Early-morning end to dramatic night in our riding

Early-morning end to dramatic night in our riding

Columns

By: Jim Mason

Save for the virgin setting, it looked pretty much like every other polling station, every other year.

It was Election No. 1 for the spanking new gymnasium at Harry Bowes Public School in northeast Stouffville Tuesday.

Its glass basketball boards pulled back and the fresh hardwood reserved for adults only on this school day.

The children would stay in the classrooms, as they did in all 308 ridings across Canada.

Voting is a pretty regimented event, especially with the new requirement of photo ID or something similar.

There’s no coffee service or loungers. But, there is a social aspect to something so clinical.

I literally bumped into a neighbour from a few houses down the crescent. We agreed it was an odd spot to have to meet and chat for the first time in a couple of years.

A scout leader walked by and extended greetings. Same with a young family I hadn’t seen in too long.

Welcome to suburban life.

What separated this election from the other two in Oak Ridges-Markham was a little thing called drama.

Liberal Lui Temelkovski beat out Conservative Bob Callow by 6,400 votes in 2006 and 11,252 votes in 2004. These races were over when the first ballot box was opened.

Not this time. Many a Whitchurch-Stouffville commuter woke up yesterday not knowing who their new MP was.

The lead see-sawed into the night between Mr. Temelkovski and the Conservative’s new candidate, Paul Calandra, a local father and party veteran.

Tens of votes and percentage points separated them.

But, this time, the sea of blue Conservative signs across Whitchurch-Stouffville meant something.

It was after 1 a.m. when Mr. Temelkovski shook MP-elect Calandra’s hand at Boston Pizza in Stouffville.

Election over.

Jim Mason is editor of The Sun-Tribune.

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