WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2014
VOLLEYBALL CHAMPS MEI senior boys win Fraser Valley championship in three sets A29
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Braun new mayor by 2% margin Banman out; council a mix of new and familiar faces Alex BUTLER Abbotsford News
Henry Braun thought long and hard before announcing his plans to leave council after one term and set his sights on the mayor’s chair. While another four years on council was appealing, he also felt, “I’m not sure we’re heading in the right direction.” His decision paid off. Braun defeated incumbent mayor Bruce Banman by 577 votes out of a total of 31,765 – or less than two per cent. Now, with less than two weeks until he assumes his new role on Dec. 1, Braun is meeting with city staff and councillors-elect to begin working towards the direction he sees for the city. He said Abbotsford has so much going for it, “we just need to pull a lot of loose strings together, and I think people will be pleasantly surprised at the change in the city over the next four years.” On Saturday night, candidates and supporters gathered at a crowded Matsqui Centennial Auditorium at city hall as the election results came in. The close race was made more suspenseful by the crash of the city’s website, with the final results stalled and then finally delivered via hard copy. When the results were posted on a screen in the auditorium, Braun’s supporters erupted in cheers. Banman crossed the stage to shake Braun’s hand. For council, four incumbents were re-elected: Patricia Ross, Les Barkman, Moe Gill and Dave Loewen. The four new councillors are all members of the AbbotsfordFirst slate: Ross Siemens,
A DAY AT THE RACE TRACK A15 Abby man gets his dying wish: a day at the race track with his great-granddaughter
EVERY VOTE COUNTS A5 Abbotsford voter turnout well above the provincial average
CELEBRATING A MILESTONE A11 Cyrus Centre celebrating a decade of helping at-risk youth in Abbotsford
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85¢ Mayoralty candidate Henry Braun celebrates with his wife Velma as the final election numbers are announced.
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JOHN MORROW Abbotsford News
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