North Bay 2018 municipal election live blog

Welcome!

See the real-time North Bay municipal election results here.

Live stream Country 600 - CKAT election coverage here.

Well that's it folks....fasten your seatbelts!

Final, unofficial results.

Council

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Tanya Vrebosch excited to be back. Happy to be on with her Dad, Bill. Feeling overwhelmed. "If we can stay positive and act as a team, looks good going forward." Women in politics was huge issue. Will work on communication within city hall and council.

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Dave Mendicino happy to be back. Talked about issues that resonated with the public. Evident that people wanted change. Could sense that. Good mix with five incumbents. New ones will bring new energy. Need to tackle community infrastructure projects going forward.

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Al McDonald shakes hands with Gardiner in the lobby. Kudos to Gary, he says. He ran a great campaign. Hope he sticks around. Focus on growth. Thanks citizens for their confidence. Looking forward to new faces. It will be tremendous. Good mix of young and old will serve city very well. Looking forward to serving with Tanya and Johanne. Will get sworn in Saturday and meet Monday. Wants CTS downtown with year-round farmers' market. Ambitious and aggressive growth plan. There was never any animosity between us. This is my last time, McDonald promised.

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Marcus Tignanelli overwhelmed with emotion. Can't wait to bring fresh ideas to the city. "I knew it would be close. I pounded the pavement."

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Scott Robertson lost last time. Elected tonight. Started with more support this time. Used more social media this time. Wide range of emotions during the campaign. Feeling a little bit overwhelmed. Hard work begins now. Going to be a challenging four years. People wanted change. Advance polls turnout boded well for newcomers.

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Gary Gardiner disappointed but appreciates the votes he got. People wanted change. Tried to remain positive and focus on issues. Tried to not be too aggressive during the debates. Was slow out of the gate maybe. Talked about leadership and that got people talking. 

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Miles Peters....hard-fought campaign. Against some forces we didn't see coming. Stigmatized for being in taxpayer's association. We live in a beautiful city. Would like to have seen a change at the top. Need more frugality. No more taxpayers association. Won't be revived. Will continue with an independent voice.

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Johanne Brousseau thanks her team's strategy. Did lots of door knocking and delivered lots of flyers. "I'm here for the common good of the community. I have no agenda. I will work, be informed, do my homework."

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Jeff Serran. Not sure what I could have done differently. People wanted change. Lots of mudslinging and tried to stay above it. People must put money where their mouth is regarding downtown. Disappointed, but may run again in four years. Won't rule out a mayoral run. Good mix of people.

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Mark King, tried to stay out of the fray. Social media, he follows quite a bit. "Attempt by certain people to create difficulty with my campaign.  People have spoken, and I've learned you have to be graceful about where you are. I put my soul into the last four years. Do we go back and increase taxes or find efficiencies within the city?" Calls for third-party review of city operation and services. Wants police services, including union, to come under scrutiny. "The top three people have no idea what they are up against."

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Jay Aspin is returning to the school board for third time. "I'm elated. There is a lot of work to do. We elected some excellent trustees." Key objective to get the board to one of the leading ones in Ontario. Key is to be transparent. People want facts to make a judgment call. Sadly that hasn't happened in the past he says.

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Mike Anthony amazed at how people attacked each other. Wants respect back in council chambers. Got to fix summer festival issue.

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Chris Mayne, in fourth says was scared he wouldn't make it and started campaigning more seriously. Some great new council talent coming forward. His fourth campaign. He was seen as part of old boy's network. Happy to be in fourth,

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Forgette says very surprised by the results tonight. Did a lot of door knocking, coffee shop events. "It's odd. I guess the mudslinging in the campaign works."

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Mac Bain looking to be reelected. Tired out by the campaign..."Am I showing my age?" Results are encouraging. Anticipate will be on the bubble, finished 6th, 7th, 8th last few times. Great to see the interest. West Ferris arena, Cassellholme, police building important issues. How do we fund arena? Do we borrow? Where is it going to be? Calls for town hall meeting to get public input.

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Tanya and Bill Vrebosch hold two of the top four spots. Apparently criticism during the campaign that one family shouldn't control 20 per cent of council didn't hold water with voters.

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Judy Koziol, former councillor...11 years.  Feels mudslinging in mayor's race was the most interesting. Social media partly to blame. Citizens are frustrated. Everyone wants a prosperous community and people are frustrated. Expects weather and mayor's race to bring out record turnout. The economy is the biggest issue. Never say never about getting back into politics. Will definitely consider it.

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Peter Gregory here. Says he really learned to listen. Heard Cassellholme is a big issue, also West Ferris revitalization. Need to keep youth in the city. We've been stalled. Let's move forward. Will keep working for the city. "I'm passionate about it," he says. Lots of negativity in his opinion. Some personal blows he didn't see a need for. Should be positive. Didn't make sense and wasn't happy about it.

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Forgette feels last council was a good team to work with. The campaign got negative in the mayor's race and he didn't want to get involved. Tried to stay out of it.

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Sheldon Forgette is here. Says he feels confident and happy with any way the results go. Will still be here, either way, to work for the city. If I get elected mayor will divest my business to be a full-time mayor. I put out my ideas. If they like them ...I'm still young.

Growing the city is number one issue and revitalizing West Ferris.

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Good evening and welcome to the BayToday election live blog. I am headquartered at City Hall, where candidates traditionally gather post-election. Polls close at 8 p.m.

Incumbent Al McDonald is seeking a third term, taking on Deputy Mayor Sheldon Forgette and political newcomers Gary Gardiner and Will Boissoin.

Eight incumbents are seeking re-election with 26 candidates in total, There will be a new deputy mayor as Sheldon Forgette is running for the mayor's chair.  Daryl Vaillancourt not seeking re-election. 

During the advance poll, 3,010 people voted, up 15 per cent or about 400 more than 2014.  The highest advance poll turnout was in 2006 when 3,137 votes were cast early.

McDonald got 12,636 votes last time but had no credible opposition. His vote total this time should be lower with both Gardiner and Forgette siphoning off votes.

Will the split vote allow McDonald to squeeze back in, or is the appetite for change so great that Gardiner or Forgette win?

Will McDonald's Achilles heel be Memorial Gardens, Costo, Cedar Heights standpipe, Jerry Knox or some other issue. Stay tuned!

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