RESULTS: Red Deer and Red Deer County

According to the unofficial results, Johnston earned 10,873 votes or over 54 per cent of the vote, with five fellow candidates also running for the mayor’s seat. The next closest picked up just over 15 per cent.

Speaking to rdnewsNOW Monday night, Johnston tipped his hat to all other candidates, particularly fellow previous term councillor Buck Buchanan, and outgoing mayor Tara Veer.

Johnston noted too that his late wife Isabelle, who passed in 2017, was on the mind today.

‘She was such a backer. When her health was failing, she urged me to run again, even though I really didn’t feel like it. I felt her today, and I said to my two kids, ‘Boy, your mom carried me across the last 100 metres of a long marathon that began August 1,” said Johnston, a banker by profession.

“I’m overwhelmed and humbled just by the trust people have put in me. It will be a terrific honour to serve the citizens of Red Deer over the next four years.”

Johnston’s attention, he shares, will turn to a strategic plan that focuses on downtown revitalization in an attempt to ‘change the narrative’ of that part of the city.

“The downtown story can still be one of vibrance, and of hope. That’s going to take a tremendous amount of empathy. We have to consider the empathy of the small businesses operating there, of the folks that are looking for housing or addictions treatment. We have an imbalance of empathy and dug-in positions on all sides, and that’s not solving anything for us,” he says, turning to economic development.

“I don’t think Red Deer is getting its share of the business happening across this province, so we need to raise our hand a little more, be more aggressive, and keener. Who has our natural location and our amenities? No one, so you have to wonder why aren’t we getting that.”

FULL RESULTS

Councillors elected

Michael Dawe (11,378), Cindy Jefferies (10,571), Dianne Wyntjes (8,341), Lawrence Lee (7,798), Bruce Buruma (6,622), Vesna Higham (5,896), Kraymer Barnstable (5,664), and Victor Doerksen (5,585).

Red Deer Public School trustees elected

Bev Manning (5,707), Matt Gould (4,918), Nicole Buchanan (4,880), Dianne Macaulay (4,463), Cathy Peacocke (4,449), Angela Sommers (4,299), and Jim Watters (4,219).

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools trustees elected – Red Deer area Ward

Anne Marie Watson (3,006), Kim Pasula (2,825), Murray Hollman (2,777), Monique Lagrange (2,436), Cynthia Leyson (2,374).

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools trustee candidate – Highway 11 Ward

Dorraine Lonsdale (374)

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools trustee candidate – QEll 2 Ward

Sharla Heistad (268)

Alberta Senate Election Results (Three positions to be filled)

Referendum Questions Results

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RED DEER COUNTY

Jim Wood has been re-elected as mayor for Red Deer County.

Wood, elected to a sixth term on council, says he’s excited for the County to be able to embrace lots of new development, and is looking forward to keeping the balance sheets healthy.

He also says residents should be eager for the continuation of an ongoing high-speed internet project, bringing that utility to more and more people.

“It’s going to be a great council, with lots of continuity, but right now we’re facing what is probably the biggest issue of our time,” he told rdnewsNOW Monday night.

“We need to be very aware of the health of our community members.”

One of the biggest items on Wood’s agenda, he shares, is seeing that Red Deer County gets the money it’s owed from oil and gas companies.

“What’s important for our general public to understand is we have one sector of our economy that’s in really rough shape, and hasn’t been paying its bills. Some of that, which amounts to millions of dollars, is owed to Red Deer County. I said that in the forums,” Wood points out.

“We’ve worked at various things to get payment plans from these companies, but one thing I’d like to continue doing is working with the province to make sure we’re secure. Everyone else is prepared to pay their taxes, so that is definitely a concern, and we’ve had to budget accordingly.”

Wood says he sees a turnaround happening in oil and gas, so perhaps that’s a signal, he notes, that higher profits will allow for debts to be paid.

“I’d just like to say it’s not easy for people to put their names forward in an election. It takes a lot of courage and we wouldn’t have democracy if there wasn’t always a winner and a loser, but if you ran, you’re a winner in my book.”

FULL RESULTS

Councillors elected

Division 1 – Phillip Massier

Division 2 – Lonny Kennett

Division 3 – Dana Depalme

Division 4 – Connie Huelsman (acclaimed)

Division 5 – Brent Ramsay

Division 6 – Christine Moore

For more Red Deer County results, click here.

More municipal election coverage is at rdnewsnow.com/municipal-election-2021/.

by Josh Hall and Sheldon Spackman

RESULTS: Red Deer and Red Deer County

RED DEER

RED DEER COUNTY

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