|
Upon hearing the news that he had won Sunday night, Bernard Sévigny – Sherbrooke’s newly-elected mayor – had a different reaction than one would expect. 
PHOTO: DOUG MCCOOEYE Denis Pellerin stands with newly-elected mayor Bernard Sévingy, but says Sherbrooke has not heard the last of him.
“I was relieved,” said the Renouveau Sherbrookois head on Tuesday. Sévigny beat out second-place finisher Hélène Gravel by only 122 votes. “It was a really long night and very emotional. Madame Gravel was leading for almost the entire night, so it was stressful at times. But I’m ecstatic with the result.”
Sévigny is already looking ahead to his duties as the new mayor of Sherbrooke despite there being a chance that they will be recounting the votes. Gravel will announce this morning her team’s intention regarding a legal recount.
“For me it changes nothing,” said Sévigny of Gravel’s upcoming announcement. “We will adjust if it is necessary. It is her legitimate right to ask for (a recount). We will respect any decision that is made.”
Sévigny met with outgoing mayor Jean Perrault on Monday afternoon to discuss the transition of power. Perrault – who announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down after fifteen years at the helm – offered his support for Sherbrooke’s new mayor. A councilor for eight years under Perrault, Sévigny often butted heads with the popular mayor. In spite of their past differences, the out-going mayor offered to provide the new mayor with any advice or help that was asked of him. Barring any change in the results, Perrault has until Thursday to vacate his City Hall office, at which point Sévigny can move in. Sévigny says the date for the official swearing-in ceremony of the new municipal council has not been set, but will most likely take place early next week on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
In the meantime, Sherbrooke’s new mayor plans to meet with every member of the municipal council to help plan his mandate and form the city’s specialized committees.
“We have a lot of work to do before the first council meeting on November 16,” he said.
As for his municipal party, Renouveau Sherbrookois, only four – including himself – out of the seventeen members who were running for a council seat were elected on Sunday.
“I was disappointed with the results,” admitted Sévigny . “I was hoping that we would get more councilors elected.” He mentioned that it was time to “rebuild Renouveau Sherbrookois” so that it would still play an influential role in the municipality.
“The population chose continuity,” he said of the municipal council remaining mostly intact. “We have to respect that choice.”
Pellerin happy with results
Despite his wit and charm on the campaign circuit in October, Denis Pellerin only managed to garner 596 votes in Sunday’s election. Even with the disappointing results, the industrial engineer was content with his campaign as well as his fifth-place finish.
“Totally comfortable with my results,” said Pellerin in an email to The Record. “(My) main goals were accomplished: the next mayor will have to take into account my views on industrial jobs, urbanism planning, transport planning, environment…at least most of them.”
Pellerin addressed the new mayor, saying that Sévigny will be “on the edge of the mayor’s seat” because of Renouveau Sherbrookois’ poor showing and the small margin of victory over Gravel.
“I have a profound respect for those two and also Mr. Godbout and Mr. Saboun,” added Pellerin. “Some must lose for others (and society) to win. That’s democracy.”
Like Francois Godbout, who finished third on Sunday, Pellerin was disappointed with the low voter turnout; calling the 44% participation rate “the only real dark side” of the election.
Pellerin – an independate candidate who said in October that he was running his campaign “on my trademark red sweater and two tanks of gas” – noted that some quality candidates probably did not get voted in because they did not have “enough money or ‘big teams’” behind them. He said that those people could have brought new ideas to the council, but will now instead have to find other means to get those ideas heard.
All in all, Pellerin seems optimistic about the city’s future. “New things are around the corner for me and for Sherbrooke,” he wrote. “I know that. Just wait a little and pay attention, it will come.”
By Doug McCooeye
2009-11-04 |
Montreal Canadiens
