By Mike Hager, Vancouver Sun
October 17, 2011
Though the fight for mayor may come down to the two frontrunners, 10 other candidates – including a self-professed “saxmaniac” and a man who was on the receiving end of the current mayor’s infamous F-bomb – officially joined the race Friday.
Incumbent Mayor Gregor Robertson and his rival Suzanne Anton will be challenged by eight independents and two candidates from other political parties, including Randy Helten.
Helten of Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver was part of a group that were publicly lambasted by Robertson as he unknowingly spoke into a “live” mike during a community hearing last year.
At the time Helten told the CBC “It shows quite a lot of disrespect for the citizens.
“It’s like bullies in a school or something. They’re not listening to the message, trying to discount us.”
Helten will get his chance to oust the mayor along with independent Darrell “the saxmaniac” Zimmerman.
Zimmerman is a mainstay of council hearings and his back-and-forth dialogue with the current mayor (search YouTube for “they call me the sax maniac”) is legendary among civic political junkies.
Zimmerman is running on a platform of free transit, which he says will cure a multitude of ills.
Candidate Dubgee said he will bring “working class solutions to working class problems.”
In the lead up to the November 19th election, the hopefuls are expected to streamline their platforms.
There are 94 candidates for 27 council, parks board and school board positions. Voters will elect 10 city councillors, seven park commissioners, nine school trustees and one mayor for a three-year term.
At the ballots, citizens will also have the chance to vote in a referendum on the city’s capital spending plan.
Robertson’s Vision Vancouver party has six candidates in the race for council, allied party Committee of Progressive Electors (COPE) has three and Anton’s opposition Non-Partisan Association (NPA) has 10.
Here are the 12 Candidates for Mayor (Political parties in brackets)
Suzanne Anton (NPA)
Gölök Zoltán Buday
Menard Caissy
Lloyd Alan Cooke
Dubgee
Randy Helten (Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver – NSV)
Robin Lawrance
Gerry McGuire (Vancouver Citizen’s Voice)
Victor B Paquette
Sam Pelletier
Gregor Robertson (Vision Vancouver)
Darrell “Saxmaniac” Zimmerman
For more info and a complete list of council candidates you can visit the city’s election website: http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/elections/2011election/
