public utility. Friel encouraged merger discussions between Brantford and neighbouring Brant County in 2000. At one stage, he said that he would ask the province to impose a decision on restructuring if the county declined talks. Brant County Mayor Ron Eddy strongly opposed this position, and Friel later acknowledged that producing a local agreement would be impossible. During the same period, Friel argued that the Six Nations people have a legitimate claim to the land surrounding the Grand River, six miles in each direction. Generally, Friel was known for having good relations with local indigenous groups. Friel strongly supported Brantford's anti-smoking by-law, citing his own father's death from lung cancer at a relatively young age. He himself took a three-month leave of absence in 2002 due to serious health issues. Friel was defeated in the 2003 mayoral election, losing to Mike Hancock by only fifteen votes. He chose not to seek a recount. He challenged Hancock again in the 2006 election and lost by 165 votes. When Hancock did not seek re-election in 2010, Friel ran for mayor again and won by a significant margin. A newspaper article from 2000 described his political style as "flamboyant, sometimes truculent." When running for re-election in 2003, he acknowledged that he had been an unorthodox mayor. Federal and provincial politics Friel was a political ally of Brant Member of Parliament (MP) Jane Stewart, who served as a cabinet minister in Jean Chrétien's government. He strongly criticized provincial premier Mike Harris at a 2001 Labour Day rally, although he was more complimentary toward Chris Hodgson, Harris's municipal affairs minister. Friel sought the Liberal Party nomination for Brant in the buildup to the 2004 federal election, but lost to Lloyd St. Amand. Electoral record See the 2010 Brantford election page for information on defeated candidates other than Turmel. See the 2003 Brantford election page for information on Tooke. See the 2000 Brantford election page for information on Raymond and Gallant. See the 1997 Brantford election page for information on Barlett and Clement. See the 1994 Brantford election page for information on Lancaster. References External links www.chrisfriel.ca Living people Mayors of Brantford University of Waterloo alumni 1967 births