Voter anger was directed primarily at the provincial government of Mike Harris rather than the city council, although the council was criticized for some of the budgeting decisions it made, such as closing many municipally-owned recreational facilities.
This structure was controversial, as some voters felt that the division of responsibility among councillors was vague and ill-defined – it could, for example, be unclear which of the two ward councillors to approach in regards to a political issue.
The new ward structure was implemented for the first time in the 2006 municipal election.
As a result of his retirement, the mayoral race attracted an unexpectedly large field of 14 candidates.
The race was generally perceived, however, to have two leading candidates: David Courtemanche, an incumbent city councillor, and Paul Marleau, a businessman and the husband of the city's federal Member of Parliament Diane Marleau.