Close but no cigar
Candidate decides against judicial recount

by Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

FORT SIMPSON (Nov 07/97) - Close but no cigar, and that's how it will remain.

Fort Simpson municipal council candidate Daniel Lapierre has announced he won't be petitioning a judge for a judicial recount of his close loss in last month's election.

On election night, Lapierre found himself a single vote behind Lindsay Waugh for a seat on council. A recount was held two nights later and this time, Lapierre was two votes behind.

Last week, he announced that he considering asking for a judicial recount, saying he believed three ballots were in question.

All this ended Monday when Lapierre decided against requesting the additional recount.

"I'm just going to drop it," he said. "Even if the ballots worked out, we would have had a tie and then thrown our names into a hat."

This means Lindsay Waugh no longer has any worries about retaining the seat on council he was elected to.

"Mr. Lapierre exercised his legal right through due process and I'm happy to now continue my job and represent the community as best I can during the next three years," Waugh said.

As to the future, Lapierre would not rule out another run at municipal office in future elections.