Gregor Robertson re-elected mayor of Vancouver
Vision Vancouver candidate and incumbent mayor led count from start
Gregor Robertson has secured a third term as mayor of Vancouver, winning a decisive victory over his opponents and leading Vision Vancouver to dominate the city's elected council.
The incumbent led the count from the start, taking 46 per cent of ballots cast, compared with 40 per cent for his main rival Kirk LaPointe (Non-Partisan Association).
Robertson, co-founder of the Happy Planet juice company and a former NDP member of B.C.'s legislature, was first elected in 2008. Outside of Vancouver, he is perhaps best known as the city's public face during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Meanwhile, Vision Vancouver councillors will take six spots on city council, alongside three NPA councillors and one Green.
Speaking to supporters after the results came in, Robertson said he was "humbled and honoured" to be re-elected.
"I've heard loud and clear that there are things that we can do better — and we will — over these next four years," he said.
"We committed to lead, not follow ... We're going to continue to build a green, inclusive and vibrant city together ... it's your voices that led us here and it's your voices that lead us forward."
'A real role model'
Though the night was a win for Vision Vancouver at city hall, the party lost control of both the school and park boards.
The school board stands with three Vision trustees, three NPA and one Green.
But the park board saw Vision all but wiped out with only one commissioner elected out of seven, leaving the NPA in control with four commissioners, and the Greens with two.
CBC News projected Robertson would win at 10:30 p.m. PT. Some 20 minutes later, LaPointe conceded the race.
In his concession speech, LaPointe thanked and congratulated Robertson.
"I consider his commitment to his priorities a real role model for how a mayor should operate," said LaPointe, adding that the "campaign has not always brought out the best in us, but it did deliver a clarity of choice."
"We were dozens of points down in the polls. Truly an unknown, an underdog, an under-financed group. Even my dog didn’t like being walked by an underdog."
Before entering politics, LaPointe had a long journalism career that saw him work at several major news outlets, including The Canadian Press, where he served as Ottawa bureau chief, and the National Post, where he was executive editor. He was senior vice-president of news at CTV in the early 2000s before becoming managing editor of the Vancouver Sun newspaper.
Most recently, LaPointe served as ombudsman of CBC News and he is also an adjunct journalism professor at the University of British Columbia.
Meena Wong (Coalition of Progressive Electors) also ran for the mayor's chair, in addition to six independent candidates — Meynard Aubichon, Mike Hansen, Jeff Hill, Cherryse Kaur Kaiser, Tim Ly and Colin Shandler.
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With files from The Canadian Press