The cellphone rang.
"Yes this is Rob Kirkham," the Squamish mayoral candidate said as he answered the phone. There was a pause. And then, "whaooooooooo. That is awesome."
After six weeks of campaigning in the municipal election, the current councillor snagged the District of Squamish's top spot in a narrow victory over newcomer Auli Parviainen. The unofficial numbers placed Kirkham 179 votes ahead of businesswoman Parviainen 2,283 to 2,104.
"I was feeling pretty confident," Kirkham said after his initial reaction. "I was being reserved about it, but this is great."
Once the celebrations are over, there's lots of work to be done, Kirkham said. Taking an early retirement from his position as a bank manager with ScotiaBank to focus on his mayoral role, Kirkham said the number one issue that needs to be addressed is the Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation and rolling the plan forward.
Joining Kirkham at council table are incumbents Patricia Heintzman, Doug Race and Bryan Raiser. Heintzman led the vote-getters with 2,292 votes, followed by Race with 2,088. Newcomer Ron Sander's 1,728 votes topped Raiser's 1,648 votes. Joining them are Ted Prior who had 1,630 votes and Susan Chapelle with 1,601 votes.
The new council is made up of people with diverse backgrounds, Kirkham said. As a unit, he said he thinks the dynamics could work well together."I think it is a good mix," Kirkham added.Race, who was at Kirkham's celebration, agreed with Kirkham."It should be a good council," he said, adding Kirkham will make a good mayor.Current mayor Greg Gardner reiterated Race's sentiments during the festivities."I am very pleased that we have an experienced and proven person in the mayor's chair," he said.It can be a tough job, Gardner noted. Over Kirkham's three years as a councillor, Kirkham has shown he can handle the position, Gardner said, adding Kirkham understands the system and issues.Over at the Living Room, the site where supporters of mayoral candidate Auli Parviainen gathered, there was disappointment in the air. But Parviainen held her head high despite the election loss."The community has spoken and they haven't given a clear mandate," she said. "I believe they spoke tonight and said that change is needed and leadership must be accountable. I'd like to tell the new mayor and councillors that we're watching."Parviainen congratulated Kirkham for his victory and also thanked her supporters."I'm simply elevated and uplifted by how many people spoke out," she said. "I'd like to thank everyone for their support but I do wish the voter turnout was a little bit better."The numbers seemed to echo Parviainen's thoughts, as early results indicate less people voted than in the 2008 election."I would like to say Squamish is a community of amazing residents with amazing vision," she said. "They came out in full force tonight and showed that we all matter not just a few of us. I'd like to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart who voted for me, I'm humbled by them."Check the print edition for more details from the election.
