To the editor:
In an article published in Thunder Bay Source Aug. 13, 2010 (Candidates not numerous), city clerk John Hannam says acclamations are rare in Thunder Bay, and that it’s unusual in Ontario for a city of this size to have any acclamations.
Mr. Hannam also states that "our average for the number of at large candidates is 19.5, so 19 or 20 are typical.
The information from Mr. Hannam is vastly different than the information I extracted from the official election results distributed from City Hall to all candidates in each election and I have copies of them all since amalgamation.
In the past 10 elections there have been nine acclamations, so how does Mr. Hannam see this as rare?
The list of acclamations is as follows:
- 1980 - Joe Vanderwees,
- 1985 - Betty Kennedy and J.D. Polhill
- 1988 - Ray Wainio and Al Laakkonen
- 1991 - Dick Waddington
- 2000 - Bill Mauro
- 2006 Mark Bentz and Linda Rydholm
Many so-called political experts state the ward system offers a newcomer the best opportunity to get elected because it is more affordable to the candidate and much easier to campaign in a ward than at large.
Then the question is, why are there so many ward acclamations in Thunder Bay? Why the reluctance to run in a ward?
The actual number of at-large candidates since its inception in 1985 are as follows:
In an article published in Thunder Bay Source Aug. 13, 2010 (Candidates not numerous), city clerk John Hannam says acclamations are rare in Thunder Bay, and that it’s unusual in Ontario for a city of this size to have any acclamations.
Mr. Hannam also states that "our average for the number of at large candidates is 19.5, so 19 or 20 are typical.
The information from Mr. Hannam is vastly different than the information I extracted from the official election results distributed from City Hall to all candidates in each election and I have copies of them all since amalgamation.
In the past 10 elections there have been nine acclamations, so how does Mr. Hannam see this as rare?
The list of acclamations is as follows:
- 1980 - Joe Vanderwees,
- 1985 - Betty Kennedy and J.D. Polhill
- 1988 - Ray Wainio and Al Laakkonen
- 1991 - Dick Waddington
- 2000 - Bill Mauro
- 2006 Mark Bentz and Linda Rydholm
Many so-called political experts state the ward system offers a newcomer the best opportunity to get elected because it is more affordable to the candidate and much easier to campaign in a ward than at large.
Then the question is, why are there so many ward acclamations in Thunder Bay? Why the reluctance to run in a ward?
The actual number of at-large candidates since its inception in 1985 are as follows:
- 1985: 18,
- 1988: 10,
- 1991: 14,
- 1994: 18,
- 1997: 23,
- 2000: 13,
- 2003: 20,
- 2006: 15
That’s a total of 131, which divided by eight elections equals an average of 16.4, not 19.5.
- 1988: 10,
- 1991: 14,
- 1994: 18,
- 1997: 23,
- 2000: 13,
- 2003: 20,
- 2006: 15
That’s a total of 131, which divided by eight elections equals an average of 16.4, not 19.5.
Lawrence Timko
Candidate, McKellar Ward
Candidate, McKellar Ward
