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Recount ends in tie, Lubik declared winner after blind name draw

By Patrick Penner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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October 28, 2022

port-moody-two-votes — photo supplied

A judicial recount led to a tie, so the name of Port Moody’s sixth councillor was drawn out of a box.

Incumbent Amy Lubik has officially been re-elected, after initially appearing to have lost her seat by two votes to newcomer Dave Stuart.

A provincial judge observed over a recount of two polling stations on Oct. 27, after Lubik submitted an application the previous day citing “irregularities.”

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Following the recount, each candidate was tied with 3,597 votes. Lubik’s count went up four votes, and Stuart went up two.

The city’s local election bylaw states that in the result of the tie, the winner will be decided by drawing names out of a container.

“The name of each candidate was written on a separate piece of paper, folded in a uniform manner, and placed in a container large enough to allow them to be shaken,” reads a press release from the city.

“One paper was then randomly withdrawn from the container, and Judge Lee declared elected Amy Lubik for the sixth seat on Port Moody City Council.”

Author

Patrick Penner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Having spent the first 20 years of his life in Port Moody, Patrick Penner has finally returned as a hometown reporter.

His youth was spent wiping out on snowboards, getting hit in the face with hockey pucks, and frolicking on boats in the Port Moody Arm.

After graduating Heritage Woods Secondary School, Penner wandered around aimlessly for a year before being given an ultimatum by loving, but concerned, parents: “rent or college.”

With that, he was off to the University of Victoria to wander slightly less aimlessly from book, to classroom, to beer, and back.

Penner achieved his undergraduate degree in 2017, majoring in political science and minoring in history.

To absolutely no one’s surprise, translating this newfound education into career opportunities proved somewhat challenging.

After working for a short time as a lowly grunt in various labour jobs, Penner’s fruitless drifting came to an end.

He decided it was time to hit the books again. This time, with focus.

Nine months later, Penner had received a certificate of journalism from Langara College and was awarded the Jeani Read-Michael Mercer Fellowship upon graduation.

When that scholarship led to a front page story in the Vancouver Sun, he knew he had found his calling.

Penner moved to Abbotsford to spend the next three years learning from grizzled reporters and editors at Black Press Media.

Assigned to the Mission Record as the city’s sole reporter, he developed a taste for investigative and civic reporting, eventually being nominated for the 2023 John Collison Investigative Journalism Award.

Unfortunately, dwindling resources and cutbacks in the community media sphere convinced Penner to seek out alternative ways to deliver the news.

When a position opened up at the Tri-Cities Dispatch, he knew it was time to jump ship and sail back home to beautiful Port Moody.