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Pity the ordinary British Columbian trying to understand sa国际传媒鈥檚 debate on聽proportional representation as ballots arrive in the mail.

Rob Martin didn鈥檛 have much time to celebrate his win as Colwood mayor last weekend. After shaking hands with Carol Hamilton, the person he defeated for the job, Martin rushed to Victoria General Hospital to be at his father-in-law鈥檚 side. At 7 p.m.

They grew up together in the same Calgary neighbourhood. Geoff Orr and Bob Hunter lived three doors apart. Stuart O鈥機onnor was a couple of blocks away. There was a basketball hoop, a ball, hours spent together on the makeshift court.

Cliff McNeil-Smith became mayor of Sidney in a similar fashion to the way he came to own Tanner鈥檚 Books. It started with love, progressed to expertise and then he took charge.

In the wake of last week鈥檚 civic election, Nanaimo and five Greater Victoria communities have new mayors. We talked to the winning candidates to discuss their plans for the next four years.

Not many politicians win by campaigning to raise taxes. Oak Bay鈥檚 new mayor, Kevin Murdoch, did just that, in a municipality that has already earned a reputation for higher-than-average property taxes.

In his tranquil home on Prospect Avenue overlooking a mist-covered lake, Saanich mayor-elect Fred Haynes describes himself as a peaceful warrior.

When Nanaimo鈥檚 mayor-elect Leonard Krog reflects on his political inspiration, he thinks of his Granny Best first.

When you see Scouts offering popcorn at your door in the next few weeks, remember you鈥檙e not just buying a tasty treat, you are helping to fuel Scouting adventures for the year. Scouts sa国际传媒鈥檚 popcorn fundraiser has been run annually since 1989.

With calls to remove statues of controversial figures such as Sir John A. Macdonald, the University of Victoria is putting on a series of lectures about the historical characters in the news.