Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 18/00) - At about 9:30 p.m., as he has done each workday morning for the last six years, mayor Dave Lovell made the short walk to city hall from his house across the street.

After a brief look at the results that were in, his thoughts turned not to winning or losing Monday night's election but to the last business of the campaign before taking down the signs.

"It's quite easy for me right now," said Lovell, when asked about the tension of election night. "My big question is who do I congratulate?"

It soon became apparent that Gord Van Tighem deserved the congratulations.

Van Tighem was winning most of the polls and the ones he did not take Bob Brooks did.

Losing an election is a new experience for Lovell. He had won the three consecutive elections he has run in -- one for a seat on council and then two for mayor -- heading into Monday's mayoral race.

Four times proved unlucky, or at least untimely, for the chartered accountant who finished third among the four candidates.

"I've gone through six pretty tough years and I think the next three are going to be pretty easy," said Lovell.

"It would've been nice to be mayor in the swinging times, but it wasn't in the cards."

The six years include controversial issues such as secret meetings, city support for Tuaro dairy, the Centre Square Mall bail-out and, more recently, the property tax hike following the closure of Giant Mine.

"You've got to trust the people, and they said it was time for a change," Lovell said.

He said it was particularly important to him to come through the campaign and his tenure as mayor with his reputation intact.

Lovell did not rule out the chance of running for public office in the future, but said for now he will return to private life and accounting.

He was driven out to Van Tighem's election headquarters in Frame Lake South, moved through the packed and jovial room and offered his congratulations to the mayor elect and went on to make an appearance at the Mackenzie Lounge.

Lovell's first day of private life begins Nov. 7, the day after the mayor and council are sworn in.