DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE - The Hamlet of Fort Providence will have a new mayor in the new year.

Raymond Bonnetrouge won the Dec. 13 municipal election decisively. Bonnetrouge had 154 votes, 71 more than his closest competitor.

Susan Christie, the hamlet's senior administrative officer, phoned Bonnetrouge to tell him the news at approximately 9 p.m. on Monday night after the results had been validated.

Bonnetrouge said he was surprised by the margin he won by because of the other candidates' qualifications.

Tina Gargan and Paschalina Nadli, who received 83 and 19 votes respectively, are both former mayors and Berna Landry, who garnered 40 votes, is a former chief. This was the first time Bonnetrouge had run for mayor and he thanked everyone who voted for him.

"I appreciate them taking the time to elect me," he said.

Bonnetrouge, who just finished his first term on the council as a councillor, will be sworn in as mayor in January. He said he'll begin his term by getting familiar with the mayor's role and attending orientations with the new councillors.

Bonnetrouge also plans to start dealing with the capital projects related to the hamlet's aging infrastructure. As identified in the capital plan the public works garage and the arena are at the top of the list.

During his campaign Bonnetrouge said if elected he'd also look into how the Dehcho Process will affect the hamlet's community government. With the election behind him Bonnetrouge said he'll be asking the Dehcho First Nations' negotiators to see the chapter in the agreement in principle that deals with the issue.

Bonnetrouge said he feels confident about the next council.

Sophie Bonnetrouge, Tina Gargan and Evelyn Krutko were re-elected. Only Steven Vandell and Berna Landry are new to the council.

As a former chief Landry has a lot of experience in politics and Vandell has experience in the private sector, Bonnetrouge said.

"He's very enthusiastic about helping the community," said Bonnetrouge.

Bonnetrouge and all of the elected councillors except for Landry will be serving two-year terms. Landry, who had the lowest number of votes of the elected councillors, will serve a one-year term.

The one-year term was created because Tina Gargan, who was in her first year of a two-year councillor term, was required by the hamlet act to step down when she decided to run for mayor.

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