"This is our third time trying to get liquor controls in our community," said Thrasher. "Hopefully it will succeed this time."

In Tuktoyaktuk, Merven Gruben triumphed in his race to become mayor against strong opposition that included Eddie Dillon, Billy Emaghok and Vince Teddy.

"Everybody says I'll do a good job," said Gruben, who has been serving as acting mayor since Jackie Jacobson was elected as a territorial MLA in October. "I'm doing this for the people of Tuk - not myself."

Gruben said getting more funding from of the territorial government is among the biggest challenges he and council will face.

"For years they've been cutting back what we get," he said. "We need to develop a road to gravel deposit 177 so we can start moving our community further away from the coast."

Due to ongoing erosion, low parts of the community can easily flood during big storms, he said, adding they tend to hit once every 10 years.

"The last one was in 2000," he said.

Aklavik's hamlet council now includes Annie Buckle, Edwin Greenland, Dave McLeod and Greg Wilson.

"I'm very excited about this," said Wilson. "This is going to be my first time on any council, so personally learning everything is going to be the biggest challenge."

Wilson has lived in the community for the past year and a half, though he added this is his second time in Aklavik having also been there about a decade ago.

"I love it here, it's my home away from home," he said.

In Fort McPherson, residents selected Bill Prodromidis as mayor after his campaign against Rebecca Blake and Donald Robert. The community's hamlet council now includes Leslie Blake who won the only open seat over Erwin Kamenz.

Around the region many candidates were previously acclaimed to two-year terms.

Sachs Harbour councillors David Haogak, Keltie Haogak, Priscilla Haogak, Manny Kudlak and Jeff Kuptana didn't have to wait until election day to find out they were successful.

Neither did Ulukhaktok councillors Jean Ekpakohak, Janet Kanayok, Mary Kudlak, Leah Anne Kuneyuna and Sarah Kaptana. There is still one open seat on council as not enough candidates came forward to fill the six vacancies.

The Tuk councillors who were acclaimed included Annie Felix, Maureen Gruben, Georgina Jacobson-Masuzumi, Darrel Nasogaluak and James Poliak.

Aklavik Mayor Knute Hansen also won his post without opposition.

Wayne Newbury has been elected mayor of Fort Liard.

In the Dec. 10 election, Newbury received 72 votes compared to 35 for Julia Capot-Blanc.

Capot-Blanc did win a seat on the hamlet council with 73 votes. Other councillors include Karen McLeod with 85 votes, Morris McLeod with 82, Ken Nowoselski with 80, Brad Giroux with 78 and Kathy Hardisty with 76.

People elected to the positions of District Education Authority Board members include Jennifer Newbury with 97 votes, Barb McLeod with 94, Karen McLeod with 93, Kathy Hardisty with 92 Marlene Timbre with 91 and Jonathan Yeo with 68.

The three newly-elected hamlet councillors in Fort Providence Jonas Landry with 59 votes, Alphonsine Gargan with 58 votes and Paschalina Thurber with 37 votes.

The five District Education Authority board members are Edith Squirrel with 59 votes, Robert Tanche with 59 votes, Jessica Field with 57 votes, Peter Canadien with 55 votes and Betty Ann Minoza with 52 votes.

Out of 493 eligible voters 72 people voted, according to Phoebe Parent, the returning officer.

Rookie candidate Louise Reindeer defeated Gordon Yakeleya and will be sworn in as Tulita's mayor early in the new year.

While this is her first foray into politics, Reindeer has plenty of experience working with the hamlet.

"I was the senior administrative officer here for about nine years," she said.

While she plans to thoroughly review Tulita's current operations to help better understand its needs, prior to the election she said topping that list would likely be the creation of more programs to support elders and youth.

"We have so few programs for our youth," she said.

Eight hamlet councillors were also acclaimed prior to election day: Stella Bayha-Yallee, Lorraine Doctor, Wilfred Lennie Sr., Richard MacCauley, Mary Rose Masuzumi, Rena Elemie Mendo, Jody Snortland, Judith Wright-Bird.

In 1996, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs began keeping statistics on the number of female candidates and their success rates in municipal elections.

"In that time, what we've found is that the number of female candidates elected to council is directly proportional to the number of female candidates who run for election," said David Kravitz, chief municipal electoral officer at MACA.

Between 1996 and now, he said 34 per cent of all municipal candidates were women. At the same time, 35 per cent of the people elected were female.

"What that means is that if people are interested in seeing more women on municipal councils, they should be encouraging more women to run," he said.

New band councillors

Mary Clille, Angus Ekenale, Tim Lennie, George Moses and Lisa Moses all became Pehdzeh Ki First Nations band councillors by acclamation on Dec. 11 when too few people put their name forward to hold an election, said Shawn Alli, the election officer.

The chief and council will need to appoint one more person to fill the sixth seat, Alli said.

A byelection for a new council had to be called after three people stepped down from the previous council, said Chief Darcy E. Moses.

A total of five councillors were put in place during the last election held on Feb. 27, 2007. Jessie Clille and Kyle Clille both had to resign because they became band employees, said Moses. Councillor Derwin Clille also resigned for personal matters.

After 10 months in office Moses said he plans to fulfil his full term as chief.

At the time of his election, Moses was the fourth person to hold the role of chief in Wrigley in a 13-month period.

Six seats on Deninoo Community Council in Fort Resolution were filled in a municipal election on Dec. 10.

The winning candidates out of a field of 12 were Garry Bailey, Leonard Beaulieu Sr., Carol Ann Chaplin, Warren Delorme, Arthur Sanderson and Robert Sayine Sr.

Three of the councillors were elected for two years, while the other three were elected for one year.

There are eight members in all on the council.

- with files from Roxanna Thompson and Paul Bickford