Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Oct 20/00) - The deputy mayor of Inuvik is about to get a promotion.

Peter Clarkson defeated Coun. Derek Lindsay by a close margin in Monday's municipal election. Clarkson garnered 425 votes, compared to Lindsay's total of 351.

The new mayor and councillors are to be sworn in Nov. 6. Outgoing Mayor George Roach did not seek another term.

A number of incumbents were returned to council -- Richard Binder, Don Craik, Denny Rodgers, Garry Smith and Clarence Wood.

Vivian Hunter was the only current councillor who was not re-elected.

New to Inuvik council are George Doolittle, Arlene Hansen and Vince Sharpe. Hansen received 459 votes, the most of any of the candidates for council.

Returning officer Gerry Veltman said there were about 1,644 eligible voters.

"There were a large number of additions to the voters list because of the heavy turnout," Veltman explained.

Veltman said voter turnout this year was about 49 per cent, which was much higher than in 1998, when it ran about 35 per cent.

Clarkson excited

Reached at his home Monday evening, Clarkson said he was excited about the victory.

"I'm happy to see the support," Clarkson said. "I got good support on both sides. It wasn't just support on the east side or anything."

Polls were held at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex, where Clarkson beat Lindsay 238 votes to 144, and at Ingamo Hall, where Lindsay edged his opponent 207-187.

What did Clarkson consider key to his victory?

"I talked to a lot of people, you know, and not aggressively. I didn't say come out and support me. I just said come out and vote, and (I) let people decide themselves," Clarkson said.

"I think the work that I put in at council and issues I raised, that helped. I think being deputy mayor definitely helped," he said.

"That helped familiarize myself with the ropes and how things were done and all that kind of stuff."

Clarkson said being deputy mayor the past two years gave him perhaps a higher profile, "and also an opportunity to make things happen."

Things to do

"There's a lot of things to get going and a lot of things to do," Clarkson said of the weeks and months ahead.

"The town really has to look at what they need to do to get ready for the oil and gas boom. We've started some things now, but we need to take a real serious look at that, 'cause the timing is going to be critical," the mayor-elect said.

"And not only what we need to do as for infrastructure, but what we need to do as far as looking at some of the social impacts."

Clarkson and his wife, Sue, have three children -- Phillip, Elye and Arlo.