Former firefighter Mike Hurley defeats Derek Corrigan in Burnaby mayoral race

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      The chair of the TransLink Mayors' Council has lost his first election after more than 30 years in Burnaby politics.

      Derek Corrigan was beaten by Mike Hurley, a former acting assistant fire chief who's promised a more humane approach in dealing with tenants.

      Many were evicted in the Metrotown area during Corrigan's last term as developers replaced old three-storey walkups with condos.

      With 51 of 51 polls reporting, Hurley has 53.24 percent of the vote, compared to 41.23 percent for Corrigan.

      Hurley told Global B.C. News that he can achieve a moratorium on demovictions in Metrotown.

      "I'm sure most of the councillors will realize that's the reason the mayor isn't in that chair anymore," Hurley said.

      During the campaign, Hurley criticized Corrigan for not investing enough public funds in sports and recreational facilities and  not boosting the size of the RCMP detachment.

      Hurley is a former president of the Burnaby Fire Fighters Association.

      A former mayor, Bill Copeland, was also a president of the Burnaby Fire Fighters Association and presided over the city when Corrigan was a young councillor.

      The sometimes abrasive Corrigan, 66, was first elected in 1987 and became mayor in 2002.

      He's always had the support of the New Westminster and District Labour Council, but this year this organization backed Hurley.

      Derek Corrigan will no longer chair the TransLink Mayors' Council if Hurley holds his lead.

      Corrigan was the standard-bearer for the Burnaby Citizens Association, which is affiliated with the NDP. He's also chair of the TransLink Mayors' Council.

      His party has retained control over council and the school board.

      BCA councillors Dan Johnston, Pietro Calendino, Sav Dhaliwal, Colleen Jordan, James Wang, Paul McDonell, and Nick Volkow are in the top seven spots.

      Also making it on council is punk rocker Joe Keithley of the Green party.

      The DOA frontman, who's also known as Joey Shithead, came 245 votes ahead of the BCA's Baljinder Narang for the eighth and final spot.

      Narang was a school trustee for the past decade.

      In 10th and 11th place, respectively, wre Green candidates Joel Gibbs and Rick McGowan. In the 12th spot was former councillor Lee Rankin.

      In 2014, Corrigan won 68.9 percent of the vote, trouncing his opponent, Daren Hancott of Burnaby First.

      One Burnaby Green candidate, Christine Cunningham, was elected to Burnaby council.

      The BCA took the other six spots. The only BCA school board candidate who lost was Suresh Bhayana, who came ninth.

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