Winds of change roll through northwestern Ontario, putting many new mayors in city hall

A lot of new faces will fill mayoral chairs across northwestern Ontario following Monday's municipal election. Some have experience in municipal politics, while others put their names forward for the first time.

The amount of change in the region is not a surprise.

Municipalities like Thunder Bay, Atikokan, Nipigon, Terrace Bay, Kenora, Dryden, and Fort Frances are all getting new mayors, as incumbents in each community didn't seek re-election.

But several names are familiar to voters and have been around for some time. They include Ken Boshcoff, who'll serve his third term as Thunder Bay mayor, despite last holding the position in 2003. 

Likewise, voters in Kenora voted a familiar face and name into the mayoral chair, and with a strong mandate, with Andrew Poirier receiving nearly 64 per cent of the vote.

Poirier, who is finishing his third term on council, said his experience in public administration seemed to sway voters.

"I think people saw that [experience] was a plus," Poirier said, adding he had a long record of voting to campaign on. "I'm assuming [people] really like that. So I I think all those things added together made for a positive result for me."

Poirier said he has a number of priorities he would like to see the new council tackle over the next few years, including an increased investment in the city's infrastructure. However, he said the social issues Kenora has been facing need to be made a priority.

"One I would like to see us begin to take a look at, and start to come up with some tangible solutions, is the issue we have with homelessness and drug use in the downtown core," he said.

Joining Poirier on the newly elected Kenora city council will be just one veteran councillor and five new members. Poirier said change is nearly always part of an election.

"It means new ideas." he said. "I think everybody that was elected brings their own skill set to the table and I look forward to working with each and every one of them."

Poirier will be the ninth mayor in the city's history.

Suzanne Kukko, the mayor-elect in Nipigon, is on the opposite end of the spectrum of political experience. Kukko takes over from longtime mayor Richard Harvey, who did not seek re-election.

Voters chose Kukko over veteran Nipigon council member James Foulds.

Kukko said the decision to run for the top spot on council had been on her mind for a while.

"I began thinking about it as as soon as I accepted another position which made me eligible to run, because I had worked for the Township as EDO," she said. "I was considering it because I've been involved in the community a lot, volunteering in various capacities, and I just thought this might be a new way to make a difference in the community and in the region as well."

Kukko said she has several items she would like to see tackled by the new council in Nipigon, but her top priority is creating a strategic plan.

"It's been over 10 years since a strategic plan has been developed for Nipigon, which is way, way overdue," she said. "It's been throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, and that's just not cutting it. So I'm looking at a strategic plan for sure."

 Kukko said she hopes Nipigon council will tackle various needs, including increasing housing opportunities, more support for seniors and a snow-removal program.

Kukko said she is also proud to be the first woman ever elected mayor in Nipigon.

Another newcomer to municipal politics — but not to the community — will be filling the mayor's chair in Dryden.

Jack Harrison was born and raised in the community and ran for mayor because he wanted to give back.

Harrison, who has background in the forest industry, has also been a community leader and chaired the Trans Canada Trail committee in Dryden.

Harrison said rebuilding infrastructure in the city is something he heard a lot about while campaigning. But building up Dryden's economy will also be a priority.

"We have a stable economy here, but we'd like to see it grow," Harrison said. "We do want to attract businesses and just working with city staff and making sure we're open to businesses coming and to help facilitate their growth or coming to Dryden be very open and business friendly."

Harrison said he had already spoken to the outgoing mayor, Greg Wilson, and they are working together to make the transition of power seamless.

Not all northwest communities will have new mayors. Several were acclaimed, including:

• Kevin Kahoot in Ear Falls.
• Deborah Ewald in Rainy River.
• Harold McQuaker in Emo.
• Doug Lawrance in Sioux Lookout.
• Rick Dumas in Marathon.

In the township of Red Lake, an incumbent mayor was tested.

Rick Mota handily won with 1,397 votes compared to challenger Dean Martin's 306 votes.

Scroll through the chart below to see the results in communities across northwestern Ontario