Iqaluit (Oct 02/00) - On Oct. 16 Iqaluit residents go to the polls to vote for eight town councillors and a mayor. News/North asked the candidates:

What will you make your top priorities in terms of roads, paving, sidewalks, sewage treatment facility, a new solid waste facility?

What role, if any, should the Town of Iqaluit play in alleviating the local housing shortage?

What is your position on the Town's 99 resolution to actively lobby against the issuing of new liquor licences for a five-year period?

Candidates Glenn Williams, Lynn Peplinski, Ben Ell were out of town at press time.

Jimmy Kilabuk, with translator

Experience: mayor elected in 97; more than 20 years council involvement

Occupation: family carving business

1. "First and foremost my priority is the conditions of the roads. This year has been the worst for complaints from residents, but a paving project that we worked very hard to get funding for is underway."
2. "The Town should play a major role in (housing). This month I'm requesting funding for housing.Homelessness is also an issue and the lack of funding."
3. "I support the (liquor licence ban) fully and want to see it stay for the youth. There are enough licensed establishments in Iqaluit and I feel we do not need more."

Chris Wilson

Experience: Firefighters Association treasurer for five years

Occupation: assistant manager of the Iqaluit Housing Authority

1. "I'm not running on a priority platform because the priorities are obvious -- roads, sewage treatment, the environment -- I want to strike a balance and work on many things at the same time."
2. "(On housing), the responsibility lies with the other governments, but the council can be conscientious when it offers up lots for public housing, giving consideration to location. We can spread public housing out, have downtown units and new units."
3. "(On the liquor licensing ban), there was a problem before and the problem still exists now. When council implemented that resolution, they promised to do a study and to my knowledge, nothing has been done. (The moratorium) was a knee-jerk reaction."

Madeleine Redfern

Experience: served on boards and committees: housing, community centre, health and child care

Occupation: executive director of Nunavut Tourism

1. "The sewage treatment plant should be one of the priorities of the council. We have a facility that isn't useable. The other issue is the garbage, not only the dump, but the garbage around town."
2. "The town definitely has a role in (housing) and should be working closely with the Housing Authority. The town could set aside a portion of land at a reduced rate."
3. "I think what is important is that the current (liquor) licences are strictly monitored, with respect to over-serving. I think most residents would agree that liquor is a factor in many of the social problems the community suffers from."

Lynda Gunn

Experience: councillor elected in 97

Occupation: contractor and substitute teacher

1. "The implementation of our strategic plan is still unfinished, including the re-structuring of downtown, safety of pedestrians and motorists, walking paths and parks. The sewage plant and dump problems have already been addressed. Other issues are garbage in town and public transportation -- council needs to be more aggressive and try new approaches."
2. "Housing isn't the Town's responsibility, but if the other governments are disposing of housing, the Town can have them hand it over to the Housing Authority -- this has happened a couple of times.
3. "The town is growing and I am receptive to allowing responsible proprietors to apply for liquor licences. But it's time that we start helping those who are in need of support for addictions."

Matthew Spence

Experience: councillor elected in 97; chair of public works committee; one year of term as deputy mayor

Occupation: director of venture development for the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation

1. "The first thing that needs to be done is to get the sewage treatment plant operational. Other priorities are improving the roads -- a $2.5 million paving plan is already in place. There is also a need to look at youth activities and recreational programs."
2. "The Town has a role to play in housing. Last term we put aside three lots in the trailer park for social housing and we're looking at an RFP for a downtown building that I think is an excellent location for more social housing. As a land leaser we can leverage dollars from the governments by providing land and I'm prepared to work with council to look at ways of providing land as our equity."
3. "I think (the liquor licence ban) was a short term reaction and I didn't support it. The moratorium restricts restaurants from obtaining a liquor licence. I feel it's paternalistic because it says the community doesn't have the ability to make the best decisions for themselves. As the town grows, demand grows and we have to service that demand or else we create other problems for ourselves."

Geosah Uniuqsaraq

Experience: councillor elected in 97

Occupation: hunter

1. "We have been talking and talking about the same issues for so long, this term there will be more action and less talk. It's the same for the roads and the dump, always talking and little action, now there will be action."
2. "Housing is an important issue, but it is more for the other two governments to deal with."
3. "I agree with the (liquor licence ban), I think it is better this way. We will have better people this way, alcohol brings too many problems."

Stuart Kennedy

Experience: 20 years of municipal engineering

1. Occupation: owns and operates four small businesses with his wife: DJ Sensations Giftshop, DJ Specialties, a partnership in Tumiit Dev. Corp., a partnership in Qasigiaq Designs
3. "I believe that long term planning has to be a major focus of the new council. We can work on a 15-20 year forecast looking at locations for further commercial, industrial and residential development. "There is also recreation -- parks, snowmobile, walking and hiking trails."
4. "Housing isn't a direct Town responsibility, however, the Town must support measures to address the problem. They could provide land development appropriate for housing and work with the agencies involved."
5. "I consider the decision to provide liquor licences to be the responsibility of the Nunavut Liquor Board. The Town council could collectively respond in terms of an opinion. I would support the recommendations that reflect the feelings of the people of Iqaluit."

Kirt Ejesiak

Experience: 3 years as president of the Inuit non-profit housing corp., 3 years on Nunavut Trust board

Occupation: entrepreneur and family man

1. "The poor road systems impact everyone everyday, we need a permanent solution for the roads. I would like to look at a transportation system to get people around and reduce traffic. Other issues I would like to look at are beautifying Iqaluit and making it more than a construction heap; supporting tourism, even by having well-placed garbage bins with lids; youth activities for the older youth in town."
2. "The Town has a very important role in ensuring there are affordable lots for housing and possibly combining existing programs with experimental housing using local materials and renewable energies."
3. "The (liquor licence ban) is a hot issue that will always have two sides. We have to look at what the community wants and find a balance between that and the overall community health. "I don't drink, I don't support drinking and I encourage my family members who are alcoholics to seek treatment, but I don't think shutting down bars will solve the problems. We have to look at the root cause of these problems."

John Matthews

Experience: councillor elected in 97; three years with a sub-committee of council

Occupation: private business owner -- Atiilu Real Estate

1. "Several issues are going to come to an end shortly -- the sewage treatment plant being one of them. The roads won't be an issue in another month because everything is going to freeze up."
2. "Housing is definitely a town issue as much as it is territorial and federal. I would like to see the town providing land if the other two governments provide the housing."
3. "I was away when the (liquor licence ban) was passed and I would have voted against it. I don't think the prevention of new bars is addressing the problem. I think people sometimes get a false sense of comfort that they are addressing the problem of alcoholism by preventing bars, but I think it is much deeper than that."

Keith Irving

Experience: eight months as member-at-large on town's public works committee

Occupation: architect and owner of local firm

1. "I'm interested in looking forward -- the roads, dump and sewage treatment plant are all issues being dealt with by the current council. "Engaging the public in productive discussion is a top priority. Residents need to know what the issues are and how they are being dealt with."
2. "Housing isn't really a Town issue, with exception of creating or subsidizing more affordable lots. Perhaps council can be more creative in terms of downtown development and exchanges of land."
3. "I would support, in principle, the idea of no more liquor establishments until we can see more resources going into the social support systems."

Simon Nattaq, with translator

Experience: councillor elected in 97

Occupation: janitor at Inuksuk High School.

1. "My priorities will be the dump, the sewage treatment facility and the roads."
2. "(Housing) is mainly up to the other governments, but I feel everyone has to work as a team to alleviate the problem -- the housing authority, the governments and the people have to work together."
3. "My position is to maintain the (liquor licence ban) and not approve any liquor bars. We already have too many problems in Iqaluit caused by alcohol."