And when the dust finally settled after nearly an hour of computerized updates projected onto a big screen, three of the four incumbent councillors had retained their seats and a few new faces were added to the eight-member council.
Mayor Peter Trent's council now consists of Patrick Martin (Dist.1), Tim Price (Dist. 2), Victor Drury (Dist. 3), Kathleen Duncan (Dist. 4), Gary Ikeman (Dist. 5), Nicole Forbes (Dist. 6), Cynthia Lulham (Dist. 7) and Theodora Samiotis (Dist. 8).
In the only instance of an incumbent councillor losing his seat, John de Castell was defeated by Samiotis by a margin of only 24 votes. When the final results of that district were projected, a disappointed de Castell was among the first to congratulate his clearly delighted opponent.
Notable races also occurred in District 2, where 20-year-old Philip Cutler — grandson of former mayor May Cutler — came within just 43 votes of victory, and in District 7, where Mavis Young and incumbent Lulham were running neck-and-neck right up to the final poll count.
But perhaps the most closely watched competition of all took place in the heavily contested District 5, where four candidates sought the seat vacated by former councillor George Bowser. This was the last district to report results, and the anticipation in the city council chamber built up for more than an hour before the numbers flashed on the screen — showing that the vote between main contenders Georges Hébert and Gary Ikeman had been split by the other two candidates, Douglas Leahey and René Pelletier.
Among those in attendance to watch the incoming results were Director General Duncan Campbell, former city councillors Margaret Lefebvre, David Laidley and Peter Duffield, as well as former Westmount Municipal Association presidents Doug McDougall and Stanley Baker.
The new city council is scheduled to hold its first public meeting on Monday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. at city hall, where Westmount's primary issue at the moment — the proposed arena/pool complex project — is sure to be discussed.
Trent, Martin and Drury were declared elected by acclamation when they were unopposed by the Oct. 2 nomination deadline. The results of Sunday's election in the contested districts, by votes, were as follows:
Tim Price: 234
Philip A. Cutler: 192
Claire Mullins Kruyt: 104
Kathleen Duncan: 436
Nicholas Smith: 135
Gary Ikeman: 278
Georges Hébert: 208
Douglas Leahey: 109
René Pelletier: 91
Nicole Forbes: 309
Michael Osterland: 110
Cynthia Lulham: 361
Mavis Young: 317
Theodora Samiotis 224
John de Castell: 200
Photo: Wayne Larsen
