Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell handily won Monday's territorial byelection in Copperbelt, taking 49.6 per cent of the votes.

'I'm obviously very happy and very pleased. I'm also really humbled and appreciative of the support of the residents of Copperbelt,' Mitchell told reporters Monday evening in his Copper Ridge home, where he and about 15 supporters waited for the results to come in.

A total of 925 Copperbelt voters cast their votes at the Elijah Smith Elementary School polling stations during the day.

Four hundred and fifty nine of the votes went to Mitchell.

There were 1,589 registered voters, meaning only 58.2 per cent of the riding's constituents braved the icy roads, parking lots and sidewalks to mark their ballots.

The number of voters in the riding rose from its 1,296 mark in the 2002 general election. However, voter participation plummeted from its 73.84 per cent level in that election.

'It was tough weather. I think that probably added to the turnout,' Mitchell said. 'Have you found it easy to stand up today?'

But NDP candidate Maureen Stephens said there were other reasons for the low turnout.

'I don't know how many times I heard on the doorstep, I won't be voting this time, because nothing ever changes and government doesn't do anything for me,'' Stephens said at the NDP's reception at the Carpenter's Union Hall on Strickland Street.

'That's indicative of people losing faith in the system, and we have to make changes.'

Stephens took 30.8 per cent of the votes, winning 285 of the ballots. Her strongest polling station was in Hillcrest, ex-NDP premier Tony Penikett's former riding from the late 1970s until the early 1990s.

Yukon Party candidate Cynthia Kearns had the weakest showing Monday, taking in only 19.5 per cent of the vote and 181 ballots.

'There was a message sent from Copperbelt riding,' Kearns said from her party's base in the lounge at the Airline Inn.

However, she said she's not exactly sure what the message is from Mitchell's victory.

Kearns' event was attended by several of the Yukon Party's cabinet ministers and MLAs. But many of them declined to comment on the results, and Kearns was closely guarded by the party's media relations person, Peter Carr.

'My sense is that there were a lot of very positive people just not engaged right now,' said Yukon Party MLA Brad Cathers. 'You can second-guess it for hours.'

Pat Duncan, a Liberal MLA and the former party leader, said today she doesn't think the Yukon Party will really hear 'the message' from Yukoners until its power is taken away in another election.

'It's not going to change their behaviour,' the former premier said of the party's loss in the riding.

'The ethical bar has been set very low, and Yukoners are seeing and hearing their behaviour for what it is.'

Kearns said the governing Yukon Party still has an important role to play in the territory.

'To me, it's still of supreme importance that the Yukon Party carry on and continue to move ahead,' she said. 'I think we'll just let the chips fall for the next 11 months, 10 months (until the next election).'

However, two messages were made clear by Copperbelt residents, said Stephens.

'Number one, is that people are not happy with the Yukon Party. The second message that comes out, is that people finally have their own voice in the legislature something they haven't had for about two years now, and it's about time.'

The riding became vacant on Sept. 9 after independent MLA Haakon Arntzen resigned following his May 2005 convictions and sentencing for the indecent assaults of two women in the 1970s.

Arntzen was elected as a Yukon Party MLA in 2002, but left the caucus after charges were laid against him in the spring of 2004.

He was absent from his job as an MLA while he took stress leave, then attended his trial.

Prior to resigning, he hadn't asked a question in the legislative assembly since Dec. 13, 2004.

It was the Yukon Party and the Liberals that had the most to lose in the byelection, NDP Leader Todd Hardy said today.

Polls conducted during the summer indicated it's likely the NDP that will form the government in the next general election.

Hardy said he doesn't think the NDP's loss in the riding will affect that outcome. He added, however, he is disappointed the party won't have Stephens' voice and talents to complement the party's current role as the official Opposition.

However, it's clear the Yukon Party has lost some support from Yukoners, he said.

'If (the Liberal) leader went down, it would have been disastrous for them,' he added.

Running against a party leader is always a challenge, he said.

There was a sense the riding's residents really wanted to give Mitchell a chance and find out what he and the Liberals stand for going into the next general election, which must be called by November 2006, said Hardy.

Mitchell wouldn't reveal what he plans on bringing to the floor of the legislature when he takes his seat next week.

But the realtor indicated he will continue to raise questions 'important to the people of Copperbelt' and work to keep the government accountable.

During his campaign, he focused on issues that included the extension of Hamilton Boulevard to Robert Service Way, many residents' struggles to find a family doctor, substance abuse and the economy.

'We have to support the people with a strong economy, but we can't lose the sight of the fact we want Yukon to be a place we're living in 50 and 100 and 200 years from now and that's what it's about balance.'

He added he plans to continue to knock on doors in the riding to keep up-to-date on the concerns of the constituents.

'We have to make sure we're looking after everyone and looking after everyone's concerns,' he said.

'I'm very encouraged by the number of people that have come and supported us from all sides of the political spectrum, because they are looking for a new way.'

Mitchell won the leadership of the party last June, succeeding Duncan. He has made it a priority to 'rebuild' the Liberals to make them a 'big tent' party that is inclusive and that returns to its grassroots.

The party is currently in the process of building its team for the next general election. Mitchell said names of potential candidates will began to be released in early-2006.

Stephens and Kearns also indicated they plan to run in the next election, though neither would commit to running in Copperbelt again.

'Arthur (Mitchell) is just going to have to keep looking over his shoulder, because there's another election in about a year's time,' said Stephens.

Kearns agreed, adding, 'My voice is going to continue to be out there.'