Oct. 7, 2009 – The names are in and the battle lines are drawn as the Gatineau Hills prepare to vote Nov. 1. The most striking element at the start of the campaign is the sheer volume of candidates, with the majority of seats being contested and La Peche as the only municipality acclaiming its mayor.

The other notable feature is the number of new faces. Only 19 incumbents have decided to run again out of a possible 43. This number is as low as two in Chelsea, Kaz and Low, with La Peche again being the exception with the mayor and all but one councillor seeking reelection.

Look for extensive election coverage in the Low Down over what promises to be an exciting month in municipal politics.

List of candidates by municipality:

Low

Mayor

Fay Pinard

Morris O’Connor

Ward 1

Theresa Van Erp (incumbent)

Floyd Hickey

Ward 2

Marc Harper

Albert Kealey

Ward 3

Dennis Patrick Hubbell

Amanda St. Jean

Ward 4

Paul Rockwell

Denis Drouin

Maureen Rice

Ward 5

Carole Boucher-Robert

Ghyslain Robert

Ward 6

Charles Kealey (incumbent)

Kazabazua

Mayor

Ota Hora

Cecil Crites

Ron Laflamme

Bob Petrin

Ward 1

Robert Rowan (incumbent)

Ward 2

Pamela Lachapelle

Marcelle Desmarais

Marie Therese Kazeef

Ward 3

Denis Belair

Michel Regimbald

Dominique Tonetti

Ward 4

Florian Clement

Kevin Molyneaux

Ward 5

Michel Collin

Ronald Marengere (incumbent)

Ward 6

Robert Bergeron

La Peche

Mayor

Robert Bussiere (incumbent)

Ward 1

Jocelyne Menard (incumbent)

Ward 2

Michel Gervais (incumbent)

Ward 3

Stephanie Berard

Christian Blais (incumbent)

Yves Lemieux

Ward 4

Michel Babin (incumbent)

Jean Paul Brisebois

Ward 5

Jacqueline Lambert-Madore (incumbent)

Tom Strike

Ward 6

Louis Rompre

Luc Richard

Ward 7

Yves Doyon (incumbent)

Chelsea

Mayor

Caryl Green

Liam Fitzgerald

Ward 1

Luc Poulin (incumbent)

Doug Griffin

Ward 2

Geoff Bleich

Marcel Gauvreau

Bruce Langer

Ward 3

Peter Lloyd

Peter Laurent Griffin (incumbent)

Ward 4

Kay Kerman

Paul Fydenchuk

Ward 5

Celine Brault

Ward 6

Richard Herron

Michael Geisterfer

Edmond Hetu

Cantley

Mayor

Steve Harris (incumbent)

Mario Noel

Ward 1

Michel Pelissier (incumbent)

Ward 2

Xavier Lecat

Francois Halle

Ward 3

Michael Lebrun

Ward 4

Marc Ducharme

Ward 5

Marc Saumier (incumbent)

Ward 6

Marcel Beaudry

Alexandre Marion

Lac-Sainte-Marie

Mayor

Stanley Christensen

Gary Lachapelle

Raymond Lafreniere (incumbent)

Ward 1

Pauline Sauve

Ward 2

Jean-Claude Loyer

Ward 3

Pierre Leblanc (incumbent)

Yves Leveillee

Ward 4

Francoise Lafreniere (incumbent)

Ward 5

Alexander (Sandy) Mackay

Ward 6

Andree Lepage

Derek Dubeau

Jeannot Lafreniere