Norman Wells (Oct 23/06) - There will soon be a new mayor taking the reins after successful entrepreneur and former town councillor Peter Guther unseated incumbent Ann Marie Tout in last week's municipal election.

With more than 61 per cent of eligible voters showing up to cast ballots on Oct. 16 or in advanced voting, Guther credits his campaign style for the 181 to 116 victory.

"I didn't do a mail-out blitz, stuffing people's mailboxes," he said.

Instead, Guther said he stopped everyone in town at least once and talked to them for up to 15 minutes at a time.

"You could call it a belly-to-belly approach," he said. "In a community like Norman Wells, I think that personal style of campaigning is still the best way to go."

Gracious in her defeat, out-going Mayor Ann Marie Tout plans to take a break from public life for now.

"I was sorry for the results on Monday," she said.

"I'm going to try my very best to not take on anything else for a couple of months and see what it's like to have a life."

She did leave the door open for a return to municipal politics in the future.

"It's tough to stay away," she said.

Norman Wells' list of new town leaders also includes councillors-elect Steve Deschene, Lise Dolen, Tim Melnyk, Craig Scott and Edward Sheppard.

Deni Gaccione and Daria Kubrakovich were unsuccessful in their bids for a seat on council.