In the most decisive vote in this year’s civic election, Greater Sudburians chose Mike Parent over incumbent Robert Kirwan in Ward 5.
In the city’s unofficial results released during the early morning hours following the Oct. 24 election, Parent received approximately 81 per cent of the vote to Kirwan’s 19 per cent.
“I think going door to door and meeting with people meant a lot,” Parent told Sudbury.com on Tuesday morning while driving around his ward to pick up the 130 campaign signs he and his team planted.
“Some had suggested they haven’t had anyone at their door since Ron Dupuis,” he said, making reference to Kirwan’s predecessor.
Though everyone chooses a candidate for different reasons, Parent said his leadership approach might have been one of the key factors.
“I think a lot of the engagement and interaction on social media and otherwise, my approach is very different,” he said. “I look to try and engage and have more of a two-way communication amenable to some criticism and some ideas that are different from mine.”
Kirwan has faced criticism for blocking people from Facebook and for speaking out against those who opposed the now-cancelled Kingsway Entertainment District municipal arena/events centre project.
Straightforward in his defeat, Kirwan expressed an “it is what it is” reaction to Sudbury.com.
“It was clear that what I was doing was not what the majority wanted,” the two-term councillor said, describing the election results as a product of “democracy.”
“I wouldn’t have done anything different,” he said, adding that he did a great deal of work with residents over the years behind the scenes.
There was a clear contrast between the two candidates, Kirwan said, noting that while he has eight years of experience on city council, Parent has none.
“He knew what he was getting into, I think, and he got the support,” Kirwan said of Parent. “Now he just has to go out and do it.”
Parent said he has an uphill battle ahead of him and the balance of the upcoming city council, with a difficult 2023 budget season requiring the city to cut $17.7 million in operational expenses to hit a desired tax increase of 3.7 per cent.
However, his first big goal will be getting to know the rest of city council and the mayor a bit better.
“The strength is in the team, and we have to become a strong team as a priority,” he said.
In the longer-term, he said capitalizing on the world’s need for battery-electric vehicles and the natural resources found in Greater Sudbury will help grow the tax base enough for the city to better afford to pay for its infrastructure needs.
“I also want to see us bring nice shiny things to our city,” he said. “We are the kind of the unofficial capital of Northern Ontario, so it would be nice to have some of the amenities that demonstrate that.”
With the news of his defeat still fresh, Kirwan said he doesn’t have any concrete plans, but that he’s likely to expand the scope of the Valley East Facebook page he co-moderates as a business with his wife, Valerie.
He’d always intended it to serve as more of a business/community magazine, which he will now have more time to work on accomplishing.
A council meeting with the current city council has been scheduled for Nov. 8, and an inauguration ceremony for the new city council has been scheduled to be held on Nov. 17.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
