Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Thursday, November 29, 2007

Acho Dene Koe/Fort Liard - When Fort Liard voters head to the polls to elect a mayor they will be choosing between two hamlet councillors.

Julie Capot-Blanc and Wayne Newbury have both put their names forward for the Dec. 10 elections.

Having served on council for three or four terms and acted as deputy mayor for a year, Julie Capot-Blanc said she decided to run for mayor at the urging of a number of community members.

A Fort Liard resident for approximately 22 years, Capot-Blanc said she knows what residents would like to see the hamlet accomplish.

"I know a lot about the community and the people's needs," she said.

Topping the list of issues in the community are the RCMP, housing and youth, said Capot-Blanc, who works as the operations supervisor assistant at Beaver Enterprises.

The RCMP aren't as visible in the community as they have been in the past, said Capot-Blanc. Members no longer attend the council meetings or provide reports on their work, she said. Capot-Blanc suggests that officers should get involved with community activities.

"I'd like to see them more in the community," said Capot-Blanc.

The housing shortage is an ongoing issue in the hamlet that needs to be addressed, she said.

Youth are also an area of concern for Capot-Blanc.

"We need more activities for the youth, to keep them occupied and out of trouble," she said.

If elected, Capot-Blanc said she'd start by having council look at the recreation options in the community.

"I think we need to concentrate on our youth," said Capot-Blanc.

Programming for youth is also one of the key issues that Wayne Newbury would like to focus on.

The programming that is currently available needs to be restructured and have more effort put into it, said Newbury. There needs to be structured activities offered at the youth centre, he said.

"It's needed so the kids can have something to look forward to and enjoy going there," said Newbury.

Newbury was appointed to the hamlet council last year and served for approximately three-quarters of the session. After being approached by several people about running for mayor, Newbury said it would be a way to give back to the community.

"I want to do my part," he said.

Newbury said he also wanted to make sure that people would have a choice at the polls and that the mayor wouldn't be selected by acclamation again.

If elected, Newbury said he'd be approachable and open to suggestions and offer a change for the community.

"I can bring new ideas," he said.

Newbury has lived in the community for almost five years and works as the manager of the Northern Store.

"I think I understand what needs to be done here," he said.

Other issues affecting the community include housing and the state of the waste disposal area, he said. The council could also use some work, he said.

"One of the main issues here is lack of communication," said Newbury.

There's not enough communication with residents about what happens in the council chambers, Newbury said. A monthly newsletter would keep people up to date, he added as an idea.

As the election gets closer, Newbury said he hopes people will consider the issues before voting.

"I just want the people to choose who they think would best serve on their council as mayor," said Newbury.