Alex Bottausci pulls off win in DDO, Jim Beis hangs onto Pierrefonds-Roxboro
Verity Stevenson | CBC News | Posted: November 6, 2017 6:06 AM | Last Updated: November 6, 2017
DDO's mayor of 33 years, Ed Janiszewski, 80, loses to longtime councillor
Political newcomer Alex Bottausci pulled off a surprising win in the West Island suburb of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, ending longtime mayor Ed Janiszewski's 33-year reign.
Bottausci replaces Janiszewski, 84, who was first elected mayor of the municipality in 1984 — making him the longest-serving mayor in Quebec.
Bottausci won 50 per cent of the vote, beating Janiszewski who trailed eight points behind with 42 per cent of ballots cast.
The 47-year-old was a councillor in Dollard-des-Ormeaux for 12 years and has lived in the town his whole life.
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"Tonight the electorate has spoken, and the word is out there. It's time for a change in Dollard-des-Ormeaux," Bottausci said, in a speech carried live on his Facebook page.
"Our residents have chosen for progress; it's time to improve the services of our city."
Vrai changement future in question as Beis re-elected
Despite being pummelled with criticism for the government's handling of flooding that devastated parts of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, borough mayor Jim Beis was re-elected with a much a wider lead than he had in the last municipal elections in 2013.
Beis received 46 per cent of the borough's votes, with Projet Montréal's Hélène Dupont coming in second at 34 per cent.
Vrai changement pour Montréal leader Justine McIntyre trailed in third place, receiving only 21 per cent — a loss that may put the party's future into question.
Much of Vrai changement's presence in Montreal was on the West Island.
Beis wasn't in the borough to celebrate his comfortable victory, joining his defeated leader, Denis Coderre, at Équipe Denis Coderre's election night headquarters instead.
He could be seen standing behind his party's leader as Coderre gave his concession speech, following Valérie Plante's win of the Montreal mayoralty.
Beis bucked a trend for the Coderre team, increasing his margin of victory; he was elected in 2013 by a margin of just 557 votes, ahead of then-Vrai changement mayoral candidate Karim Metwalli.
2nd run's a charm for John Belvedere in Pointe-Claire
It was John Belvedere's second time running in Pointe-Claire and, Sunday night, he won handily with 60 per cent of the vote.
Belvedere replaces outgoing mayor Morris Trudeau, who announced he would not run again.
The entrepreneur ran against three other candidates: Aldo Iermieri, who came second with 30 per cent, Timothy Lloyd Thomas, who had eight per cent, and Teodor Daiev, who gathered only two per cent of the vote.
Belvedere celebrated with a spirited crowd of supporters in a brightly lit room.
"I said, 'Citizens first,' and, guess what, everybody came out, and that's what it's going to be all about for the next four years," Belvedere told CBC News.
In 2013, Belvedere had received 47 per cent of the vote, losing narrowly to Trudeau.
"I spent the last four years talking to people, talking to businesses and making myself a promise that I would get out there, find out what the people wanted and make that part of my platform," he said.
Incumbent wins in L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève
In the borough of L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève, incumbent mayor Normand Marinacci was re-elected with 43 per cent of the vote.
Marinacci, first elected in 2013 under the Vrai changement banner, is now with Projet Montréal. He ran against Eric Dugas, with Équipe Denis Coderre, who had 36 per cent of the vote, and Vrai changement's Stéphane Côté, with 21 per cent.
Jamie Nicholls elected in Hudson
In the off-island town of Hudson, former NDP MP Jamie Nicholls easily won the mayor's post, with 74 per cent of the vote.
Hudson's mayoral seat was vacant since incumbent Ed Prévost died in early October at the age of 76.
Nicholls ran against William Nash, a former vice-chair of the Quebec Liberal Party's Chomedey riding association, and Joseph Eletr, the owner of an auto repair shop.