Teamwork.
It was a message Patrick Johnstone consistently spoke of during the 2022 election campaign, and it was a message that continued Saturday night, as the incumbent councillor came out on top in the three-person race to become New Westminster’s mayor.
Preliminary election results showed Johnstone garnered 6,676 votes, with New West Progressives mayoral candidate Ken Armstrong placing second with 5,227 votes and veteran councillor Chuck Puchmayr coming in third with 3,912 votes.
“It's not me. It's a team who did a lot of work. There was an incredible team of people. I'm really proud of the 12 candidates I ran with. They all worked really hard. They all came together. They all knocked on doors. They all got their message out,” he said. “And I'm a little disappointed that not all of them are going to get over the top but I'm really proud of the work they did.”
Joining Johnstone on council will be fellow Community First New West candidates Ruby Campbell, incumbent Jaimie McEvoy, Tasha Henderson and incumbent Nadine Nakagawa. Paul Minhas and Daniel Fontaine of the New West Progressives were also elected to council.
Johnstone said he’s not at all worried about working with a council team that includes rookie councillors and New West Progressives.
“I think we're all working together. I think everybody has the same goal in mind; I think everyone has the same goal to serve the city,” he said. “I'm not at all concerned about building this team together and getting everyone working together again.”
That doesn’t come as a surprise to Johnstone’s mom, Marilyn, who joined other family members in council chambers on Saturday night to watch the results.
“I am so proud,” she said. “He worked his butt off. And I'm most proud he never took all the credit. He knows he needs a team. He always brought his team together, and that's what I'm most happy about.”
Marilyn said working as part of a team has long been a part of her son’s life.
“We're curlers. And when you're a curler, nobody takes the glory. Four people get there together,” she told the Record. “And I think he has brought that to his job. But he's also, I'm sorry, absolutely honest. He has got integrity. And he will work his butt off for New Westminster.”
Asked if her son had an interest in politics while growing up in the Kootenays, she said he ran for student council.
“He ran for school president and he did win the high school; he lost to the junior high, because he wasn't quite handsome enough,” she laughed. “But he was philosophical about it. And he and the president curled together and they went to provincials.”
Johnstone was pleased with the overall election campaign in New West.
“It's been a great campaign. Everybody's been talking about the future of the city. And that's what this should actually be about,” he said. “I'm really glad that we ran a positive campaign. Everybody kept it aboveboard and kept their mind on the future of the city, which is what matters.”
Johnstone said he plan is to get the team together and chat with each councillor individually about what role they want to take on council.
“And then we'll start to talk about strategic planning,” he said.
