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IQALUIT - If someone had told Elisapee Sheutiapik six years ago she would become a politician, she would never have believed it.

Elisapee Sheutiapik: "I have a lot of supporters who have encouraged me." -

But after five years as mayor of Iqaluit, public life has become a passion to the point that Sheutiapik is now running for a territorial seat in the upcoming Nunavut election.

"I have a lot of supporters who have encouraged me," she said. "These are the same people who encouraged me (to run) five years ago.

"And I thought, I've listened to them in the past, why would I stop now?"

Sheutiapik made her announcement at last week's council meeting, explaining that she would be taking a personal leave of absence from Sept. 20 to Oct. 28.

She will be vying for the riding of Iqaluit West which has been represented by Premier Paul Okalik since 1999.

"It only makes sense for me to run in a riding that I live in and my business is in," Sheutiapik said. "That happens to be against the premier and that's really not exactly why I'm running in that riding. It's because I live and have a business there."

Her reason for running, she said, is to sound the voices of Iqalummiut at a higher level of government.

"I think I've done my bit in bringing their voices forward and that's all I'm trying to do," said Sheutiapik. "It's not about running against anyone or anything.

"I feel realistically, I'm much more ready this time than the last election to try and help be a voice at a different level of government."

The territorial election will be held on Oct. 27, following on the heels of the federal election, which has been called for Oct. 14. If elected, Sheutiapik would seek improved education, health care and other basic necessities, but she also hopes she would be able to make greater headway towards the development of deep sea ports, for which she has often advocated as mayor.

"I've been trying to move forward the deep sea ports," she said. "But of course, because it's not a typical municipal infrastructure ... maybe if I'm at the next level, maybe it would be easier."