New mayors for some Labrador towns

Labrador's larger towns have elected new mayors.

Happy Valley-Goose Bay

John Hickey won Happy Valley-Goose Bay with an overwhelming majority.

He brought in 1393 votes, George Andrews had 565 and sitting councilor Tony Chubbs finished last at 490.

Hickey was mayor of the town from 1999 to 2003. He then switched to provincial politics becoming Progressive Conservative cabinet minister and retiring in 2011.

He ran in the last municipal election but lost.

Three of the six councilors elected in Happy Valley-Goose Bay Tuesday are returning members.

• Wally Andersen
• Bert Pomeroy
• Jackie Compton-Hobbs
• Lori Dyson
• Shawn Crann
• Michelle Baikie

Labrador City

Labrador City has a different set of rules, anddoesn't vote in a mayor.

Generally, the person who received the most votes overall gets the chair but it is decided among councilors.

Wayne Button, a first-time candidate, finished on top and said he would accept the mayorship.

He owns and practices at Northern Health Chiropractic.

Voter turn out in Labrador City was 47.8%, up from 34% in 2013.

The other councilors elected are as follows:

• Fabian Benoit
• Junior Humphries
• Nick McGrath
• John Penney
• Kenneth Lawlor
• Richard Fahey

Wabush

Ron Barron took Wabush over Terry Curran, 378 to 317.

"The race was no landslide here," Barron said.

"I think that sends a message to me to that you have to work harder now for the residents here in Wabush."

Barron was mayor from 2009 to 2013 when sitting mayor, Colin Vardy was elected.

This time, Vardy ran for a council seat and won.

There was a 51.2% voter turnout a lower percentage than the last municipal electionbut more votes were cast overall.

The other people voted in were

• Richard Burke
• Gertrude Canning
• Samuel Andrews
• Boyd AuCoin
• Francis Delahunty
• Colin Vardy

Amalgamating Labrador West

A report into the potential amalgamation of Labrador City and Wabush was released just days ago.

• Wabush + Labrador City = Labrador West?

The report concluded that the two communities should join forces and create a new town named Labrador West.

"A mayor is not going to decide that," soon-to-be Wabush Mayor Ron Barron said when asked to gauge the possibility.

"The residents are going to have their say, ultimately."

The study said a single, seven-person council should be elected through a ward system to ensure Wabush is represented.

The current municipalities had made a request to the provincial Department of Municipal Affairs, asking to postpone Tuesday's election until more progress on amalgamation had been made. That request was denied.

The townsare divided on whether or not to amalgamateaccording to Barron.

"If the study is correct, which it seems like it is, it seems to make sense," he said.