Unseated Sudbury councillors admit 'people wanted change'

Morning North4:49Shocking loss for incumbent Sudbury councillors this election

Two veteran Greater Sudbury city councillors talk about the shocking loss they suffered in the municipal election. One of them is Terry Kett, the other Jacques Barbeau. Both councillors reflect on what happened with the vote.​

City councillors who were voted out by Sudburians this week say they were "shocked" and disappointed by the results.

Four incumbents were unseated on Monday night, with only two city councillors staying on.

Compare that with the 2010 election, when all nine city councillors running again were re-elected.

Jacques Barbeau lost his bid to represent the Lively and Copper Cliff areas for a third term.

"I mean, how do you not take that personally? I do, but at the same point, it's democracy and you move on,” he said.

“I'll feel better about it in a day or two."

Veteran Sudbury city councillors Andre Rivest, Terry Kett and Dave Kilgour were also voted out.

Kett has had a long career in municipal politics and was voted off Sudbury city council once before.  And further back, he lost a run for regional chair.

"This one feels different in the sense that I feel sort of helpless. That there's this tide of change and you're swept up in it and there's nothing you can do about it,” he said.

​Kett said he still feels he did a good job for the people of his ward, despite losing by about 500 votes to Lynne Reynolds — a former city councillor now returning to the fold.

Barbeau lost his seat to newcomer Michael Vagnini in Ward 2.

"You know people wanted change, they certainly got change. [It’s] going to be an interesting four years ahead,” he said.

Both Barbeau and Kett said they doubt the tax freeze promised by new mayor Brian Bigger is possible without major cuts.

Both also said it's too early to say if they're just going to be political spectators from now on.

Former councillors gather for one last city council meeting next week, before the new council is sworn in early in December.

Greater Sudbury municipal ward election results

Ward 1:

• Mark Signoretti – 1,780 votes (39.67 per cent)
• Chris Spry – 1,125 votes (25.07 per cent)
• Matt Alexander – 589 votes (13.13 per cent)
• Paul Soucie – 274 votes (6.11 per cent)
• Tom Trainor – 261 votes (5.82 per cent)
• Denis Ferron – 232 (5.17 per cent)
• Mathieu Labonté – 167 votes (3.72 per cent)
• Sidney Shaprio – 59 votes (1.31 per cent)

Ward 2:

• Michael Vagnini – 2,752 votes (49.36 per cent)
• Jacques Barbeau – 2,130 votes (39.28 per cent)
• Daniel Xilon – 398 votes (7.14 per cent)
• Chad Odnokon – 152 votes (2.73 per cent)
• Joseph Palmateer – 83 votes (1.49 per cent)

Ward 3:

• Gerry Montpellier – 1884 votes (42.14 per cent)
• Marcel Montpellier – 1,311 votes (29.32 per cent)
• Matt Belanger – 960 votes (21.47 per cent)
• Jesse Gaudet – 316 votes (7.07 per cent)

Ward 4:

• Evelyn Dutrisac – 2,112 votes (48.1 per cent)
• Francois Couture – 1,713 votes (39.01 per cent)
• Paul Lefebvre – 566 votes (12.89 per cent)

Ward 5:

• Robert Kirwan – 1,467 (35.78 per cent)
• John Lundrigan – 969 votes (23.63 per cent)
• Richard Larcher – 891 votes (21.73 per cent)
• Joseph Berthlot – 483 votes (11.78 per cent)
• Kent MacNeill – 290 votes (7.07 per cent)

Ward 6:

• René Lapierre – 1,933 votes (37.56 per cent)
• Andre Rivest – 1,663 votes (32.31 per cent)
• Fernand Bidal – 865 votes (16.81 per cent)
• Kevin Brault – 686 votes (13.33 per cent)

Ward 7:

• Mike Jakubo – 2,486 votes (50.9 per cent)
• Dave Kilgour – 1,525 votes (31.22 per cent)
• Robin Auger – 414 votes (8.48 per cent)
• Gordon Drysdale – 371 votes (7.6 per cent)
• Walter Prus – 88 votes (1.8 per cent)

Ward 8:

• Al Sizer – 1,973 votes (45.04 per cent)
• Stefano Presenza – 1,042 votes (23.78 per cent)
• Michael Cullen – 1,013 votes (23.12 per cent)
• Gerry Perras – 219 votes (5.0 per cent)
• Kerry Latham – 134 votes (3.06 per cent)

Ward 9:

• Deb McIntosh – 2,000 votes (35.28 per cent)
• Les Lisk – 1,037 votes (18.29 per cent)
• Wyman MacKinnon – 691 votes (12.19 per cent)
• Lin Gibson – 679 votes (11.98 per cent)
• Paul Stopciati – 657 votes (11.59 per cent)
• Aaron Beaudry – 353 votes (6.23 per cent)
• Will Thomson – 252 votes (4.45 per cent)

Ward 10:

• Fern Cormier – 2,085 votes (38.84 per cent)
• John Antonioni – 1,200 votes (22.53 per cent)
• Hannu Piironen – 1,042 votes (19.41 per cent)
• Mila Wong – 794 votes (14.79 per cent)
• Steve Ripley – 247 votes (4.6 per cent)

Ward 11:

• Lynne Reynolds – 2,194 votes (40.96 per cent)
• Terry Kett – 1,700 votes (31.73 per cent)
• Mike Bleskie – 851 votes (15.89 per cent)
• Chris Nerpin – 356 votes (6.65 per cent)
• Vincent Lacroix – 256 (4.78 per cent)

Ward 12:

• Joscelyne Landry-Altmann – 2,179 votes (52.98 per cent)
• Tay Butt – 1,136 votes (27.62 per cent)
• Shawn Ouimet – 496 votes (12.06 per cent)
• Robert McCarthy – 302 votes (7.34 per cent)