’s election race that resulted in one incumbent losing her job.
Dianne Wyntjes, Chris Stephan and Paul Harris will join incumbents Tara Veer, Cindy Jefferies, Frank Wong, Buck Buchanan and Lynne Mulder around the council chambers table for the next three years.
Voters gave Veer and Jefferies solid endorsements — two councillors who have led the polls during two previous elections — but elected to oust Gail Parks after only one term in office. Veer, who received the most votes with 10,311, said she feels very grateful for the solid support she received.
“I think it reflects that over the last six years, the public feels I have worked hard on their behalf,” said Veer.
Jefferies collected 9,278 votes, saying later she felt a “great sense of support” through the campaign.
Dianne Wyntjes, 51, a regional director for Canadian Union of Public Employees, showed a formidable presence early in the polls, ranking third as soon as the first polls came in.
“I think I speak from the heart, that I care for the people,” said Wyntjes. “I’ve advocated for the people for the last 30 years and I’ve also seen the other side, the government. It’s about balance.”
She credited her husband Allan and the rest of her campaign team. Her campaign manager Jeff Sloychuk said they ran a “traditional on the ground campaign” that included sending out volunteers door-knocking through neighbourhoods, which Sloychuk said caught some residents by surprise because they hadn’t seen that happen before.
Wyntjes garnered 7,783 votes, while Stephan, a 29-year-old lawyer, followed close behind with 7,259 votes. With his pregnant wife by his side, Stephan had few words to describe the elation and gratitude he felt.
“I marketed myself well and I think they liked that I was a homegrown candidate,” said Stephan. “I think people were looking for change.”
Mulder received 6,857 votes, coming in at fifth spot. Buchanan picked up 6,800 votes while Wong picked up 6,733 votes.
Harris, a 48-year-old downtown businessman, said he was glad to take the final eighth spot after running a campaign that was largely done online, with no election signs or brochures.
“I am delighted,” said Harris.
But the results weren’t good news for Parks. The 69-year-old businesswoman showed up at Red Deer Public Library’s auditorium, where a number of candidates assembled, but soon after she returned home.
Reached at her house, Parks expressed disappointment that she would finish in ninth position, one spot shy of getting back in office.
“Nobody likes to be on the losing end,” said Parks, her voice cracking with emotion. “I certainly didn’t take anyone’s vote for granted.”
Mayor Morris Flewwelling said he was shocked that Parks had lost her seat, saying that she had “worked very hard at council.”
“She had come from an Ontario background where she served on council and she was used to a more adversarial approach,” Flewwelling said. “She saw that there was more consensus here and I think she found that it was the most fun she had had.”
The election campaign began to sizzle in September as more and more residents declared their intentions to run. Two seats were vacant with the retirement of long-term councillors Lorna Watkinson-Zimmer and Larry Pimm.
Hot campaign issues included snow removal and whether the city should change the way it budgets for it, and change the priorities so that residential streets are done earlier. Candidates also pledged to be fiscally responsible while the economy continues to mend after a recession.
Other candidates who fought for a spot, but were unsuccessful were: Terry Lee Ropchan with 4,962 votes, Jason Chilibeck with 4,838 votes, Jeffrey Dawson with 4,202 votes, Jim Watters with 4,004 votes, Calvin Yzerman with 3,538 votes, Clarence Torgerson with 2,944 votes and Matt Chapin with 1,625 votes.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com