Two men have thrown their names into the ring to be the village's next mayor.

When nominations closed for the March 6 election, Dennis Nelner, the manager of T.J.'s Grocery, and Duncan Canvin, the owner of Fort Simpson Beverages, were the only people running for the position.

The election was made necessary after the territorial government dissolved council following a dispute with the village's volunteer fire department.

In addition to two running for mayor, 13 candidates are vying for eight councillor positions.

Former councillors seeking re-election are: Robert Hanna, Owen Rowe, Lynn Wharton, Tom Wilson and David Wright.

Newcomers who want a seat on council are: Olinto Beaulieu, Candance Brown, Steve Catto, Dean Harvey, Carl Lafferty, Ann McKee, Eric Menicoche, and Bruce Thomas.

Canvin said he wants to repair and build relations between the senior levels of government and the village, and between the village and the ratepayers.

One of his immediate goals is to meet with the Liidlii Kue First Nations and the Fort Simpson Metis Nation to reach an agreement on the Community Capacity Building Fund.

He also hopes to build on the accomplishments of previous councils by completing the resource development impact group and the village's land use plan.

Canvin, who is also the president of the Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce, said balancing the two roles won't be a problem.

Many of the village objectives, including financial management and keeping clients happy, are the same as the Chamber's, he said.

"I'll just try to do the correct job for the majority of the citizens," said Canvin, who has six years of experience on village council.

"My approach is let's look at a new deal and a new way of looking at things," said Nelner, who has spent four years on village council.

He lost his seat in October after he missed three consecutive meetings without excuse.

A key element of his plan is working closely with the Liidlii Kue First Nation so that everyone in the community benefits.

The band has different contacts that the village could utilize, said Nelner.

Both candidates said they would work hard to rebuild relationships with the volunteer fire department.

Nelner said he wants to locate the root of the problem and find out what equipment members of the fire department believe is needed.

Nelner suggested that by working with the band, the village will have access to federal funds that could be used to purchase equipment

Canvin said he would create a council liaison for different organizations, including the fire department, to ensure lines of communication are kept open.

The concerns of the fire department will be listened to and the equipment they need will be purchased if it's fiscally responsible, said Canvin.