Debbie Johnston becomes new mayor of Three Rivers

Debbie Johnston will become the second mayor of Three Rivers, the eastern Prince Edward Island municipality that was amalgamated in 2018.

Johnston won the two-way race with 1,099 votes to Ray Brow's 853, with all 17 polls reporting. 

"I'm feeling great. I'm excited and I want to thank all the people that voted for me in Three Rivers," she said Monday night.

"I intend to do my best as mayor for Three Rivers, and I'm happy to be elected."

Johnston spent the last four years as the deputy mayor of Three Rivers.

"It's certainly a different position, with more responsibilities than deputy mayor, so I'm looking forward to it," she said.

"I hope that we can get people to see the benefits of Three Rivers over the next four years, more so than the last. I think the last four years were very much growing pains and I hope the next four years will move forward and we'll work better together as a council and as communities."

During the campaign, Johnston said one of her priorities was to do more to promote Three Rivers as a great area to do business in and to bring up families. 

"I certainly want to work with all levels of government to find out what funding there is out there for our needs in Three Rivers," she said. "There's a lot to do."

Other priorities include eliminating red tape and upping community engagement.

"It's the residents that put us there so we need to know why they aren't engaged and what we can do to make that better, so I definitely will be reaching out to people in the community and trying to get the answers to those questions," she said.

Ed MacAulay, who served as the first mayor of Three Rivers, did not reoffer.

Here are the councillors elected in Three Rivers:

• Ward 1 –  Gaspereaux: Alan Munro, Anne Van Donkersgoed.
• Ward 2 – Montague: John MacFarlane, Wayne Spin.
• Ward 3 – Brudenell: Martina J. MacDonald, John VanDyke.
• Ward 4 – Launching: Cody Jenkins, Cindy MacLean.