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Wild municipal election night in Yukon as new mayor called by random draw in Faro

Faro's new mayor was picked by luck of the draw and Watson Lake ousted its incumbent mayor in an exciting Yukon election night.

Check out the full community results from Watson Lake, Faro, Haines Junction, Teslin and Carmacks

CBC News ·
Faro, Yukon in 2016. (Ian Dunlop)

Voters in several Yukon communities headed to the ballot box Thursday to choose a new mayor and council.

Municipal elections were held in Watson Lake, Carmacks, Faro, Teslin and Haines Junction.

Read below for the results.

Faro

It was an interesting night in Faro, as Leonard Faber defeated incumbent mayor Jack Bowers not by earning more votes but by luck of the draw.

Both Faber and Bowers received 86 votes and rules stipulate that in case of a tie, the winner's name — in this case it was Faber's — is drawn.

Four councillors were elected out of five candidates.

  • Tina Freake
  • Lisa Snyder, incumbent
  • Pat McCracken, incumbent
  • Cheryl Stubbs
Cheryl O'Brien ousted incumbent Justin Brown to become the new mayor of Watson Lake. (Submitted by Cheryl O'Brien)

Watson Lake

In Watson Lake, Cheryl O'Brien ousted incumbent mayor Justin Brown with 282 votes. Brown garnered 188 votes.

O'Brien said her top priority as mayor will be to ensure the budget is balanced while making sure there is money for infrastructure. She also said she wants to manage town meetings in an open and clear way, and make sure residents understand the reasoning behind decisions the town government makes.

Four councillors were also elected, out of 11 who ran:

  • Lauren Hanchar, with 249 votes
  • Christopher Irvin, incumbent, with 239 votes
  • Erin Labonte, with 220 votes
  • Thomas Slager, with 199 votes

Carmacks​

Incumbent mayor Lee Bodie won with 60 votes, while Kevin Unterschute got 48 votes and Bob Mayer received 30 votes. Bodie said his top priority will be to bring more jobs to the village.

Four councillors were elected out of seven candidates.

May 2018, Lee Bodie, mayor Carmacks, Yukon. (Jane Sponagle/CBC)
  • George Skookum, with 100 votes
  • Helena Belanger, incumbent, with 87 votes
  • Tara Wheeler, incumbent, with 84 votes
  • Lorraine Graham, with 63 votes

Teslin

Gord Curran was elected mayor with 88 votes. He formerly served on council. He won against Jean-Michel Harvey, who received 48 votes.

Curran said he's looking forward to continuing his working relationship with Teslin Tlingit Council, and updating the official community plan.

Four councillors were elected out of six candidates:

  • Trevor Sallis, incumbent, with 86 votes
  • Denise Johnston, incumbent, 84
  • Clara Jules, with 84 votes
  • Juanita Kremer, with 78 votes

Haines Junction

Thomas Eckervogt had already been acclaimed as mayor before the election. He replaced former mayor Michael Riseborough.

Four councillors were elected out of six candidates:

  • Susan Smith, incumbent, with 166
  • Courtney Quinn, with 158 votes
  • Kari Johnston, with 137 votes
  • Mark Nassiopoulos, with 132 votes

Dawson City and Mayo

Wayne Potoroka was acclaimed as Dawson City's mayor, along with council. (Submitted by Wayne Potoroka)

Neither Dawson City nor Mayo held elections Thursday, because their mayors and council were both acclaimed.

In Dawson City, the acclaimed mayor is Wayne Potoroka.

The acclaimed council is:

  • Natasha Ayoub
  • Stephen Johnson
  • Bill Kendrick
  • Molly Shore

In Mayo, the acclaimed mayor is Scott Bolton.

The acclaimed council is:

  • Blair Andre
  • Joann K. Aird
  • Trevor Ellis
  • Carol Knight
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