Independence is great, but at times it can be one heck of an uphill road.
As expected, Saturday's municipal election lacked any real drama, but it did reinforce, for me at least, that as much as independence is all the rage these days, affiliations are still absolutely critical to success at the ballot box.
There's no doubt that independence works if you've already got a profile with voters, evidenced by Sylvia Bishop's poll-topping performance and Heather King's return to the council table, but if you don't have that kind of name recognition, good luck going it on your own. Of all the newcomers in the council race (and I don't count King in that category), it's no surprise that Rod Binder, a member of Mayor Lois Jackson's DIVA slate, fared the best, falling one spot short of claiming a seat. The four candidates that got together under the Delta Connect banner came next, followed by the only other two true independents, Ron Calliou and Peter Mattoo, who finished last and second to last, respectively. It was much the same in the school board race. Five of the six incumbents got re-elected, and the only two newcomers to enjoy success were those affiliated with the teachers-endorsed Kids Matter slate. The third member of that group narrowly missed a seat.
In contrast, five of the bottom six in the 16-candidate race were those without any affiliation, including Brad Sherwin, who could be the poster boy for independents trying to make that seeminglyimpossible breakthrough.
I remember seeing Sherwin for the first time at an all-candidates meeting at Genesis Theatre in Ladner three years ago. He struck me as intelligent and articulate, with all the makings of a good trustee, but I figured he didn't stand a chance in a sea of 20 candidates. In the end, he got just over 3,000 votes, good enough for 17th place, and I got a new contributor for the Community Comment column.
Undaunted, Sherwin continued to advocate for the education system, including efforts to restore bus service for students in Boundary Bay after funding was cut by the provincial government. He was rewarded with almost 2,000 more votes, which moved him up to 11th place this time, but still left him nearly 3,000 votes shy of the promised land.
I realize that free-thinking independents are in vogue these days, to the point where even slates incorporate the word into their monikers, but it's readily apparent that true independence remains a steep hill to climb.
