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Sevigny likely winner in tight race |
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For the first time since 1994, Sherbrooke has a new mayor. At press time, with 365 of 381 polling stations counted, Renouveau Sherbrookois head Bernard Sevigny had gained 16516 votes compared to 16440 votes for Hélène Gravel.  COURTESY Bernard Sevigny
The results had yet to be made official before going to print.
Lennoxville proved to be the deal breaker. Gravel led by 200 votes with only 41 polling stations left to be tallied, the majority of them being from Lennoxville. Sevigny overtook that lead as Lennoxville’s votes began to come in.
A number of votes from the borough were still not in by press time, which could affect the final vote count.
All 11 of the candidates seeking re-election to the municipal council were successful on Sunday. Mariette Fugere (du Pin-Solitaire), Roger Labrecque (Quatres-Saisons), Louida Brochu (Lavigerie), Serge Paquin (Centre Sud), Pierre Boisvert (de la Croix-Lumineuse), Jean-Francois Rouleau (l’Université), Diane Delisle (Deauville), Serge Forest (Rock Forest), Julien Lachance (Saint-Élie), Chantal l’Esperance (Domaine Howard), and Marc Denault (Montcalm), will all join Nicole Bergeron and Robert Pouliot for four more years at Sherbrooke City Hall.
Bergeron, Brompton’s borough president, was re-elected by acclamation on Oct. 2, and Robert Pouliot, representative for the Ascot district and member of Renouveau Sherbrookois, won his seat back on Oct. 8 when his only opponent, Francine St-Louis of the Comme une eau Terre party, dropped out of the race.
With the head of the party potentially not winning, Pouliot will be joined by only two of his fellow Renouveau Sherbrookois members. Of the 14 party members who were running for a municipal council seat, only incumbent Diane Delise (Deauville) and newly-elected Bruno Vachon (Châteaux-d’Eau) managed to win their seats on the municipal council.
In all, only six of the 19 Sherbrooke municipal council seats will be filled with new members.
The other municipal party represented in the election, the Comme une eau Terre party, did not manage to gain a single seat.
The party’s head, Hubert Richard, lost to incumbent Paquin in the Centre-Sud district; managing to gain only 209 votes compared to Paquin’s 1008.
On Monday, Nov. 16, the new mayor and the 18 other members of the new municipal council will sit publicly for the first time.
It will be the first time in 15 years that Jean Perrault will not be sitting at that council meeting as mayor.
Change has come to the city of Sherbrooke. By Doug McCooeye 2009-11-02 |
Montreal Canadiens
