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Luloff
emerges from crowded field to capture Orléans Ward
1
By Fred Sherwin
OrleansOnline.ca
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 Councillor-elect
Matthew Luloff is all smiles as he arrives
for his victory party on Tenth Line Road after
being declared the winner in Orléans Ward
1 on Monday night. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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The
residents of Orléans Ward 1 have a new city councillor
and his name is Matthew Luloff.
What
started out as a crowded field with 15 candidates on the
ballot quickly turned into a four horse race as the results
began to come in shortly after 8 p.m. A little over an
hour later, the contest had boiled down to just two candidates
– Luloff and former Orléans Star editor Catherine
Kitts.
At
one point, Kitts was only 63 votes behind Luloff. By the
time the last poll had reported in, the unofficial margin
of victory was 264 votes or 1.74 per cent. It was the
second closest result among the city`s 23 wards. Only
Alta Vista Ward was closer with incumbent Jean Clouthier
managing to hang on to his seat by 201 votes.
When
he arrived at his post-election party at the Corner Bar
on Tenth Line Road, Luloff thanked his supporters and
instinctively reached out to all the many residents who
didn’t vote for him.
“I
am so thankful for the support I’ve gotten here in Orléans
and the confidence they’ve shown in me. But look, I know
I didn’t get everybody’s vote and I know this isn’t a
gigantic mandate and I am going to work very hard to earn
everybody’s trust and make Orléans even better,” said
Luloff as a group of his campaign workers chanted his
name in the background.
Born
and raised in Orléans, the fluently bilingual Luloff came
out of nowhere to become a co-front-runner with businessman
Rick Bédard.
Luloff’s
campaign gained significant momentum when he received
an endorsement from Cumberland Ward incumbent Stephen
Blais just days before the special advanced polls opened
on Oct. 4.
His
platform focused on four key areas – roads, transit, public
health and safety, and economic development. Among his
priotities are widening Hwy. 174 to allow for HOV lanes;
building a southern transportation corridor from Frank
Kenny Road to Hwy. 417 at the Hunt Club interchange; expanding
the park and ride lots at Place d’Orléans and Trim Road;
building an accessible boardwalk on Petrie Island; encouraging
and facilitating pop up shops on St. Joseph Blvd.; and
developing a community-based policing strategy.
But
before he focuses on making his campaign platform a reality,
Luloff plans to schedule meetings with a lot of people
including Bob Monette, who he will be replacing on city
council; fellow newly elected Innes Ward councillor Laura
Dudas; and Beacon Hill, Cyrville incumbent Tim Tierney.
As
the results began to roll in on election night, it became
clear that the challenge expected to be provided by Bédard
was never going to materialize. Instead, the biggest surprise
was turned in by Kitts who credited her aggressive door-to-door
campaign which was fuelled by a small army of more than
80 volunteers, for her success.
(This story
was made possible thanks to the generous support of our
local business partners.)
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OUTDOOR MARKET from 12 noon to 6 p.m. in the Ray Frield
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