Pictured above: Stuntman Stu Wows the Crowd: Destination Unknown. And Lucky Ron Burke wows the crowd at the Lafeyette Tavern, Saturday matinee.
They said it couldn't happen. The naysayers were vocal. But, the naysayers were nowhere near as vocal as the yay-sayers. And so, with a groundswell of support that began in the bottom of a giant quart of Blue, or Labatts 50, (this fact continues to divide people)....Lucky Ron Burke declared his run for Mayor of Ottawa, in the year of 2003. His qualifications? He could play guitar and sing every Johnny Cash song note for note, which he did at 4 o'clock every Saturday afternoon at the Chateau Lafeyette Tavern in Ottawa's byward market. Lucky Ron's show never varied, each song sung in the exact order, week after week he was consistent, giving the people what they wanted. A fine trait for a Mayor. 2003. It was a different time then. Or....was it?
Here is an excerpt of the issues that were top of mind throughout the municipal election campaign (source: http://en.allexperts.com/e/o/ot/ottawa_municipal_election,_2003.htm)
"
The main issues of the race were a controversial Smoking ban, the expansion of the O-Train (Ottawa's light rail system), official bilingualism and the recent amalgamation. Chiarelli was in favour of the smoking ban, which had been implemented by the last city council. The ban was on smoking in all public places, which angered many bar and restaurant owners. Kilrea was against the smoking ban. He was also against putting money into expanding the O-Train, and official bilingualism in the city. Chiarelli was in favour of the O-Train expansion along with Awgu, while most of the other candidates were against. Awgu and perennial candidate John C. Turmel were the only candidates in favour of bilingualism."
And so, voters came out in droves on November 10, 2003. The results? Bob Chiarelli wins, but looky here! Lucky Ron silences his critics with a huge 1.46 percent of the vote, almost 2700 people, AND, check out the results below, he beat out FOUR other candidates! Well, there was much celebration at the Lafeyette that day, where rounds and rounds of quarts were quaffed, and legend has it that Lucky Ron even played a couple of Johnny Cash songs OUT OF THEIR USUAL ORDER!!
Results for mayor
Candidate Vote % Change
Bob Chiarelli (inc.) 104,595 56.53 +0.21%
Terry Kilrea 66,634 36.02
Ike Awgu 5,394 2.92
LUCKY RON BURKE 2,698 1.46
John A. Bell 2,027 1.10
Donna Upson 1,312 0.71
Paula Nemchin 1,191 0.64 +0.36%
John C. Turmel 1,166 0.63 +0.36%
The moral of the story? Follow your dreams. Dream BIG. Learn as many Johnny Cash songs as you can and play at a tavern every Saturday afternoon. Ok, maybe not the Johnny Cash stuff. But, the DREAM BIG stuff? That is the way to live your life!
My partner in crime, Stuntman Stu is doing just that! He is considering a run for the Mayor of Ottawa. His qualities? He's everywhere at once. He's a great auctioneer. He has a blackberry. He has his own line of wine. He is a family man. He willingly stands in long line-ups. He has better access to Mike Fisher than most of us. He does several impressions, each of which sounds exactly like Jack Nicholson. He has his own website, www.stuntmanstu.com. And right now on Facebook, there is a 'fan page'
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=search&gid=287074699096
its called 'Stuntman Stu should run for Mayor of Ottawa'. Last time I checked, it had 166 fans. Hey, I think Lucky Ron serves as an inspiration, and Stuntman Stu should follow suit. Go for it, Stu! Remember, 'Dream Big'! And maybe, just maybe, YOU will be toasted at the Lafayette this coming October, everyone lifting quarts of Blue in your honour! And it wouldn't hurt to learn a Johnny Cash song or two.
