Meet Chris Ewen, the RM of Ritchot’s 29-year-old mayor-elect

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This article was published 19/07/2017 (2470 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Age has never been an issue for Chris Ewen, but after but after beating former Ritchot mayor Jackie Hunt in Wednesday’s byelection, it’s in the spotlight.

“That’s the first question all the media have asked. I’m 29 years old,” said Ewen, who has no political experience.

He credits his victory to social media and getting out the youth vote.

Ewen was approached by his customers to run for mayor after Hunt abruptly resigned last April, citing “name-calling and belligerent behaviour” by some councillors.

Ewen runs two family-owned coffee shops called Capo Coffee Lounge in Île-des-Chênes, which is in the rural municipality of Ritchot, and Niverville, which is not.

“People saw my commitment, saw I was there 16 hours a day, I didn’t take a paycheque for the first two years. They saw the sweat I put into it,” he said.

The keys to his success were “hard work, door-knocking, and getting out there on social media.” His knowledge of social media marketing stems from online marketing for the coffee shops, he said.

“Young voters are on social media. If you can tap into that, the possibilities are endless,” he said.

Turnout was strong, with 39 per cent of those eligible voting, a very high figure for a byelection and much higher than in the 2014 municipal election.w

While he’s been in the community for only three years, people in Île-des-Chênes responded to Ewen in a big way.

He crushed it in his home ward, Ward 1, with a 394-to-85 vote over Hunt. Hunt outpolled Ewen in the remaining three wards but it wasn’t enough to overcome that advantage.

Ewen took 39 per cent of the vote compared to Hunt’s 34 per cent, besting her by 92 votes.

Asked about sitting on council, which has become an increasingly full-time job that people often hold at the end of their careers or in retirement, Ewen said operating a business means his hours are flexible.

Ewen will still be part of the coffee shop business but family members will look after day-to-day operations.

He will relinquish his shares in the business “so there’s no conflict of interest.”

Meanwhile, people who supported Hunt taking a stand against bullying on council were disappointed she lost the election. Hunt’s stand struck a chord with people beyond the borders of Ritchot.

“Her courageous actions and resignation started an important and necessary discussion about bullying of elected officials and staff,” said Cheryl Christian, a West St. Paul councillor.

Christian said Hunt’s action prompted her and other female councillors to put forward a motion to protect elected officials under the Workplace Health and Safety Act.

As things stand, elected officials aren’t included in legislation because they are defined as neither employers nor employees.

The motion will be heard at the Association of Manitoba Municipalities annual meeting in November. If passed, it will be forwarded to the provincial government.

If Ritchot voters were unhappy with Hunt’s actions that resulted in a byelection, they were furious at Hunt’s two opponents on council, councillors Ernest Dumaine and Corinne Webb, who prompted her resignation.

Dumaine received just 10 per cent of the Ward 1 vote, with Shane Pelletier the victor.

Webb also finished last in Ward 4 with just 22 per cent of the vote. Janine Boulanger edged Elmer Hywarren by a mere 15 votes, 142 to 127.

Incumbent Ron Mamchuk was re-elected in Ward 2 with 39 per cent of the vote.

Jeannot Robert was returned by acclamation in Ward 3.

Mamchuk said he’s sorry to lose Hunt from council.

“She was really hands-on and experienced and a very well-spoken person. I think it’s going to be a big loss,” said Mamchuk.

But he said “we can’t really compare” Hunt to her successor Ewen “because we don’t know what Chris will bring to the table.”

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca