L'ARDOISE - As part of a clean sweep for Richmond County's municipal council on election night, the man now representing District Five is hoping that a team approach will restore civility and dignity to the council table.

First-time candidate Brent Sampson took an early lead on incumbent councillor Jason MacLean and never looked back, finishing the night with 597 votes as opposed to MacLean's 223. Elected in 2016 and serving for a six-month period as Richmond County Warden, MacLean was unable to buck the tide of change that washed over the county, leaving Sampson as the representative for a riding that takes in Richmond County's northeastern region. 

While he did not single out MacLean personally, Sampson branded himself as "A Team Player" in his campaign material and felt that his style of leadership could be a welcome contrast to the often-combative atmosphere that has settled in at the Richmond Municipal Council chambers over the past term. 

"I've said to people throughout this [campaign]: We're not five political parties, we're five people hopefully working in the same direction, and I think we have the chance to do that," Sampson suggested. 

"I think that, in any workplace, people often have different skill sets, so we can take a look at that and try to find which way is the best way to move forward by utilizing peoples' skills. If everybody's rolling in the same direction, I think we can accomplish a lot more."

As for his personal priorities for District Five, which includes such remote areas as Framboise, Forchu, L'Archeveque and Loch Lomond, Sampson noted that high-speed internet service and cellular coverage remains a concern for many residents in these communities and he hopes to build on recent announcements by the provincial government to expand internet access across the province.

"You've got to keep in contact with those people and make sure that their needs are being addressed, and I'm trying to move that forward as best I can," Sampson told TELILE 24/7 host Adam Cooke, in an interview recorded an hour before the new District Five councillor met his four council colleagues for the first time since their election on October 17. 

Sampson was sworn in as District Five councillor this past Monday, as part of a special ceremony at the Richmond Municipal Building in Arichat that was live-streamed by Telile Community Television on its main television airwaves and its YouTube channel.