New faces around city council table
Three new city councillors around the table at City Hall
Peterborough’s city council will look very different for the next four years.
Joining new Mayor-elect Diane Therrien will be first-time councillors Kim Zippel, Stephen Wright and Kemi Akapo, elected in Otonabee, Northcrest and Town wards.
Zippel replaces Dan McWilliams, who didn’t run again, and Akapo replaces Therrien. Wright bumped incumbent Dave Haacke out of Northcrest.
Returning councillors include Lesley Parnell (Otonabee), Henry Clarke and Don Vassiliadis (Monaghan), Dean Pappas (Town), Gary Baldwin and Keith Riel (Ashburnham) and Andrew Beamer (Northcrest).
Peterborough voters elect two councillors in each of five city wards.
Voter turnout was 48.31 per cent, up from 46.95 per cent in 2014.
Voting was delayed by online technical issues, with the polls closing an hour later than plenned to allow people to cast their votes.
Former city councillor Bob Hall’s attempt at a comeback, this time in Otonabee Ward, didn’t work out.
City council will welcome three new faces to council chambers’ table after Monday’s municipal election.
Kim Zippel, Kemi Akapo, and Stephen Wright are the city’s newcomers. Zippel and Akapo won seats where incumbents weren’t running, and Wright edged Coun. Dave Haacke out of his Northcrest Ward seat.
That means seven familiar faces will take their seats when council resumes.
The city extended online and in-person voting until 9 p.m. Monday, an hour later than scheduled, because of technical issues with online voting.
Ward 1 – Otonabee
This was the only ward where an incumbent wasn’t seeking re-election as a councillor. It also had the most candidates of any ward vying for a seat, with six overall.
Coun. Dan McWilliams chose not to run this term. He’d held a seat for the last eight years.
Incumbent Lesley Parnell will be back at the council table for another four years. She was first elected in 2010. The mother of five has lived in Otonabee Ward since she was two and works at Active Chiropractic and Wellness. She celebrated her win at home.
“I’m delighted,” Parnell said of the win.
Kim Zippel will join Parnell as an Otonabee Ward councillor. She’s lived in the ward for 24 years. She and her husband Mark own Zippel Integrated Process Solutions Inc., a local consulting firm that provides oversight for major industrial projects.
Other candidates running in Otonabee Ward were former councillor Bob Hall, Ryan Waudby, Brock Grills and Jason Wallwork.
Ward 2 – Monaghan
Incumbents Henry Clarke and Don Vassiliadis both earned their seats for another term.
Clarke was first elected in 1998. He’s been deputy mayor for many years, first appointed to the role by former mayor Sylvia Sutherland. Clarke is a planner at Pepsico and has a son with his wife Donna.
Vassiliadis was voted in for his second term. He’s been the chair of transportation, helping make free bus service on New Year’s Eve a reality. The father of two owns SKH Catering Company and Party Rentals.
Three other candidates ran in Monaghan Ward. They were Jeff Westlake, Dave McGowan and Charmaine Magumbe.
Ward 3 – Town
Incumbent Dean Pappas and newcomer Kemi Akapo are the councillors for Town Ward.
Diane Therrien stepped away from Town Ward this election to run for mayor, a race she won. That left an open seat for a newcomer, which Akapo was pleased to take.
“I’m pretty ecstatic,” she said, congratulating everyone who threw their hats in.
Akapo works at the New Canadians Centre as a co-ordinator of settlement services. She moved to Peterborough as a teenager to attend Trent University, graduating in 2009. She celebrated her win at The Twisted Wheel.
Akapo said she didn’t win the race alone, though, and thanked her volunteers and supporters.
What does her win say about the city?
“I think it says Peterborough is really ready for a new voice and changes to city hall,” said Akapo.
Pappas kept his seat on council, a spot he’s held since first elected in 2006. Pappas owns Pappas Billiards on George St. and has two kids. That’s where he was on election night.
“It’s always an honour and a privilege when the good people of Peterborough chose you to represent their needs and their interests and their wants at city hall,” Pappas said.
He dedicated the win to his late friend Peter Adams, who died Sept. 28. Mr. Adams was a former MP and MPP and one of Pappas’s political mentors.
“Peter taught me how to be a good politician and how to win,” said Pappas.
Town Ward had five candidates in the race including Jane Davidson, Jenny Lanciault and Jim Russell.
Ward 4 – Ashburnham
Ashburnham Ward will see its incumbents return to council chambers. Keith Riel and Gary Baldwin were both voted back in.
Riel celebrated his win at the Peterborough Rugby Club, saying he was over the moon with the results, including Diane Therrien’s win as mayor.
“This is going to be a really different council, and hopefully we can move the city head,” he said.
This will be Riel’s third term on council. He was first elected in 2010. Riel is a retired GE worker and has two kids.
Baldwin was voted in during the last election in 2014. He ran in Otonabee Ward in 2010 but didn’t make it. Baldwin is a retired elementary school principal who has lived in Ashburnham Ward for 37 years. Baldwin celebrated his win the Ashburnham Ale House.
The father of two thanked his team for their support, saying he couldn’t have done it without them. He also thanked his constituents.
“I want to thank the people of Ashburnham Ward for the confidence they’ve shown in me and I won’t let them down, I won’t disappoint them,” said Baldwin.
The incumbents faced three other candidates, Ian Peddle, Paul Rellinger and Sheila Wood.
Ward 5 – Northcrest
Northcrest Ward welcomed back incumbent Andrew Beamer and invited newcomer Stephen Wright to the table.
Beamer has held the seat for the last two terms. The PCVS graduate has served as chairman of the general committee of council, waste management committee and the joint service steering committee.
Wright managed to win a seat this time, after not making the cut last municipal election. He’s a father of six who owns Hammer and Nails General Contracting, a home renovation company.
He took Coun. Dave Haacke’s spot. Haacke served one term on council after two previous unsuccessful attempts in 1998 and 2003.
Northcrest Ward had the fewest number of candidates in the municipal race, with four in total. Zach Hatton, a Trent University student, also threw his hat in the ring.
City council will meet and be sworn in Dec. 3.