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Tom Thomson, 1,682 votes

It took first-time Whistler council candidate Tom Thomson a moment to absorb the fact that he was not only elected, but also earned the most votes of any candidate.

It took first-time Whistler council candidate Tom Thomson a moment to absorb the fact that he was not only elected, but also earned the most votes of any candidate.

“Just to be included was overwhelming, but when I was told that I got the most votes of anyone I was a little incredulous,” he said. “If the folks of Whistler felt that way, then I am indebted and hope I can repay them.”

Thomson ran on a simple platform of giving back to the community that has given him so much over the last 40 years, and his own sense of civic duty — although you could argue that he’s paid his debt to the community many times over as one of its most prolific and visible volunteers.

For Thomson, the campaign was an opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing Whistler, including the shortage of employee rental housing and increasing budgetary pressures. He met with Marla Zucht at the Whistler Housing Authority, attended a Mature Action Committee meeting, and sat down with countless others to ask questions and learn more about the issues in the event he was elected.

“Most of all I learned from your own mistakes, when I said things I wish I hadn’t said, as well as how to be quiet and listen — I already know what I know, but listening is a good way to learn more,” he said.

Thomson was one of the few candidates to include a photo on his campaign signs, which was a conscious decision. Many people know him through his volunteer work, he said, but not everybody would be able to put a face to the name on a campaign sign.

“I’m a very ‘out there’ person, because I’m in love with the community and always wanted to give back. This (council) is a little different because volunteers are never held accountable, you can always say no, but I wanted to attempt something different and be accountable for it,” he said. “It’s still volunteerism.

“People would come up to me and say they were pulling for me, and that it was nice to see me stepping up. It was all predicated on that (volunteerism) — I have no council experience, no track record to run on, just my values… and what I thought I could bring.”

 

Ralph Forsyth – 1,612 votes

“It is really sweet,” said Ralph Forsyth, two days after being re-elected.

“Every win is good, but this one is particularly sweet, and my boys are old enough to understand everything now, so it was really important to me that they saw their father win.”

He said he is grateful that voters appreciate his hard work, even though he did not receive support from columnists in Pique Newsmagazine .

Now that he’s gotten the green light to get back to the council table, Forsyth is moving full steam ahead on his priorities for the next three years.

“The first is childcare and the municipality’s policy on childcare,” said the current councillor, who also owns Green Monkey Consulting.

“The other one is working more closely with the provincial and federal governments, and our regional governments, so we have excellent relationships throughout the corridor, throughout the province, and with the feds.”

He also pointed to temporary housing as his third priority.

Forsyth was elected to council for the first time last term. He ran but was not elected in 2002.

“I feel very fortunate to have served with the people I served with on this council,” Forsyth said of the past three years.

“I thought it was very productive, and I am very humbled to have been able to service with them, and to be able to serve again.”

 

Chris Quinlan — 1,606 votes

It was three times lucky for Chris Quinlan, who finished third in the vote tally on Saturday.

Quinlan ran on a platform of economic restraint, increasing tourism, and providing seasonal rental housing for employees and local businesses, and says those are his main priorities in the next term. He is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Rotary Club and Whistler Health Care Society.

Over the years he’s become an unofficial spokesperson for small businesses in general, and currently runs three businesses in Whistler.

He said he was looking forward to taking on a fourth position when the new council meets for the first time in December.

“I was super-happy with the results. The support I got this time was incredible, and wow, as far as who was elected it’s definitely a workable council, I think we’re going to work well together and get some things done,” he said. “I already have a list.”

As someone who follows politics and current events in Whistler closely, he says the campaign didn’t change his opinions or influence his platform, but galvanized many of the things he already believed before he decided to throw his name in the ring once again.

“You talk to a lot of people during a campaign, and I can tell you that people are very concerned about our finances, the economic crisis, seasonal housing,” he said. “I can definitely work with this council, and I’m looking forward to it. The challenges there are significant, but I think the makeup of this council is such that it can look at the challenges through the eyes they need to be looked at. It was never going to be easy.”

 

Eckhard Zeidler – 1,495 votes

Eckhard Zeidler’s solid fixation on greenbacks throughout his campaign earned him another seat at the council table.

“I deliberately concentrated on pushing one issue to the forefront, which was the budget and the economy,” said Zeidler.

“I am afraid that some people felt that that made me a little narrow minded in my thinking, but it was very important to me that other candidates would pick up on that theme.”

Zeidler’s money theme was reaffirmed by his campaign slogans like “no sacred cows” and “a different $hade of green”.

Now that he is back in, Zeidler plans to knuckle down to the business immediately.

“It starts with our first meeting with the new council in January where we will be going into introductory budget discussions so that everyone is aware of our situation,” said Zeidler.

“We will also be discussing how we will conduct an exhaustive public consultation process over the following four months.”

Zeidler was first elected to council in 2005, and he became known as the “green guy on council” for his environmental views.   The severity of the municipality’s economic situation, however, prompted him to take a more monetary approach to politics.

During his first term on council, Zeidler said he also tried to make decisions and cast votes that were reflective of how the community feels.

“I think that may have resonated,” he said.  

 

Ted Milner – 1,418 votes

After a six-year absence, Ted Milner is back in a councillor’s seat. And the former two-term councillor said he is going to stick with the money theme of his campaign.

“I focused on the financial end, and I focused on capital projects, and I think that resonated with a lot of people,” said Milner, who comes from a banking background.

“I think in these turbulent times, we have got to get a hold of what we are spending, especially on capital projects, and to control it and manage it.”

At the same time, Milner wants to keep encouraging Whistler’s arts and culture, and help the resort municipality become a deeper, richer community.

This will expand revenues, said Milner, because while cultural tourism is growing rampantly, skier visits are not.

Milner added while he is glad to see the Phoenix II temporary housing project rise from the ashes, he thinks Whistler needs a lasting solution.

“In the interim, it is fine, but I am very interested in pushing forward with something like permanent seasonal employee rental housing.”

He found out about his election Saturday night after watching his daughter, Ali Milner, perform in Vancouver.

“It all worked out and it was great, I tried hard and it came together,” said Milner about his campaign.

 

Grant Lamont — 1,321 votes

Running for the first time, Grant Lamont said voters counted on his reputation as an event organizer, past WORCA president, volunteer, and parent advocate to bring a dose of pragmatism to council.

“I really think it was because they knew I wouldn’t be too shy to say B.S., and that I’ll work well with all the councillors to address all the challenges we have,” he said.

“What we (the new councillors) were talking about the other night is that everybody needs to play to their strengths on this council. In my case that will be marketing, relationships, and how we promote the resort and the community. It’s community facilities, and ensuring that they are accessible and affordable for the people who pay for them with their taxes. It’s events and festivals, and how we can improve the atmosphere for people hosting events, especially the ones that are not promoted by Tourism Whistler or Whistler-Blackcomb.”

Over the course of the campaign he also became more aware of the issues facing daycare in Whistler, as well as the importance of daycare to the economy and keeping Whistler employees in the community and on the job.

He was also unique in the campaign in calling for improved relations with other governments in the Sea to Sky corridor, including Squamish, Pemberton and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.

As well, the collapse of the Phoenix project also inspired Lamont to take a more active role with that issue, although he says he will generally defer to councillor Chris Quinlan on that topic. “Everyone on this council has different areas of strength, and I think we’ll be stronger if everyone plays to their strengths,” he said.