Magog municipal election, 2009

The 2009 Magog municipal election was held on November 1, 2009, to elect a mayor and councillors in the city of Magog, Quebec. In the mayoral contest, Vicki May Hamm was elected over incumbent Marc Poulin.

Results

2009 Magog election, Mayor of Magog

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
Vicki May Hamm	5,649	50.41
(x)Marc Poulin	4,668	41.65
Alain Vanden Eynden	890	7.94
Total valid votes	11,207	100.00

• Vicki May Hamm has a diploma in social work from the Cégep de Sherbrooke and has been involved in several public initiatives in Magog.^[1] In 2003, she campaigned for an unsuccessful proposal to undo the merger of Magog Township with the city of Magog.^[2] She was elected to the Magog municipal council in 2005, defeating incumbent councillor Michel Voyer in the city's fourth ward.^[3] She chaired the toponynmy committee after the election and was responsible for overseeing street name changes in the amalgamated community.^[4] In 2006, Hamm was the only member of council to oppose a commercial re-zoning that allowed for the possible establishment of a Wal-Mart store.^[5] She won an upset victory over Marc Poulin for the mayoralty in 2009.^[6] During the campaign, she supported development in the Mont-Orford National Park.^[7] In 2010, she initiated a re-organization of Magog's administrative structure.^[8] By virtue of her position as mayor, Hamm also serves on the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality, where she chaired the local development centre until her resignation in August 2010.^[9] In November 2010, she took part in the reconstruction of an orphanage in Haiti.^[10]
• Marc Poulin was first elected as mayor of Magog in 1998, after serving as a councillor for twelve years.^[11] The following year, he launched a significant residential development project and a December blood drive.^[12] In 2001, he promoted a merger between Magog, Magog Township and Omerville; the provincial government mandated this merger the following year, and Poulin was elected as mayor of the expanded city in December 2002.^[13] He declined an offer to run as a Parti Québécois candidate in the 2003 provincial election, saying that he was not a supporter of Quebec sovereigntism.^[14] He was re-elected to a third term as mayor in 2005, without opposition.^[15] Poulin was defeated in 2009 following a divisive campaign. He has openly criticized Vicki May Hamm, his successor, and has said that he may run for mayor again in 2013.^[16]
• Alain Vanden Eynden is a businessperson in Magog. He spoke against proposed development at the head of Lake Memphremagog in 2000, arguing that the area's tourist appeal depends on its environmental integrity.^[17] He was elected to the Magog municipal council in 2005, winning a four-way contest in the city's fourth district.^[18] In 2008, he supported a referendum initiative for a new library.^[19] In 2009, Vicky May Hamm accused Vanden Eynden of conspiring with Marc Poulin to siphon votes away from her; this accusation was rejected.^[20] In 2010, Vanden Eynden was president of the Magog Orford colors festival.^[21]

2009 Magog election, Councillor, District One

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
(x)Michel Bombardier	585	53.77
Luc Dion	503	46.23
Total valid votes	1,088	100.00

2009 Magog election, Councillor, District Two

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
Yvon Lamontagne	506	46.25
(x)Stéphane Simard	355	32.45
Jules Lalancette	233	21.30
Total valid votes	1,094	100.00

2009 Magog election, Councillor, District Three

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
(x)Denise Poulin-Marcotte	accl.	.

2009 Magog election, Councillor, District Four

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
Olivier Tremblay	634	54.10
Perle Bouchard	538	45.90
Total valid votes	1,172	100.00

2009 Magog election, Councillor, District Five

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
Robert Ranger	539	42.88
Claude Bolbuc	427	33.97
Pierre Boulé	291	23.15
Total valid votes	1,257	100.00

2009 Magog election, Councillor, District Six

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
(x)Jacques Laurendeau	accl.	.

2009 Magog election, Councillor, District Seven

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
(x)Gilbert Kurt Boucher	accl.	.

2009 Magog election, Councillor, District Eight

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
Nathalie Bélanger	635	65.13
(x)Gilles Robinson	340	34.87
Total valid votes	975	100.00

2009 Magog election, Councillor, District Nine

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
Nathalie Pelletier	745	59.13
(x)Serge Gosselin	515	40.87
Total valid votes	1,260	100.00

2009 Magog election, Councillor, District Ten

Candidate	Total votes	% of total votes
Diane Pelletier	523	51.32
Patricia Tremblay	496	48.68
Total valid votes	1,019	100.00

• Diane Pelletier is a former regional director of Quebec's ministry of culture and communications. She has also served as chair of the Comite du patrimoine paysager estrien, a group devoted to preserving landscapes. Her campaign in 2009 was centred on environmental issues.^[22] She served as chair of Magog's environmental and technical services committee after the election; in 2010, she organized a municipal composting competition.^[23]

Source: Official results, Government of Quebec

References

1. Mairie de Magog 2009, Vicki May Hamm, accessed 25 February 2011.
2. Nelson Afonso, "Magog coalition wants demerger vote," Sherbrooke Record, 17 June 2003, p. 1.
3. "Meet your new municipal councils," Sherbrooke Record, 8 November 2005, p. 7.
4. Joe Strizzi, "New addresses official in Magog," Sherbrooke Record, 5 November 2008, p. 1.
5. Brion Robinson, "More business may be bad," Sherbrooke Record, 1 March 2006, p. 1.
6. Doug McCooeye, "Hamm takes Magog's mayoral race," Sherbrooke Record, 2 November 2009, p. 5.
7. Kevin Dougherty, "Two sides clash over Orford proposal," Montreal Gazette, 21 April 2010, A10.
8. "Magog City Hall reorganizes," Sherbrooke Record, 21 May 2010, p. 2.
9. Doug McCooeye, "Mt. Orford leaders show unity in face of implied division," Sherbrooke Record, 3 May 2010, p. 3; Doug McCooeye, "Hamm resigns as CLD president," Sherbrooke Record, 20 August 2010, p. 5.
10. "Magog mayor, Vicki May Hamm to help in Haiti," Sherbrooke Record, 2 November 2010, p. 4.
11. He defeated Noël Lacasse in 1998. See "Quebec election results stay true to polls," Montreal Gazette, 3 November 1998, A8; "Magog mayor makes pitch to lead new city," Sherbrooke Record, 14 November 2002, p. 4.
12. Nelson Afonso, "Magog encourages new housing," Sherbrooke Record, 14 February 2001, p. 3; "Blood drive a success," Sherbrooke Record, 14 December 2004, p. 5.
13. Daniel Huot, "Magog mayor stands alone for merger at MRC meeting," Sherbrooke Record, 5 October 2001, p. 3; Nelson Afonso, "Quebec forces three-way merger," Sherbrooke Record, 3 October 2002; Nelson Afonso, "Poulin elected to lead new city of Magog," Sherbrooke Record, 2 December 2002, p. 1.
14. Rene Bruemmer, "Mayor says no thanks to PQ," Sherbrooke Record, 19 April 2001, p. 1.
15. Patrick Lavery, "Magog mayor gets four more years: Four acclaimed to council, 16 vie for remaining seats," Sherbrooke Record, 18 October 2005, p. 3.
16. Jean-François Gagnon, "Marc Poulin peu impressionné par le travail de Vicki May Hamm," La Tribune, 18 November 2010, accessed 6 December 2010; Vincent Cliche, "Marc Poulin laisse la porte ouverte à un retour," Le Reflet du Lac, 17 November 2010, accessed 6 December 2010.
17. Tom Peacock, "Magog residents divided over zoning issue," Sherbrooke Record, 12 May 2000, p. 4.
18. "Meet your new municipal councils," Sherbrooke Record, 8 November 2005, p. 7.
19. Rita Legault, "Library in the church 'just makes sense'," Sherbrooke Record, 24 November 2008, p. 1.
20. Doug McCooeye, "Mudslinging in Magog; Hamm accuses Poulin, Vanden Eynden of conspiring to siphon her support," Sherbrooke Record, 22 October 2009, p. 1.
21. "Magog-Orford fall color festival closes," Sherbrooke Record, 12 October 2010, p. 1.
22. "Tourism's future depends on the land," Sherbrooke Record, 17 May 2007, p. 3.
23. "Magog goes green," Sherbrooke Record, 4 November 2009, p. 2.