Brian Bigger withdraws from race to be Sudbury's mayor
In a startling development, incumbent Sudbury mayor Brian Bigger is withdrawing from the municipal election race, citing family reasons.
Bigger, 64, made the announcement Tuesday afternoon in an email.
"I would like to share some news with all of you today," Bigger said.
"I have been very proud to have served this community for the past 13 years, both as Greater Sudbury’s first auditor general and as your mayor."
The mayor's job meant he could not spend time with his family, he said, particularly during the hard times.
"During my time as mayor, we have lost my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, a brother-in-law and my father," Bigger said.
"My mother’s health is now failing and although she would never ask me, I feel that I need to spend more time with her."
Bigger was the city's first auditor general, appointed during the Marianne Matichuk administration in 2010. His office was awarded for an audit of the city's roads department.
In a surprise move, Bigger entered and won the race for mayor in 2014, when Matichuk didn't seek re-election. He became the first person to be re-elected mayor in 2018 since the city was created at the turn of the century.
Bigger's tenure has been marked by controversy over the so-called big projects: the Place des Arts downtown, the Junction project, also downtown, and the Kingsway Entertainment District (KED). Only the Place des Arts has been completed.
After initially opposing the KED, Bigger changed his mind and campaigned for it in 2018, but the project became bogged down by legal appeals. By the time the hurdles were cleared, soaring costs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war increased the budget from $100 million to $200 million.
The project was eventually abandoned by city council.
In his announcement Tuesday, Bigger said he was grateful for the support he has received, but it was time to put family first.
"What I know is that family is the most important thing in my life," he said.
"I have a wife I love dearly, two amazing children, five beautiful grandchildren and a mother who all need me at this time. For this reason, I have made the very difficult decision to step back in this election."
Bigger thanked his wife, Lori, for "being by my side (and) all of those who supported me now and throughout the years and the residents of Greater Sudbury for allowing me to be your mayor."
"Greater Sudbury is resilient and strong, and I see only good things ahead from this amazing community. It’s important we be positive and forward looking, and see the good this community has to offer."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.