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Big turnout for Inuvik debate

John King
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 23/06) - With Northerners now heading to the polls, Western Arctic candidates made a variety of last-minute campaign trail stops and speeches before today's election.

Candidates were in Inuvik, Jan. 16, for the all-candidates forum at Aurora College. Those who showed up included Liberal incumbent Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Conservative hopeful Richard Edjericon, NDP challenger Dennis Bevington, and Green Party candidate Alex Beaudin.

"It was quite well run actually. More interesting than I thought it was going to be. I didn't fall asleep until the end," said recent Inuvik arrival Robert Whitford, who is working as the wellness co-ordinator for the Inuvik Band Office.

"Right now it looks like it's between Big Ethel and Mr. Bevington," Whitford said about who he thinks the front runners are going into today's election.

"I want to make sure I vote for somebody who has a reasonable chance of getting in.

"I think Mr. Bevington made a few friends here tonight," Whitford said.

Whitford feels Bevington has done that through endorsing an increase in the Northern Residence Tax Deduction.

Lawrence Norbert, born and raised in Inuvik, just happened to see some civility during the forum - something he didn't expect.

"Compared to the national leaders debate, I thought these guys were very civilized," Norbert said. "They kept it very decent. There was no mud slinging -- maybe a few snowballs."

"I thought this is the way candidates should behave, instead of calling each other down like you see in the federal ads."

For Diane Peckford, a teacher at Samuel Hearne Secondary school, the forum strengthened her resolve to vote for the NDP.

"I enjoyed what the NDP candidate had to say and felt a lot of my issues were addressed by him," she said.

With Ethel Blondin-Andrew winning in 2004 with less than a 5 per cent margin, this year's race looks to be another close contest.

Time will tell as ballots are cast and counted, and another MP will rise to the occasion to take on what could be the most challenging term in years for politics in the Mackenzie Delta.