Whale Cove (Dec 18/06) - A grey wool hat helped make Percy Kabloona the new mayor of Whale Cove last week.

Incumbent Stanley Adjuk and Kabloona, a former mayor, were tied with 55 votes each when all the ballots had been counted.

What happened next was a first for Whale Cove.

"We separated the mayor's ballots from the councillors, and we counted the councillors first," said Clayton Croucher, Whale Cove's senior administrative officer.

"I looked at the mayor's ballots and thought, 'Damn, this is going to be close."

They counted, and re-counted, and by 8:15 p.m., Croucher and returning officer Martha Arualak knew they had a legitimate tie on their hands.

"We brought them (the candidates) in and explained the situation," said Croucher. "I checked the hamlet act, I thought maybe there was more to it. Sure enough, that is what was there."

The tie breaker was simple. Both names were put into a hat, and whichever name came out was the new municipal leader.

"I asked them about it, and they both knew it was the right thing to do," said Croucher.

Louisa Uludluak, who was assisting Arualak with the ballots, drew the name.

The hat was a simple grey wool hat, which had been on the head of the hamlet's by-law officer before being called upon for electoral duty.

"I just took Willie's hat, and that's how we did it," said Croucher.

Uludluak drew Kabloona's name, and a new mayor was chosen.

Johnny Sammurtok finished third with nine votes.

Seventy-six per cent of the 159 eligible voters cast their ballots. There were five spoiled ballots.

The new mayor couldn't be reached for comment prior to press deadline.